(A typical Amarna letter.) Amarna letter EA 365-(Reverse), by Biridiya of Magiddo, title: "Furnishing Corvee Workers"; (Very high resolution expandable photo.)

The cuneiform giš sign, (also common for is, iṣ, and iz), is a common, multi-use sign, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. It also has a major usage as a sumerogram, GIŠ, (capital letter (majuscule)) for English language "wood", and is used as a determinative at the beginning of words, for items made of wood. The 12 Chapters (Tablets) of the Epic of Gilgamesh lists 16 named items beginning with "GIŠ".

For giš/(is/iz/iṣ) in the construction of words it is used syllabically for giš, and syllabically for the three other constructs; also for eṣ/ez. Besides "giš", it can alphabetically be used for: e, i, s, ṣ, or z.

Epic of Gilgamesh sign usage

The usage numbers for giš in the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows: eṣ-(2) times, ez, (3), giš, (1), is, (46), iṣ, (77), iz, (17), and GIŠ (355) times.

Epic words with determinative GIŠ

The following list of Akkadian language words are from the sumerograms used in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

--GIŠ.APIN, epinnu ("plow") --GIŠ.BAN, qaštu (?) --GIŠ.BANŠUR, paššūru ("table") --GIŠ.ERIN, erēnu ("cedar") --GIŠ.GAG, sikkatu ("flask (of perfume)") --GIŠ.GIGIR, mugirru (?) --GIŠ.GU.ZA, kussû ("throne", "seat") --GIŠ.IG, daltu ("door")--GIŠ.MÁ, eleppu ("boat, ship") --GIŠ.NIM, baltu ("thornbush") --GIŠ.SAR, kirû ("garden", "orchard") --GIŠ.ŠEM.GIR, asu ("myrtle") --GIŠ.ŠUR.MÌN, šurmenu ("cypress") --GIŠ.TIR, qištu ("forest") --GIŠ.TUKUL, kakku ("weapon") --GIŠ.Ú.GIR, ašagu ("thistle", "thorn bush")