Na (cuneiform)

The cuneiform na sign is a common, multi-use sign, a syllabic for na, and an alphabetic sign used for n, or a; it is common in both the Epic of Gilgamesh over hundreds of years, and the 1350 BC Amarna letters. In the Epic of Gilgamesh it also has sumerogramic usage for NA. One such use of NA.GAD in the Epic, for Akkadian language "nāqidu", "herdsman". The usage for NA in herdsman is only for 3 spellings.
One reason for its commodity is due to its usage in the phrase a-na -, which had a usage in English akin to: to, for, by, of, and at. It is also a component for the Akkadian language preposition: i-na, meaning: in, into, by, etc..
The na sign usage from the Epic of Gilgamesh is as follows: na-, NA-.

Variations of the ''Na'' cuneiform

In the Amarna letters, EA 205, EA 364, etc., an alternate form of na, replaces the left side of the sign with: 2-horizontals, and a small wedge above, with the vertical anchoring the right, -.
For Marduk-nadin-ahhe's kudurru at the British Museum, na is constructed approximately as follows: 1-horizontal lies at the sign's left, followed by a large wedge, then the vertical, resulting in a sign approximately as follows:.