Cuneiform Sign Te

Its reading depends on the language and neighboring signs.

𒋼 is the cuneiform sign TE. A sign can stand for a syllable—a spoken part of a word—or have a meaning-based reading. Sumerian sign lists give TE readings such as “near” and “to approach,” among others. In an Akkadian letter from Amarna, it marks the syllable te inside a word. By itself, the glyph does not name one thing; the surrounding text tells you how to read it.

When did 𒋼 first appear?

A proto-cuneiform comparison catalogue includes a TE sign image.

The broader cuneiform system is first attested at Uruk, a city in southern Mesopotamia, during a period called Uruk IV, circa 3500–3200 BCE. Writing grew alongside city administration; early records tracked quantities and goods. Proto-cuneiform is the earliest stage of this writing. The catalogue’s TE image is a useful historical comparison, but it does not prove that the later sign had the same shape.

Why does 𒋼 look different in different fonts?

Cuneiform fonts draw historical forms in different styles.

Unicode identifies the sign; it does not prescribe one tablet-like picture. Cuneiform shapes vary by period, region, medium, and style, so fonts can give 𒋼 different silhouettes. A font without cuneiform coverage may show a missing-character box.