Bi (cuneiform)

The cuneiform bi sign, also pí, and used for other syllabic forms, as well as a sumerogram, is a common use syllabic and alphabetic cuneiform sign used in both the mid-14th century BC Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh.

As a sumerogram, (capital letter (majuscule)), sign bi is used for KAŠ, Akkadian language for "šikāru",[3] beer.

The following linguistic elements for bi are used in the Epic:[4] The bi sign's usage numbers in the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows: bé-(25 times), bi-(190), gaš-(1), kaš-(12), pí-(2), KAŠ-(1).

[5] The archers were part of the Egyptian army, and often requested by the Canaanite vassal city-states, when writing to the Pharaoh in the Amarna letters.

They were named the pitati, Akkadian language "piṭātu",[6] "troops of soldiers", and spelled in a variety of ways, often starting with the bi sign as pí.