The Sumerians and Semitic Akkadians  knew Sagittarius

by its sigma star named Nunki

Nunki:  Sumerian Meaning etc.

From

 

Sumerian Lexicon

Version 3.0

by

John A. Halloran

http://www.sumerian.org/sumerlex.htm

 

nun: n., prince, noble, master (ní, 'fear; respect',+ un, 'people' ?) [NUN archaic frequency: 652; concatenation of 4 sign variants].

v., to rise up (n, 'to be high',+ u5, 'to mount; be on top of; raised high').

adj., great, noble, fine, deep.

nu: n., image, likeness, picture, figurine, statue [NU archaic frequency: 101].

adj. & adv., no, not; without; negative.

pron., a pronominal prefix in a compound noun describing a person; or a phonetic writing for lú.

nu11[ŠIR]: light; fire, lamp; alabaster [NU11 archaic frequency: 32].

ki: n., earth; place; area; location; ground; grain ('base' + 'to rise, sprout') [KI archaic frequency: 386; concatenates 2 sign variants].

            prep., where; wherever, whenever; behind.

 

ú: n., plant; vegetable; grass; food; bread; pasture; load [U2 archaic frequency: 225; concatenates 3 signs].

            v., to nourish, support.

            adj., strong, powerful (man).

ù: n., sleep (cf., u5). [according to S. Lieberman, u, ù, and u4 were pronounced /o/]

v., to sleep.

prep., and; the prospective modal prefix: if; when; after; often used as a polite imperative.

pron., a pronominal prefix in a compound noun, to derive a more specific meaning.

u(3,4,8): n., an expression of protest; cries, screams; the grunting, panting of battle; fight, dispute.

v., to bend over.

u4: (cf., ud).

u5: n., male bird, cock; totality; earth pile or levee; raised area (sometimes written ù) [U5 archaic frequency: 1].

v., to mount (in intercourse); to be on top of; to ride; to board (a boat); to steer, conduct.

adj., (raised) high, especially land or ground (sometimes written ù).

u6: (cf., ug6).

u8: (cf., us5).

u18[GIŠGAL]: huge.

u20[ŠE]: barley.

 

Eridu Summerians oldest city; Home of the god Enki

 

 

ér, ír: n., tears; lamentation; prayer; complaint.

v., to weep.

 

 

i: n., cry of pain (derived from ér, ír, 'tears; complaint' ?) [I archaic frequency: 17].

            v., to capture, defeat, overcome (cf., éd, è; i)

 

du: to walk; to go; to come (sing. marû, cf., gtildein, re7, súb) [DU archaic frequency: 299].

dú: (cf., tud).

dù('), rwedgeú: n., work; totality.

v., to build, make; to mould, cast; to erect something on the ground; to raise up; to set up; to plant; to fasten, apply (dù-e in marû).

du5: (cf., sug5)

du6: (cf., dul(6)).

du7: to be finished, complete; to be suitable, fitting; to be necessary; to butt, gore, toss (reduplication class?) (regularly followed by rá) [DU7 archaic frequency: 7]

é: house, household; temple; plot of land [E2 archaic frequency: 649; concatenates 4 signs].

 

sa: n., sinew, tendon; cord; net; mat; bundle; string of a musical instrument [SA archaic frequency: 54; concatenates 2 sign variants].

v., to roast (barley) (cf., si; sa).

Ur or Urim 12 miles from Eridu; sister city of Eridu, Home of goddess Ninhursag, One time home of Abraham

 

ur: n., dog; carnivorous beast; servant; young man, warrior; enemy (cf., téš) [UR archaic frequency: 114; concatenation of 3 sign variants].

v., to tremble.

adj., humble.

ur(2,3,4): to surround; to flood; to throw overboard; to drag (over the ground) (often with -ni-); to erase, wipe out; to shear, reap, mow (reduplication class) (cf., gur10).

úr: floor; base; lap, loins; thighs, leg(s); root; trunk of a tree [UR2 archaic frequency: 78].

ùr: roof; entrance; mountain pass; beam, rafter (cf., ur(2,3,4)) [UR3 archaic frequency: 27; concatenation of 5 sign variants].

ur4: (cf., gur10,14) [? UR4 archaic frequency: 41; concatenation of 3 sign variants].

ur5[HAR]: n., liver; spleen; heart, soul; bulk, main body; foundation; loan; obligation; interest; surplus, profit; interest-bearing debt; repayment; slave-woman (cf., har, mur) [UR5 archaic frequency: 34; concatenation of 2 sign variants].

inanimate pron., it; these, the referenced; his, hers, theirs.

v., to chew; to smell; to belch, burp; to roar; to clog, block; to imprison; to be bowed with grief; to rub something in; to rent.

demonstrative, thus; so; in this way; in the same way; followed by a negation: not at all.

imi, im, em: clay, loam, mud; tablet [IM archaic frequency: 67; concatenation of 2 sign variants].

 

Enki  god of Eridu

 

en: n., dignitary; lord; high priest; ancestor (statue); diviner [EN archaic frequency: 1232; concatenates 3 sign variants].

v., to rule.

adj., noble.

en(2,3): n., time; enigmatic background [EN2 archaic frequency: 17].

            prep., until.

 

ki: n., earth; place; area; location; ground; grain ('base' + 'to rise, sprout') [KI archaic frequency: 386; concatenates 2 sign variants].

            prep., where; wherever, whenever; behind.

é: house, household; temple; plot of land [E2 archaic frequency: 649; concatenates 4 signs].

i: n., cry of pain (derived from ér, ír, 'tears; complaint' ?) [I archaic frequency: 17].

v., to capture, defeat, overcome (cf., éd, è; i)

 

Copyright © 1996-1999 John Alan Halloran, Los Angeles, California. All Rights Reserved.
Last modified on August 9, 1999.
http://www.sumerian.org/sumv.htm

http://www.sumerian.org/sumerlex.htm

 

 

 

Comments on the Eridu and Adab seals:

http://enenuru.net/html/misc/cityseals.htm

 

While the larger portion of City Seals seem to follow the DN+UNU structure, there are exceptions. Eridu for example, is represented by what is termed "the great pole", and the Adab seal features the same but with the addition of a rising sun. Unfortunately, little can be said about the great pole and crossbars, beyond the device is called NUN.
Krystyna Szarzynska (4) says the logogram NUN when in cuneiform can mean "prince," "princely," "lofty." In the archaic period it could be used as a substitute name of a local deity, as a title of a dignatary, or as a designation of an institution connected with them. NUN could also indicate the name of the city Eridu(g), although written without the second designation KI, as in later times. That same author adds about signs NUN and URI3: "Both of these signs probably belong to the group of cult symbols representing local deities or protective forces."

http://enenuru.net/storage/unu/NUNexamples.jpg

Although it doesn't seem possible to get exhaustive details on NUN, with more information some loose context may be inferred. Szarzynska discusses Archaic Sumerian Standards, which were objects carried by cultic personal in processions or else objects which might adorn either side of an entrance to a divine abode; such as for example the ring posts of Inanna. She points to one standard (SEE *A* above) which consists of two NUN poles, and she supposes these may have adorned either side of a gateway at a temple. Additionally to relate NUN to the temple, we may take the Sumerian words E.NUN (*B* above) which means "innermost room" and also EN.NUN (*C* above) a type of priest likely involved with this same room, to indicate that NUN in the seal of Eridu and Adab had a function quite similar of the UNU of the other city seals: to indicate a city by way of symbolizing the inner sanctum of the local chief deity. In short, UNU and NUN would seem to be functional synonyms of a sort.