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. In the Amarna letters, it is sometimes used for the spelling of the archers (Egyptian pitati), 'pí-t-t', an often requested need from the Pharaoh in the vassal state sub-corpus of the letters.
As a sumerogram,, sign bi is used for KAŠ, Akkadian language for "šikāru", beer.
The following linguistic elements for bi are used in the Epic:
The bi sign's usage numbers in the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows: bé-, bi-, gaš-, kaš-, pí-, KAŠ-.
Amarna letters usage
Use of ''pí'', Egyptian archers
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", "troops of soldiers", and spelled in a variety of ways, often starting with the bi sign as pí.A partial listing of spellings of "ERIM.MEŠ-pitati", by Amarna letter: