nišum

Akkadian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

nišum f or m (plural nišū)

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

Usage notes
  • This word is found mainly in the plural.

Alternative forms
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
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