bašûm

Akkadian

Root
b-š-y
2 terms

Etymology

Unknown. Huehnergard explains it as a derivation from Proto-Semitic *bV- (“in”) and Proto-Semitic *šuʔa (“it”), comparing it to colloquial Arabic فيه‎ (fī, “there is/are”, literally “in it”) and Ge'ez ቦ (bo, “there is/are”, literally “in it”).

Pronunciation

(Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /baˈʃuːm/

Verb

bašûm (G, a-u, durative ibašši, perfect ibtaši, preterite ibši, imperative baši, verbal adjective bašûm) (from Old Akkadian on)

to exist, to be there, present, available
𒄿𒈾 𒅗𒀊𒊑𒅎 𒁀𒊒𒌝 𒌑𒌌 𒄿𒁀𒀸𒅆
i-na ka-ap-ri-im ba-ru-um u₂-ul i-ba-aš-ši
/ina kaprim bārûm ul ibašši/
There is no diviner in the village.
to happen

Alternative forms

bašû (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings
Logograms	Phonetic
𒅅 (GAL₂)	𒁀𒋗𒌑 (ba-šu-u₂) 𒁀𒋗𒌋 (ba-šu-u) 𒄿𒁀𒀾𒅆 (i-ba-aš₂-ši) (3rd singular durative) 𒄿𒁀𒀸𒅆 (i-ba-aš-ši) (3rd singular durative) 𒄿𒁀𒅆 (i-ba-ši) (3rd singular durative) 𒄿𒁀𒋛 (i-ba-ši₂) (3rd singular durative)

References

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) A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
Huehnergard, John (2011) A Grammar of Akkadian (Harvard Semitic Studies; 45), 3rd edition, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, page 606