and Assyrian scribes in large numbers as an aid
for the study of the language,[34] the exact phonetic reading of these
divine names was determined, scholars remained in doubt or had recourse to
conjectural or provisional readings. Even at the present time there are
many names of deities, as, _e.g._ Ninib, the phonetic reading of which is
still unknown or uncertain. In most cases, however, these belong to the
category of minor deities or represent old local gods assimilated to some
more powerful god, who absorbed, as it were, the attributes and
prerogatives of these minor ones. In many cases they will probably turn out
to be descriptive epithets of gods [v.03 p.0112] already known rather than
genuine proper names. A peculiar difficulty arises in the case of the god
of storms, who, written IM, was generally known in Babylonia as Ramman,
"the thunderer," whereas in Assyria he also had the designation Adad. In
many cases, therefore, we may be in doubt how the sign IM is to be read,
more particularly since this same god appears to have had other
designations besides Ramman and Adad.

Besides the divine element, proper names as a rule in the
Babylonian-Assyrian periods had a verbal form attached and a third element
representing an object. Even when the sign indicative of the verb is
clearly recognised there still remains to be determined the form of the
verb intended. Thus in the case of the sign KUR, which is the equivalent of
_na[s.][=a]ru_, "protect," there is the possibility of reading it as the
active participle _n[=a][s.]ir_, or as an imperative _u[s.][s.]ur_, or even
the third person perfect _i[s.][s.]ur_. Similarly in the case of the sign
MU, which, besides signifying "name" as above pointed out, is also the
Sumerian word for "give," and therefore may be read _iddin_, "he gave,"
from _nad[=a]nu_, or may be read _n[=a]din_, "giver"; and when, as actually
happens, a name occurs in which the first element is the name of a deity
followed by MU-MU, a new element of doubt is introduced through the
uncertainty whether the first MU is to be taken as a form of the verb
_nad[=a]nu_ and the second as the noun _shumu_, "name," or vice versa.

Fortunately, in the case of a large number of names occurring on business
documents as the interested parties or as scribes or as witnesses--and it
is through these documents that we obtain the majority of the
Babylonian-Assyrian proper names--we have variant readings, the same name
being wr