# GIR3 also works as a title sign in archaic lists > GIR3 is in the archaic professions list Lu2 A (GIR3, GIR3 PA, GIR3 NAM2 PA) and in the Pigs list (GIR3 SZUBUR), so GIR3 can be an official or title sign… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/evidence/EVD0DG2Z520NK3X/gir3-also-works-as-a-title-sign-in-archaic-lists Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) --- [Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform)Evidence Evidence · Proto-cuneiform: the archaic texts of Uruk # GIR3 also works as a title sign in archaic lists GIR3 is in the archaic professions list Lu2 A (GIR3, GIR3 PA, GIR3 NAM2 PA) and in the Pigs list (GIR3 SZUBUR), so GIR3 can be an official or title sign as well as 'foot'. ŠUBUR, which occurs alongside it, continues into Archaic Ur personal names (Ak-šubur, Šubur, Šubur-gal). Suggestive0 ## What it means Key question[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) No answer ahead yet **Open** unchanged Part of it[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) 2 answers, none ahead yet **Open** unchanged Answer this evidence bears on[NI writes the possessive -ni in body-part names](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/answers/ANS0DG2VG4CS0BW/ni-writes-the-possessive-ni-in-body-part-names) Bears on1 for, 1 against **Still possible** unchanged What it implies 1. Of the body-part signs that pair with NI, GIR3 is ambiguous; the test should be rerun with GIR3 excluded or split by context.For: Is the archaic designation GIR3 NI the Sumerian name giri3-ni, with NI writing the possessive -ni ('his')? 1. ŠUBUR adds one literature-attested name element carried from Uruk III into Archaic Ur, supporting continuity of names.For: Do the roughly 440 personal names in the archaic texts follow Sumerian, Semitic or some other naming pattern? ## Next steps 8 1 Context of counted GIR3 NI entries Could decideGood odds~3 h [On: 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) **49** score Details Read the five non-name GIR3 NI entries (W 22135,0; IM 074298; MS 2427; MS 2443; MSVO 1, 217) in full context and classify each as person, office or commodity. 2 Specialist collation of the NI names Could decideGood odds~6 h [On: 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) **39** score Details Collate on photographs the NI names (P006268, P005573, P006053, P006118, P006182 and the SAG/SZU NI names) and the five counted GIR3 NI entries (W 22135,0; IM 074298; MS 2427; MS 2443; MSVO 1, 217): is the sign NI, does it stand inside the name, and are the counted entries persons? 3 Specialist collation of the NI names Could decideGood odds~6 h [On: 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) **39** score Details Have a specialist check on photographs that NI in P006268, P005573, P006053, P006118, P006182 and the SAG/SZU NI names is the NI sign (not a variant of a similar sign) and stands within the name, and whether the counted GIR3 NI entries at Uruk and Jemdet Nasr are persons. 4 Specialist collation of the NI names Could decideGood odds~6 h [On: 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) **39** score Details Collate the NI names on photographs with a specialist. Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes[All 8 on the question](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/questions/QST0DG2T53MFHE9/is-the-archaic-designation-gir3-ni-the-sumerian-name-giri3#next) ## Sources 2 [An archaic "prisoner plaque" from Kiš](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DG2YA3B79XG/an-archaic-prisoner-plaque-from-kis) Steinkeller 2013 SRC [Texts from the Late Uruk Period](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDGX6K5549/texts-from-the-late-uruk-period) Englund 1998 SRC ## Cite it ``` Mysteries Department. (2026). GIR3 also works as a title sign in archaic lists [Evidence EVD0DG2Z520NK3X]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DG2Z520NK3X ``` Key **EVD** 0DG2Z520NK3X Kind Evidence Tier Suggestive Found in [Session 9](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-cuneiform/sessions/SES0DG38A190RRC/session-9-brute-force-checks-of-the-candidate-readings-sign) · 3 Nov 2026 Version 1 Added by [apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo) The record Every record is open data. Take this one as JSON, with its links and its history. [JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/api/v1/records/EVD0DG2Z520NK3X)