nišum

Akkadian

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *nVš- (“people”). Compare Biblical Hebrew נָשִׁים (nɔším, “women”). Possibly related to *ʔināš- (“mankind”). Compare Arabic إِنْسَان (ʔinsān, “human”) and Biblical Hebrew אֲנָשִׁים (ʔănɔším, “men”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ʃum/

Noun

nišum f or m (plural nišū) (chiefly in the plural)

1. mankind, people, human beings
2. population, inhabitants, subjects (of a king)
3. servants, serfs, retainers (belonging to an estate, palace, household, person, etc.)
4. family, clan, members of a family

Usage notes

• This word is found mainly in the plural.

Alternative forms

• nišu (non-mimated)
• nīšu, nēšu

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒌦𒎌 (UN.MEŠ) (plural)	𒉌𒋗𒌝 (ni-šu-um) 𒉌𒋗 (ni-šu) 𒉌𒄿𒋗 (ni-i-šu) 𒉌𒂊𒋗 (ni-e-šu) 𒉌𒅖 (ni-iš) (construct state)

Derived terms

• nišiš (“like a human”)
• nišūtum (“relatives”)

 

References

• “nišū”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
• Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “nišu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag