Cuneiform times of Parthian Empire (250 BC – AD 226). The last known cuneiform inscription, an astronomical text, was written in 75 AD. The complexity of the system prompted the development of a number of simplified versions of the script. Old Persian was written in a subset of simplified cuneiform characters known today as Old Persian cuneiform. It formed a semi-alphabetic syllabary, using far fewer wedge strokes than Assyrian used, together with a handful of logograms for frequently occurring words like "god" and "king". Ugaritic was written using the Ugaritic alphabet, a standard Semitic style alphabet (an "abjad") written using the
Ni (cuneiform) Ni (cuneiform) The cuneiform sign ni, is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the "Epic of Gilgamesh," and other cuneiform texts. It has a secondary sub-use in the Amarna letters for addressing the Pharaoh, from the vassal states of Canaan. The address to the Pharaoh is often 'King-Lord-Mine': "LUGAL, EN-ia" which has many varieties of expression. "LUGAL" is Akkadian language for "Šarru", English "king", and "EN" in Akkadian is "bēlu", for "Lord", (thus "King, Lord-Mine"). In some Amarna letters the sub-use of "ni" is "lí", for spelling "bēlu", "be-lí" often . There are other sub-uses of "ni" (see "Epic