EN (cuneiform)

EN (Borger 2003 nr. 164 ; U+12097 𒂗, see also ENSI) is the Sumerian cuneiform for "lord" or "priest". Originally, it seems to have been used to designate a high priest or priestess of a Sumerian city-state's patron-deity[1] – a position that entailed political power as well. It may also have been the original title of the ruler of Uruk. See Lugal, ensi and en for more details.

Deities including EN as part of their name include DEN.LÍL, DEN.KI, DEN.GURUN, and DEN.ZU.

En-hedu-ana, Akkadian 2285 BC - 2250 BC was the first known holder of the title, "En Priestess."

Archaic forms

The corresponding Emesal dialect word was UMUN, which may preserve an archaic form of the word. Earlier Emeg̃ir (the standard dialect of Sumerian) forms can be postulated as *ewen or *emen, eventually dropping the middle consonant and becoming the familiar EN.[2]

Amarna letters: bêlu

The 1350 BC Amarna letters use EN for bêlu, though not exclusively. The more common spelling is mostly 'be' + 'li', to make "bêlí", or its equivalent. Some example letters using cuneiform 'EN' are letters EA (for 'El Amarna') 252, EA 254, and EA 282,[3] titled: "A demand for recognition", by Abimilku; "Neither rebel or delinquent (2)", by Labayu; and "Alone", by Shuwardata.

Most of the uses are in the letter introduction, formulaic addresses to the pharaoh, stating typically to effect:

"To the King (pharaoh), Lord-mine, (speaking) thus...." EA 254

Bodies of the letters also repeat the phraseology of "King, my Lord", sometimes doubly as in letter EA 34, (using be-li, as bêlu), "The pharaoh's reproach answered", by the King of Alashiya.

See also
  • LUGAL "King or "ruler"
  • NIN - "Queen" or "priestess"
  • Bêlu - "lord" or "master"

References
  1. Saggs, H. W. F. 1988, The Greatness That Was Babylon (revised edition)
  2. Sahala, Aleksi: Sumerian phonology – Current state of its study. Part 1: Vowels (p. 12–13). Academia, updated 11.9.2015. Accessed 23.7.2020.
  3. Moran, The Amarna Letters, p. 239, 307, 323.

Sources
  • Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
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