Example 1

Let's start with an example:

&P100003 = AAS 015
#atf: lang sux
@tablet
@obverse
1. 1(disz) geme2 u4 1(disz)-sze3
2. ki dingir-ra-ta
3. da-da-ga
4. szu ba-ti
@reverse
1. mu ki-masz{ki} ba-hul

The various ATF features illustrated here are:

The &-line

Every text begins with an &-line giving the ID and the text's designation according to the CDLI catalog; if your text is not yet in the catalog, e-mail cdli@cdli.ucla.edu to get the ID and designation.

#atf: lang sux

You can specify the main language for the text; for Akkadian just write #atf: lang akk.

@tablet

You can specify an object type; this is normally @tablet, but others include @bulla and @envelope.

@obverse, @reverse

You can specify the part of the object you are transliterating; the edges are given using: @left @right @top @bottom.

Lines of text

Lines of text are for the most part just like regular Assyriological practice. See Example 2 for how to do breakage.

Characters and subscripts

Shin is given using sz for lowercase and SZ for uppercase; sign indices are given in regular ASCII numbers.

Determinatives

Determinatives are given in curly brackets.

Numbers

Numbers are explicitly qualified by a system as in 1(disz). See the numbers page for more information.

Example 2

&P100099 = AAS 113
#atf: lang sux
@tablet
@obverse
1. 1(ban2) kasz 1(ban2) [...]
2. 1(disz) sila3 [...]
3. 1(u)? [...] gesz
4. 1(barig) kasz#? [...] x [...]
5. 3(ban2) [x]
6. nam-ha-ni sagi
7. {d}gu-la
8. mu-da-gen-na-a
9. iti sze-kar-ra-gal2-la

Damage and breakage

There are no half-brackets in ATF: signs which are damaged are flagged with the hash-sign (#) after the grapheme.

Signs which are completely broken away are placed in square brackets; square brackets may not occur inside a grapheme, only before or after it. The ellipsis may be used to indicate that an undeterminable number of signs is missing.

Signs which cannot be identified are transliterated as x; when a number is missing the convention is to use n as in n(disz).

Querying, Correction and Collation

The other flags are the query (?) which can be placed after a grapheme to indicate uncertainty of reading; the asterisk (*) which indicates a collated reading; and the exclamation mark which indicates correction. After a corrected sign, the actual sign on the tablet may optionally be given: a! or ki!(DI).

Example 3

&P999999 = Akkadian Example
#atf: lang akk
@tablet
@obverse
1. a-na {d}UTU{+szi} id-din

Akkadian

Akkadian texts are given the Akkadian language code 'akk' in the #atf: lang line.

Logograms

Logograms can be simply entered as uppercase as is natural in transliterations of Akkadian.

Determinatives and complements

Semantic determinatives default to Sumerian in both Sumerian and Akkadian context, so they need no special handling. Phonetic determinatives and glosses are marked with a + immediately after the first curly bracket; phonetic determinatives and glosses are assumed to be in the same language as the rest of the word.