ScriptLookup

Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian

Xsux Left-to-right Historical Logographic Middle Eastern
Sample Text
𒀭𒂗𒍪

About Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian

Cuneiform is one of the world's oldest writing systems, developed by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia around 3200 BCE. The name comes from the Latin cuneus (wedge) and refers to the wedge-shaped marks made by a stylus pressed into clay tablets.

Cuneiform began as a pictographic system and evolved into a logosyllabic script used to write Sumerian, Akkadian, Elamite, Hittite, Ugaritic, and many other ancient languages. It was used for over 3,000 years before being replaced by the Aramaic alphabet around the 1st century CE. Thousands of cuneiform tablets survive, recording trade, literature (including the Epic of Gilgamesh), law codes, and astronomical observations.

Data sourced from the ISO 15924 registry, Unicode CLDR, and the Unicode Character Database.

Languages Using Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian 2

Akkadian Hittite

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of writing system is Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian?
Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian is a Logographic. Logographic scripts use symbols that represent words or morphemes rather than sounds.
What direction does Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian read?
Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian is written Left-to-right, the same direction as most European scripts.
How many languages use the Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian script?
2 languages use Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian according to Unicode CLDR data.
When was the Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian script created?
The Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian script originated around 3200 BCE. It is now considered a historical script, no longer in active everyday use.

Compare Cuneiform, Sumero-Akkadian With Another Script

Direction, characters, languages — side by side.

Key Facts

ISO Code
Xsux
ISO Number
020
Script Type
Logographic
Direction
Left-to-right
Status
Historical
Region
Middle Eastern
Introduced
3200 BCE
Languages
2

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