[benbreen]

Author of the original post here. That sounds super interesting. Out of curiosity, have you come across the phrase in question ("hul gil") in any of the documents you look at? I, too, would love to read about your work if it's public anywhere.

[labarna]

I haven't seen it in my texts, and actually perusing the dictionaries and sign-lists right now, I think I'm getting a sense for how the derivation came about.

I modern reading of the signs that make up the word they're talking about "irrû" in Akkadian, are: ḪUL₂.GIL₂, but the context of its use suggests a bitter cucumber like plant (also a tangled plant, because "irrū" means intestines).

As to the name "joy plant" if you were to read the signs as ḪUL₁!.GIL₁! (notice the 1's) then that would be correct, but instead they are the second versions of each sign, and cannot be read as "joy" or "plant".

[benbreen]

That's very helpful and interesting, thank you!