# NI writes the possessive -ni in body-part names

> Still possible: Yes: in Uruk III personal names NI writes the Sumerian possessive suffix -ni, attached to body-part nouns as in later names such as…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/answers/ANS0DG2VG4CS0BW/ni-writes-the-possessive-ni-in-body-part-names  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform)[Is the archaic designation GIR3 NI the Sumerian name giri3-ni, with NI writing the possessive -ni ('his')?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DG2T53MFHE9/is-the-archaic-designation-gir3-ni-the-sumerian-name-giri3)Answer

Answer · Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk

# NI writes the possessive -ni in body-part names

Yes: in Uruk III personal names NI writes the Sumerian possessive suffix -ni, attached to body-part nouns as in later names such as giri3-ni 'his foot' and šu-ni 'his hand'.

**Still possible** Answers **1** question0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** One piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- NI in archaic names combines with body-part signs far above the rate of other signs.
- The same body-part + NI names recur in Early Dynastic administrative texts read with -ni.
- NI in non-name entries with body-part signs is counted as persons (1(N01)), not as oil.

## What would rule it out

- The body-part association of NI in archaic names is no stronger than that of other common signs.
- The GIR3 NI and SAG/SZU NI entries are shown in context to be commodity or title designations (oil allotments, an office).

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[NI in archaic names pairs with body-part signs far above chance, as the possessive -ni does in Sumerian names](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/evidence/EVD0DG2W0JQ2HBS/ni-in-archaic-names-pairs-with-body-part-signs-far-above)

Suggestive

FOR

[Later Sumerian names do not pair -ni with body parts, and grammar is not written before Archaic Ur](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/evidence/EVD0DG3615CKNTR/later-sumerian-names-do-not-pair-ni-with-body-parts-and)

Supported

AGAINST

[GIR3 also works as a title sign in archaic lists](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/evidence/EVD0DG2Z520NK3X/gir3-also-works-as-a-title-sign-in-archaic-lists)

Suggestive

NEUTRAL

## Tested by 3 runs

| Run | Measured | Result | Against | Decision | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run | share of NI-containing PN types that contain a body-part sign, vs all PN types; NI rate after body-part signs vs after other signs | ED IIIb 0.176 vs 0.175 | All PN types with a body-part sign | The archaic NI–body-part pairing has no Sumerian counterpart; it counts against the possessive reading and does not support the oil reading. | |
| Run | share of NI-containing multi-sign names that also contain a body-part sign, against the base rate in other multi-sign names (resampling null), with control signs KI, ME, MA, A, E2 | {'ed3a': {'n': 409, 'p': 0.0013, 'share': 0.178, 'null_95': [0.095, 0.161]}, 'ed3b': {'n': 2265, 'p': 0, 'share': 0.265, 'null_95': [0.134, 0.164]}, 'uruk3_types': {'p': 0.00025, 'NI_types': 7, 'base_rate': 0.125, 'with_bodypart': 5}, 'controls_uruk3': 'KI 0.17, ME 0.22, A 0.25, E2 0.03, all inside null', 'uruk3_instances': {'n': 12, 'share': 0.833, 'null_95': [0, 0.333]}} | Body-part share among multi-sign names not containing the tested sign | NI in Uruk III names is strongly associated with body-part nouns, as the possessive -ni is in Early Dynastic Sumerian names; the control signs show no such association. This supports H-NI-POSSESSIVE (suggestive: small sample, needs collation). | |
| Run | share of multi-sign NI names containing a body-part sign vs resampled base rate | 0.417 | Null median 0.083 (95%: 0–0.333) | The association does not rest only on the ambiguous GIR3. It holds at reduced strength on SZU and SAG; the pattern is 5 name types, so it is small-n. | |

## The questions it answers

[Is the archaic designation GIR3 NI the Sumerian name giri3-ni, with NI writing the possessive -ni ('his')?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DG2T53MFHE9/is-the-archaic-designation-gir3-ni-the-sumerian-name-giri3)

Part of [When and how did phonetic spelling begin in Mesopotamian writing?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DEDT8N8Y2GZ/when-and-how-did-phonetic-spelling-begin-in-mesopotamian)

Open2 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). NI writes the possessive -ni in body-part names [Answer ANS0DG2VG4CS0BW]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DG2VG4CS0BW
```

Key

**ANS** 0DG2VG4CS0BW

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Answer · hypothesis

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[Session 8](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/sessions/SES0DG2WBKR72D3/session-8-toward-a-reading-archaic-names-that-recur-as) · 3 Nov 2026

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