bītum

bītum

Akkadian

𒂍 (bītum)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *bayt-. Compare Arabic بَيْت‎ (bayt, “house”) and Biblical Hebrew בַּיִת‎ (báyiṯ, “house”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈbiː.tum/

Noun

bītum m (plural bītātum f) (from Old Akkadian on)

1. house
   • 1755–1750 BCE, King Hammurabi of Babylon, OMNIKA Foundation, transl., Hammurabi Code‎, The Louvre, Law 21:

     𒋳𒈠 𒀀𒉿𒈝 𒁉𒌓 𒅁𒇻𒍑 𒄿𒈾 𒉺𒉌 𒁉𒅋𒅆𒉎 𒋗𒀀𒋾 𒄿𒁺𒊌𒆪𒋗𒈠 𒄿𒄩𒀠𒆷𒇻𒋗
     šum-ma a-wi-lum bi-tam ip-lu-uš i-na pa-ni pi₂-il-ši-im šu-a-ti i-du-uk-ku-šu-ma i-ḫa-al-la-lu-šu

     šumma awīlum bītam ipluš, ina pāni pilšim šuāti idukkūšū-ma iḫallalūšu

     If a man broke into a house, he will be executed and hung in front of that breach.

2. palace

   Synonym: 𒂍𒃲 (ēkallum)

3. temple

   Synonym: 𒂍𒀭 (bīt ilim)

4. family, tribe, household

Alternative forms

• bītu (non-mimated)
• bētum, bētu (Assyrian)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic	Mixed
𒂍 (E₂) 𒂍𒎌 (E₂.MEŠ) (plural) 𒂍𒄭𒀀 (E₂.Ḫi.A) (plural) 𒂍𒄭𒀀𒎌 (E₂.Ḫi.A.MEŠ) (plural)	𒁉𒄿𒌈 (bi-i-tum) 𒁉𒂊𒌈 (bi-e-tum) 𒁉𒌈 (bi-tum) 𒁉𒄿𒌅 (bi-i-tu) 𒁉𒄿𒌓 (bi-i-tu₂) 𒁉𒂊𒌓 (bi-e-tu₂) 𒁉𒋫𒀀𒁴 (bi-ta-a-tim) (accusative/genitive plural) 𒁉𒌓 (bi-tam) (accusative) 𒁉𒁴 (bi-tim) (genitive) 𒁉𒀉 (bi-it) (construct state)	𒂍𒌈 (E₂-tum)

Related terms

• bīt ilim (“temple”)
• bīt ṭuppim (“school”)

 

References

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