Chinese and Sumerian

XVI INTRODUCTION

weep’, is doubtless phonetic; though the choice of it may have been determined by a fancied likeness of several of the old forms to an eye streaming with tears (cf. D. 238). The last symbol which resembles and may be nearly related to the fore-

going is ll: the ideogram for KI-SAL (D. 415); a word which denotes the raised

floor or platform of earth, cased with brick, on which temples and palaces were usually erected. The cross-line at the top of the figure may be taken to indicate the enclosing of the soil heaped on the site within the casing of brickwork.

The natural flow or running of water, as opposed to being poured out by man, would seem to be suggested by the use of wavy lines, indicating the broken or rippling surface of a stream. Thus it is that the word LUM, ‘to grow’, appears in

the old linear script as SS ; symbols which closely resemble some of the 4z-wéz

forms of the Chinese character for water, which very fittingly symbolizes luxuriant growth of vegetation, especially in the hot East (Jer. xvii. 8); and the word ZI, ‘right’, is written reed + growing (GI1+LUM), although the original pictogram may have been modified to this result (D. 135; 297; Szgn-dst, No. 95). The antique form of »Ey>] SAR, ‘vegetation’, which seems to figure ‘trees planted by the water’ (Jer. Zc), may also be compared (Délégation en Perse, ii. 130; Stgn-lst, No. 46). The ordinary character for water, ]¥, has various linear forms. All are ordzontal pairs of lines; whereas in Chinese we have more symmetrical groups of three lines, both horizontal and vertical. The simplest Sumerian form, which is =, possibly figures the two banks of a stream, rather than the water flowing between them; but other forms, which are waved, suggest running water, 2g. == (D. 470). On the other hand, the straight parallel lines of the linear forms of E, EG, ‘ditch’, PA, ‘canal’, and RA, ‘to flood’ or ‘irrigate’ (see D. 109; 111; 413; 520), seem to indicate clearly enough the two banks of an irrigating channel bordering a plot of ground; the cross-lines of PA and RA representing the sluices and ditches which conduct the water from the main supply on to the land. The oldest form of E (D. 109 Swfpl.) shows a main stream with two smaller ones branching off from it at right angles. PA is apparently the same character, with KUR (PAP), ‘support’, ‘help’, inserted between the two branch canals. This X-like insertion (Szgn-lest, No. 27; 51), representing originally a (tripod ?) stand or support for vessels, when inserted in the House-character AB (D. 345) gives us the ideogram for AD, ‘father’, ‘mother’, ‘parent’; the suggestion being that parents are the support on which the house or family stands (D. 376). Both SLE} PA, ‘irrigation-canal ’, and FEY AD, ‘parent’, are thus seen to be instances of the third Class of Characters (‘Combined Meanings’ or ‘Suggestive Compounds’: see p. 16). The ideogram FCoE, A-ZU, U-ZU, ‘seer’, ‘witch-doctor’ (S> 202), belongs to the same Class ; consisting, as it appears to do, of a full measure (D. 60) with the symbol for magic (ME, SHIB) inserted. The ‘doctor’ is suitably suggested by his vessel of charmed water or other potent materials. Other clear examples of the same Class are =CSW+Y