7. A yearly cycle

The phrase "year of eponym" is a rendering of the Akkadian limmu, a term that in some circumstances referred to a cycle other than the annual cycle of the sun. However, the limmu of the late Assyrian Empire undoubtedly corresponded to a solar year. The equivalence is seen in a text that specified the number of years from limmu PN1 to limmu PN2.

Further, the period of the limmu can be deduced from the Assyrian Kings List [AKL]. This catalog of Assyrian kings overlaps the Eponym List in the 8th and 9th centuries, and about a dozen kings appear on both lists. Overall the tally of eponyms that correspond to a king's reign closely matches the number of his regnal years registered in the AKL.