mīnum
Akkadian
Pronunciation
- (Old Babylonian) IPA(key): /ˈmiː.num/
Etymology 1
From Proto-Semitic *mīn- (“what”). Cognate with Ge'ez ምንት (mənt) and Ugaritic 𐎎𐎐𐎎 (mnm, “whatever, anything”).
Pronoun
mīnum (from Old Akkadian on)
- (interrogative) what?
- 𒈪𒉆 𒂊𒇷𒅀 𒋾𒋗 [mīnam elīya tīšu?] ― mi-nam e-li-ia ti-šu ― What do I owe you?
- (relative) what, whatever
- (interrogative) why?, what for?, for what reason?
Alternative forms
- mīnu (non-mimated)
- minû, minûm (Babylonian)
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Derived terms
- ana mīnim (“why?”)
References
- “mīnu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)[1], Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
- Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “mīnu”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, via the electronic Babylonian Library
Etymology 2
From manûm (“to count”).
Noun
mīnum m (from Old Babylonian on)
- number
- 𒈪𒉡𒌝 𒌑𒌌 𒊏𒁉 [mīnum ul rabi] ― mi-nu-um u₂ ra-bi ― (Their) number is not big.
- 𒀉𒋾 𒀲𒆳𒊏𒎌 𒆷 𒈪𒉆 [itti sīsê lā mīnam] ― it-ti ANŠE.KUR.RA.MEŠ la mi-nam ― with countless horses
- accounting
- shape, good look, figure
Alternative forms
- mīnu (non-mimated)
- minnu (Neo-Assyrian)
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Derived terms
- minûtum (“amount”)
References
- “mīnu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)[2], Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
- Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “mīnu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, via the electronic Babylonian Library