birqum

birqum

Akkadian

Root
b-r-q

𒉏𒄈 (birqum)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *baraḳ- (“lightning”). Cognate with Arabic بَرْق‎ (barq) or Biblical Hebrew בָּרָק‎ (bɔrɔq).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbir.qum/

Noun

birqum m (plural birqū) (from Old Babylonian on)

1. lightning
2. lightning bolt, thunderbolt (representation of a lightning)

   𒀭𒅎 𒁁𒂖 𒄵𒆠 ― ^dIM be-el bir-qi₂ /Adad, bēl birqi/ ― Adad, lord of the lightning bolt

Alternative forms

• birqu (non-mimated)
• berqu

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒉏𒄈 (NIM.GIR₂)	𒁉𒅕𒄣 (bi-ir-qu) 𒄵𒄣 (bir-qu) 𒄵𒆪 (bir-qu₂) 𒄵𒋡 (bir-qa) (accusative) 𒁉𒅕𒆠 (bi-ir-qi₂) (genitive) 𒄵𒆠 (bir-qi₂) (genitive) 𒁉𒊑𒅅 (bi-ri-iq) (construct state) 𒁁𒊑𒅅 (be-ri-iq) (construct state)

References

• “birqu”, 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 (1976), “berqu”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag