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En (Borger 2003 nr. 164
;U+12097 𒂗, see alsoEnsí) is theSumeriancuneiform for 'lord/lady' or 'priest[ess]'. Originally, it seems to have been used to designate a high priest or priestess of a Sumeriancity-state's patron-deity[2] – a position that entailed political power as well. It may also have been the original title of the ruler ofUruk. SeeLugal, ensi and en for more details.
Deities including En as part of their name includeDEnlil,DEnki,DEngurun, andDEnzu.
Enheduanna,Akkadian 2285 BC – 2250 BC was the first known holder of the title En, here meaning 'Priestess'.
The correspondingEmesal dialect word was UMUN, which may preserve an archaic form of the word. EarlierEmeg̃ir (the standard dialect of Sumerian) forms can be postulated as *ewen or *emen, eventually dropping the middle consonant and becoming the familiar EN.[3]
The1350 BCAmarna letters use EN forbêlu, though not exclusively. The more common spelling is mostlybe +li, to makebêlí, or its equivalent. Some example letters using cuneiform EN are letters EA (forEl Amarna)252,EA 254, andEA 282,[4] titled: "A demand for recognition", byAbimilku; "Neither rebel or delinquent" (2), byLabayu; and "Alone", byShuwardata.
Most of the uses are in the letter introduction, formulaic addresses to thepharaoh, stating typically to effect:
Bodies of the letters also repeat the phraseology of "king" or "my lord", sometimes doubly as in letterEA 34, (usingbe-li, asbêlu), "The pharaoh's reproach answered", by the king ofAlashiya.
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