Ha (cuneiform) explained

The cuneiform ha sign comes in two common varieties in the 1350 BC Amarna letters. It is also found in the large 12-chapter (Tablets I-XII) work of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Cuneiform ha is used as a syllabic for ha, and an alphabetic for h, or a; from the Epic of Gilgamesh it also has two sumerogramic uses (capital letter (majuscule)), for HA (Akkadian language zittu, for "share"), and KU₆, for nūnu, "fish".^[1]

The digitized version of ha has 4, short vertical strokes, 2-pairs-of-2, in a square; it is ligatured at the right, typically with a large, or medium-large sized wedge-stroke. The 2nd type of cuneiform ha is consistent as: 2-verticals, with a wedge between, and a (typical) large wedge ligatured at right; (thus both types contain the wedge at the right).

Type I of the sign with four short vertical strokes, (1-pair, above another pair), is the za (cuneiform) sign, which is used for linguistic items like: ṣa, za, ZA,^[2] ZA being a sumerogram.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh the usage numbers for the ha sign is as follows: ha-(145 times), HA-(2), KU₆-(4).^[3]

Selected list of Amarna letter usage by type

Selected Amarna letter usage by type, with some explanation of the letter texts:

Type I

• EA 153, 153:6
• EA 256, 256:28, city: URU-Ha-Ya-uN, Hayyunu, city: Ayyun (a letter listing cities in the Golan, Canaan)
• EA 367, 367:7, Envoy Hani, ^IHA-A-NI (see here: lines 3–5, scribe-line, lines 6–8)

Type II(2nd vertical and wedge often larger)

• EA 245, 245:6(6B(on reverse)), 18
• EA 270, 270:11 (line 11), ^IiYa-aN-Ha-Mu, for official: Yanhamu (ha partially damaged)
• EA 365, 365:16

References

• Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. 393 pages.(softcover,)
• Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Parpola, Simo, Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, c 1997, Tablet I thru Tablet XII, Index of Names, Sign List, and Glossary-(pp. 119–145), 165 pages.(softcover,)-(Volume 1)
• Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359-379, Anson F. Rainey, (AOAT 8, Alter Orient Altes Testament 8, Kevelaer and Neukirchen -Vluyen), 1970, 107 pages.

Notes and References

1. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, zittu, p. 145, nūnu, p. 135.
2. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Sign List, pp. 155-165, Sign no. 589, sign za, etc., p. 165.
3. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Sign List, pp. 155-165, Sign no. 589, p. 165.