Bi (cuneiform)

The cuneiform bi sign, also pí, and used for other syllabic forms, as well as a sumerogram, is a common use syllabic and alphabetic cuneiform sign used in both the mid-14th century BC Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Amarna letters, it is sometimes used for the spelling of the archers (Egyptian pitati), 'pí-t(x)-t(x)', an often requested need from the Pharaoh in the vassal state sub-corpus of the letters.

Cuneiform sign for bi, pí; also in the Epic of Gilgamesh, bé, gaš, kaš, and sumerogram, KAŠ, for "beer".

Amarna letter EA 9-(Reverse), Burra-Buriyaš to Pharaoh, "Ancient Loyalties, New Requests".^[1]
Last line: 'a series of gifts' "...I send (to) you." ("...ul-te-bi-la..x-x.") (Akkadian language, "abālu", to bring, carry)^[2]
(photo, out-of-focus)

As a sumerogram, (capital letter (majuscule)), sign bi is used for KAŠ, Akkadian language for "šikāru",^[3] beer.

The following linguistic elements for bi are used in the Epic:^[4]

bé

bi

gaš

kaš

pí

KAŠ, sumerogram: "beer"

The bi sign's usage numbers in the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows: bé-(25 times), bi-(190), gaš-(1), kaš-(12), pí-(2), KAŠ-(1).^[5]

Amarna letters usage

Use of pí, Egyptian archers

The archers were part of the Egyptian army, and often requested by the Canaanite vassal city-states, when writing to the Pharaoh in the Amarna letters. They were named the pitati, Akkadian language "piṭātu",^[6] "troops of soldiers", and spelled in a variety of ways, often starting with the bi sign as pí.

A partial listing of spellings of "ERIM.MEŠ-pitati", by Amarna letter:

• EA 86, 86:7--pí-ṭa-ti
• EA 282, 282:11--pí-ṭa-ti
• EA 290, 290:20--pí-ṭa-ti
• EA 296, 296:34--pí-ṭa-ti