Cuneiform sign UR₂

In Sumerian, UR₂ commonly means “root” or “base.”

Those glosses make it a root sign or base sign, but Sumerian UR₂ can also refer to a trunk, limb, leg, loin, or lap. The word being written and the neighboring signs decide which sense fits.

The subscript ₂ is a scholarly label that separates this sign from others transliterated ur or uru; it does not mean “two.” In Akkadian, another ancient Mesopotamian language, UR₂ may stand for išdum, “base” or “foundation.” Using a Sumerian sign to write an Akkadian word is called a Sumerogram.

How was cuneiform sign ur2 used originally?

It appears in early Uruk administrative records.

Cuneiform took shape in the late fourth millennium BCE as cities used clay records to track goods and quantities. UR₂ is listed in Uruk IV and Uruk III proto-cuneiform sign inventories; one administrative tablet from Uruk III is dated about 3200–3000 BCE.

UR (𒌨) and URU (𒌷) are separate signs with some overlapping ur/uru readings. A compound such as UR₂×U₂ has its own reading, not a simple pile-up of individual glosses.

How do I type cuneiform sign ur2?

On Linux, use Unicode hex input to enter the exact sign.

Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 1232B, then press Enter.

If the glyph appears as a square, your font lacks cuneiform support; change the font, not the character.