mušḫuššum

mušḫuššum

Akkadian

Etymology

From Sumerian 𒈲𒍽 (muš-ḫuš /mušḫuš/, “a mythical serpent”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /muʃˈχuʃ.ʃum/

Noun

mušḫuššum m (construct state mušḫuš, pronominal state mušḫušša, plural mušḫuššū) (Old Babylonian, Standard Babylonian, Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian)

1. the name of a kind of serpent
2. the name of a mythical or literary dragon
3. (Old Babylonian, astronomy) the name of a constellation

Declension

Declension
	singular	dual	plural
Nominative	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒋗𒌝	–	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒋗
	mušḫuššum	–	mušḫuššū
Genitive	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒅆𒅎	–	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒅆
	mušḫuššim	–	mušḫuššī
Accusative	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒊭𒄠	–	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒅆
	mušḫuššam	–	mušḫuššī
Construct state	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑
	mušḫuš
This table gives Old Babylonian inflection. Not all of the entries may be attested.

Alternative forms

• mušḫuššu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic	Mixed
𒈲𒍽 (MUŠ.ḪUŠ) (common) 𒈲𒅆𒌨 (MUŠ.ḪUL) (glossaries only)	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒋗𒌝 (mu-uš-ḫu-uš-šu-um) 𒈲𒍽𒋗 (muš-ḫuš-šu) 𒈲𒄷𒋗 (muš-ḫu-šu)	𒋗𒋙 (ŠU-šú) (glossaries only)

References

• “mušḫuššum”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), volume 10, M, part 2, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1977
• Black, Jeremy; George, Andrew; Postgate, Nicholas (1976), “mušḫuššu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, page 222
• Huehnergard, John (2011), “mušḫuššum”, in A Grammar of Akkadian (Harvard Semitic Studies; 45), 3rd edition, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, page 507