nišum

Akkadian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

(Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈni.ʃum/

Noun

nišum f or m (plural nišū)

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