𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌝
Akkadian
Afro-Asiatic (Semitic, East) · historical / hidden variety
Akkadian (𒅖 lišānum akkadītum) was the lingua franca of the ancient Near East for two millennia (c. 2500 BCE–100 CE), the language of the Akkadian Empire under Sargon (c. 2334 BCE), the Babylonian Empire (Hammurabi's Code, c. 1754 BCE), and the Assyrian Empire. Recorded in cuneiform borrowed from Sumerian, Akkadian preserves vast legal codes, royal annals, scientific treatises (mathematics, astronomy, medicine), and literary works including the Epic of Gilgamesh in its Standard Babylonian recension (c. 1200 BCE). Includes Babylonian and Assyrian dialects. As an East Semitic language it is the only well-attested member of that branch — all other major Semitic languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge'ez) are West Semitic.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Akkadian
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Afro-Asiatic (Semitic, East)
| Meaning | Akkadian | Ugaritic | Phoenician | Old Aramaic | Punic | Mandaic | Proto-Semitic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 𒀀 /muː/ | 𐎎𐎊 /maju/ | 𐤌𐤌 /meːm/ | מין /majin/ | 𐤌𐤌 /meːm/ | ࡌࡉࡀ /mia/ | *māʔ- /māʔ/ |
| Fire | 𒉈𒌋 /iʃaːtu/ | 𐎛𐎌𐎚 /ʔiʃt/ | 𐤀𐤔 /ʔeʃ/ | נור /nuːr/ | 𐤀𐤔 /ʔeʃ/ | ࡍࡅࡓࡀ /nura/ | *ʔiš- /ʔiš/ |
| Sun | 𒀭𒌓 /ʃamʃu/ | 𐎌𐎔𐎌 /ʃapʃ/ | 𐤔𐤌𐤔 /ʃameʃ/ | שמש /ʃamʃ/ | 𐤔𐤌𐤔 /ʃameʃ/ | ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡀ /ʃamʃa/ | *šamš- /šamš/ |
| Moon | 𒌗 /warχu/ | 𐎊𐎗𐎈 /jaːriχ/ | 𐤉𐤓𐤇 /jaraħ/ | שהר /sahr/ | 𐤉𐤓𐤇 /jeraħ/ | ࡎࡉࡓࡀ /sira/ | *warḫ- /warḫ/ |
| Star | 𒀯 /kakːabu/ | 𐎋𐎁𐎋𐎁 /kabkabu/ | 𐤊𐤊𐤁 /koːkab/ | כוכב /kawkab/ | 𐤊𐤊𐤁 /koːkab/ | ࡊࡅࡊࡁࡀ /ˈkukba/ | *kawkab- /kawkab/ |
| Night | 𒈬𒋗 /muːʃu/ | 𐎍𐎍 /lajlu/ | 𐤋𐤋 /lajl/ | לליא /leːljaː/ | 𐤋𐤋 /lajl/ | ࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ /lilja/ | *layl- /lajl/ |
| Rain | 𒍪𒌦𒉡 /ˈzunnu/ | 𐎎𐎉𐎗 /maːˈtˤaru/ | 𐤌𐤈𐤓 /maˈtˤar/ | 𐡌𐡈𐡓 /maːtˤar/ | 𐤌𐤈𐤓 /maˈtˤar/ | — | *maṭar- /maṭar/ |
| Snow | 𒊭𒀠𒄖 /ʃalɡu/ | 𐎂𐎍𐎘 /ɡalθu/ | — | 𐡕𐡋𐡂 /talɡ/ | — | ࡕࡀࡋࡂࡀ /talɡa/ | *ṯalg- /θalɡ/ |
| Wind | 𒊭𒀀𒊒 /ʃaːru/ | 𐎗𐎈 /riːħu/ | 𐤓𐤇 /riːħ/ | 𐡓𐡅𐡇 /riːħ/ | 𐤓𐤅𐤇 /ruːħ/ | — | *rīḥ- /riːħ/ |
| Earth | 𒅕𒍢𒌅 /ˈersˤetu/ | 𐎀𐎗𐎕 /ʔarsˤu/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤑 /ʔarsˤ/ | 𐡀𐡓𐡒 /ʔarq/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤑 /ʔarsˤ/ | ࡀࡓࡒࡀ /arqa/ | *ʔarṣ̂- /ʔarsˤ/ |
| Stone | 𒀊𒉡 /abnu/ | 𐎀𐎁𐎐 /ʔabnu/ | 𐤀𐤁𐤍 /ʔaben/ | אבן /ʔaben/ | 𐤀𐤁𐤍 /ʔaben/ | ࡂࡋࡀࡋࡀ /ɡlala/ | *ʔabn- /ʔabn/ |
| Mountain | 𒆳 /ʃaduː/ | 𐎅𐎗 /harru/ | 𐤄𐤓 /har/ | — | — | ࡈࡅࡓࡀ /tˤura/ | — |
| Sea | 𒀀𒀊𒁀 /tiaːmtu/ | 𐎊𐎎 /jammu/ | 𐤉𐤌 /jamm/ | — | — | — | *tihām- /tihaːm/ |
| Mother | 𒌝𒈬 /umːu/ | 𐎜𐎎 /ʔumm/ | 𐤀𐤌 /ʔem/ | אמ /ʔem/ | 𐤀𐤌 /ʔem/ | ࡀࡌࡀ /ama/ | *ʔimm- /ʔimm/ |
| Father | 𒀊 /abu/ | 𐎜𐎁 /ʔabu/ | 𐤀𐤁 /ʔab/ | אב /ʔab/ | 𐤀𐤁 /ʔav/ | ࡀࡁࡀ /aba/ | *ʔab- /ʔab/ |
| Daughter | 𒈥𒌅 /maːrtu/ | 𐎁𐎚 /bittu/ | 𐤁𐤕 /bat/ | ברת /bart/ | 𐤁𐤕 /bat/ | ࡁࡓࡀࡕࡀ /brata/ | *bint- /bint/ |
| I | 𒀀𒈾𒆪 /anaːku/ | 𐎀𐎐𐎋 /ʔanaːku/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤊 /ʔanoːkiː/ | אנה /ʔanaː/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤊 /ʔanoːk/ | ࡀࡍࡀ /ˈana/ | *ʔanāku /ʔanāku/ |
| You | 𒀜𒋫 /atːa/ | 𐎀𐎚 /ʔatta/ | 𐤀𐤕 /ʔatta/ | אנת /ʔantaː/ | 𐤀𐤕 /ʔatta/ | ࡀࡍࡀࡕ /at/ | *ʔanta /ʔanta/ |
| We | 𒉌𒉡 /niːnu/ | — /—/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤇𐤍 /ʔanaħnu/ | אנחנא /ʔanaħnaː/ | 𐤀𐤍𐤇𐤍 /ʔanaħnu/ | ࡀࡍࡉࡍ /ˈanin/ | *niḥnu /niħnu/ |
| Name | 𒈬 /ʃumu/ | 𐎌𐎎 /ʃumu/ | 𐤔𐤌 /ʃem/ | שם /ʃum/ | 𐤔𐤌 /ʃem/ | ࡔࡅࡌࡀ /ˈʃuma/ | *šim- /šim/ |
| Person | 𒀀𒉿𒈝 /awiːlu/ | 𐎎𐎚 /mutu/ | 𐤀𐤃𐤌 /ʔadam/ | אנש /ʔenaːʃ/ | 𐤍𐤐𐤔 /nefeʃ/ | ࡀࡍࡀࡔࡀ /anaʃa/ | *ʔināš- /ʔinaːʃ/ |
| Head | 𒊕𒆕 /qaqːadu/ | 𐎗𐎛𐎌 /raʔʃu/ | 𐤓𐤀𐤔 /ruːʃ/ | — | 𐤓𐤀𐤔 /ruːʃ/ | ࡓࡉࡔ /riʃ/ | *raʔš- /raʔš/ |
| Eye | 𒅆 /iːnu/ | 𐎓𐎐 /ʕajnu/ | 𐤏𐤍 /ʕajin/ | עין /ʕajn/ | 𐤏𐤍 /ʕajin/ | ࡏࡉࡍࡀ /ʔina/ | *ʕayn- /ʕayn/ |
| Ear | 𒍑𒉡 /ˈuznu/ | 𐎜𐎄𐎐 /ʔudn/ | 𐤀𐤆𐤍 /ʔuzn/ | 𐡀𐡃𐡍𐡀 /ʔuðnaː/ | 𐤀𐤆𐤍 /ʔuzn/ | ࡏࡅࡃࡍࡀ /odna/ | *ʔuḏn- /ʔuðn/ |
| Nose | 𒀊𒁍 /appu/ | 𐎀𐎔 /ʔappu/ | — | אפא /ʔappaː/ | — | ࡍࡄࡉࡓࡀ /nhira/ | *ʔanp- /ʔanp/ |
| Mouth | 𒅗 /puː/ | 𐎔 /puː/ | 𐤐 /peː/ | פם /pum/ | 𐤐 /peː/ | ࡐࡅࡌࡀ /puma/ | *pay- /paj/ |
| Tooth | 𒅆𒅔𒉡 /ʃinːu/ | 𐎌𐎐 /ʃinːu/ | 𐤔𐤍 /ʃen/ | שנא /ʃenːaː/ | 𐤔𐤍 /ʃen/ | ࡔࡉࡍࡀ /ʃinːa/ | *šinn- /ʃinː/ |
| Tongue | 𒇷𒊭𒉡 /liʃaːnu/ | 𐎍𐎌𐎐 /laʃaːnu/ | 𐤋𐤔𐤍 /laʃon/ | לשנא /liʃːaːnaː/ | 𐤋𐤔𐤍 /laʃon/ | ࡋࡉࡔࡀࡍࡀ /liʃana/ | *lišān- /liʃaːn/ |
| Hand | 𒋗 /qaːtu/ | 𐎊𐎄 /jadu/ | 𐤉𐤃 /jad/ | יד /jad/ | 𐤉𐤃 /jad/ | ࡏࡃࡀ /ʔida/ | *yad- /yad/ |
| Foot | 𒄊 /ʃeːpu/ | 𐎔𐎓𐎐 /paʕnu/ | 𐤐𐤏𐤌 /paʕam/ | רגל /reɡel/ | 𐤐𐤏𐤌 /paʕam/ | ࡋࡉࡂࡓࡀ /liɡra/ | *rigl- /rigl/ |
| Heart | 𒇷𒅁 /libːu/ | 𐎍𐎁 /libbu/ | 𐤋𐤁 /lib/ | לב /leb/ | 𐤋𐤁 /lib/ | ࡋࡉࡁࡀ /liba/ | *libb- /libb/ |
| Bone | 𒂊𒍢𒅎𒌅 /esˤemtu/ | 𐎓𐎑𐎎 /ʕaðˤmu/ | 𐤏𐤑𐤌 /ʕasˤm/ | גרמא /ɡarmaː/ | 𐤏𐤑𐤌 /ʕasˤm/ | ࡂࡉࡓࡌࡀ /ɡerma/ | *ʕaṯ̣m- /ʕaθˤm/ |
| Blood | 𒁕𒈬 /daːmu/ | 𐎄𐎎 /damu/ | 𐤃𐤌 /dam/ | דמא /dmaː/ | 𐤃𐤌 /dam/ | ࡆࡌࡀ /zma/ | *dam- /dam/ |
| Poop | 𒍪𒌑 /zuː/ | 𐎃𐎗𐎜 /χurʔu/ | — | — | — | — | *ḫaraʔ- /haraʔ/ |
| Love | 𒊏𒄠 /raːmu/ | 𐎜𐎈𐎁 /ʔaːhab/ | — /—/ | רחם /raħem/ | — /—/ | ࡓࡅࡄࡌࡀ /ruhma/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | 𒄑 /isˤu/ | 𐎓𐎕 /ʕasˤu/ | 𐤏𐤑 /ʕesˤ/ | עץ /ʕeːsˤ/ | 𐤏𐤑 /ʕesˤ/ | ࡏࡋࡀࡍࡀ /ilana/ | *ʕiṣ́- /ʕiṣ́/ |
| Dog | 𒌨𒁇 /kalbu/ | 𐎋𐎍𐎁 /kalbu/ | 𐤊𐤋𐤁 /kalb/ | כלב /kalb/ | 𐤊𐤋𐤁 /kalb/ | ࡊࡀࡋࡁࡀ /kalba/ | *kalb- /kalb/ |
| Cat | 𒋗𒊏𒉡 /ʃuraːnu/ | — /—/ | 𐤔𐤍𐤓 /ʃunaːr/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ࡔࡅࡍࡀࡓࡀ /ʃunara/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | 𒄩 /nuːnu/ | 𐎄𐎂 /daɡu/ | 𐤃𐤂 /daɡ/ | נונא /nuːnaː/ | 𐤃𐤂 /daɡ/ | ࡍࡅࡍࡀ /nuna/ | *nūn- /nuːn/ |
| Bird | 𒅖𒍪𒊒 /isˤsˤuːru/ | 𐎓𐎕𐎗 /ʕusˤsˤuːru/ | — | צפר /sˤippar/ | 𐤑𐤐𐤓 /sˤippor/ | ࡑࡉࡐࡓࡀ /sipra/ | *ʕuṣṣūr- /ʕuṣṣūr/ |
| Egg | 𒉭 /peːlu/ | — | — | ביעתא /beːʕtaː/ | — | — | *bayṣ́at- /bayṣ́at/ |
| Bear | 𒊍 /asu/ | 𐎄𐎁 /dubbu/ | — | דבא /dubbaː/ | — | — | *dubb- /dubb/ |
| Horse | 𒀲𒆳𒊏 /sisuː/ | 𐎝𐎝𐎆 /suːsawu/ | 𐤎𐤎 /suːs/ | — | — | — | — |
| House | 𒂍 /biːtu/ | 𐎁𐎚 /bajtu/ | 𐤁𐤕 /beːt/ | בית /beːt/ | 𐤁𐤕 /beːt/ | ࡁࡉࡕࡀ /bita/ | *bayt- /bayt/ |
| Milk | 𒅆𒅖𒁍 /ʃizbu/ | 𐎈𐎍𐎁 /ħalabu/ | 𐤇𐤋𐤁 /ħalab/ | — | 𐤇𐤋𐤁 /ħalab/ | — | *ḥalab- /ħalab/ |
| Honey | 𒁲𒅖𒁍 /diʃpu/ | 𐎐𐎁𐎚 /nubtu/ | — | דבשא /debʃaː/ | 𐤍𐤐𐤕 /nofet/ | — | *dibš- /dibʃ/ |
| Salt | 𒋰𒌅 /tˤaːbtu/ | 𐎎𐎍𐎈𐎚 /milħatu/ | — | מלח /melaħ/ | — | ࡌࡉࡄࡋࡀ /mihla/ | *milḥ- /milħ/ |
| Wine | 𒅗𒊏𒉡 /karaːnu/ | 𐎊𐎐 /jenu/ | 𐤉𐤍 /jeːn/ | חמרא /ħamraː/ | 𐤉𐤍 /jeːn/ | ࡄࡀࡌࡓࡀ /hamra/ | *wayn- /wajn/ |
| Iron | 𒁇𒍣𒅋𒇻 /parzillu/ | 𐎁𐎗𐎏𐎍 /barðilu/ | 𐤁𐤓𐤆𐤋 /barzel/ | פרזל /parzel/ | 𐤁𐤓𐤆𐤋 /barzel/ | ࡐࡀࡓࡆࡋࡀ /parzla/ | — |
| Wheel | 𒈠𒃻𒊒 /maɡarru/ | 𐎀𐎔𐎐 /ʔaːpanu/ | 𐤂𐤋𐤂𐤋 /ɡalɡal/ | גלגל /ɡalɡal/ | — | — | — |
| Eat | 𒀀𒅗𒇻 /akaːlu/ | 𐎍𐎈𐎎 /laħam/ | 𐤀𐤊𐤋 /ʔakal/ | אכל /ʔakal/ | 𐤀𐤊𐤋 /ʔakal/ | ࡀࡊࡀࡋ /akal/ | *ʔakal- /ʔakal/ |
| Drink | 𒊮𒌅 /ʃatuː/ | 𐎌𐎚𐎊 /ʃataju/ | 𐤔𐤕 /ʃat/ | שתה /ʃataː/ | 𐤔𐤕 /ʃat/ | ࡔࡕࡀ /ʃta/ | *šatay- /šatay/ |
| Sleep | 𒍝𒆷𒇻 /sˤalaːlu/ | 𐎊𐎌𐎐 /jaʃin/ | — | דמך /damek/ | — | ࡃࡌࡀࡊ /dmak/ | — |
| One | 𒁹 /iʃteːn/ | 𐎀𐎈𐎄 /ʔaːħadu/ | 𐤀𐤇𐤃 /ʔeħad/ | חד /ħad/ | 𐤀𐤇𐤃 /ʔeħad/ | ࡄࡀࡃ /had/ | *ʔaḥad- /ʔaḥad/ |
| Two | 𒈫 /ʃina/ | 𐎘𐎐 /θnaː/ | 𐤔𐤍𐤌 /ʃnem/ | תרין /treːn/ | 𐤔𐤍𐤌 /ʃnem/ | ࡕࡓࡉࡍ /tren/ | *ṯin- /ṯin/ |
| Three | 𒐈 /ʃalaːʃ/ | 𐎘𐎍𐎘 /θalaːθu/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤔 /ʃaloʃ/ | תלת /tlaːt/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤔 /ʃaloːʃ/ | ࡕࡋࡀࡕࡀ /tlata/ | *ṯalāṯ- /θalaːθ/ |
| Four | 𒐉 /erbe/ | 𐎀𐎗𐎁𐎓 /ʔarbaʕu/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏 /ʔarbaʕ/ | ארבע /ʔarbaʕ/ | 𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤏 /ʔarbaʕ/ | ࡀࡓࡁࡀ /arba/ | *ʼarbaʻ- /ʔarbaʕ/ |
| Five | 𒄩𒈩 /χamiʃ/ | 𐎃𐎎𐎌 /χamʃu/ | 𐤇𐤌𐤔 /ħameʃ/ | חמש /ħamːeʃ/ | 𐤇𐤌𐤔 /ħameʃ/ | ࡄࡀࡌࡔࡀ /hamʃa/ | *ḫamš- /χamʃ/ |
| Hundred | 𒈨𒀜 /meʔat/ | 𐎎𐎛𐎚 /miʔatu/ | 𐤌𐤀𐤕 /miʔat/ | מאה /maː/ | 𐤌𐤀𐤕 /miʔat/ | — | *miʾat- /miʔat/ |
| Hello | 𒁲 /ʃulmu/ | 𐎌𐎍𐎎 /ʃalaːmu/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤌 /ʃalom/ | שלם /ʃəlaːm/ | 𐤔𐤋𐤌 /ʃaloːm/ | ࡔࡋࡀࡌࡀ /ʃlama/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | 𒁲𒌅 /taʃlimtu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ /ʈabuta/ | — /—/ |
| Good | 𒄭𒄀 /damqu/ | 𐎉𐎁 /tˤaːbu/ | 𐤈𐤁 /tˤob/ | טב /tˤab/ | 𐤈𐤁 /tˤob/ | ࡈࡀࡁࡀ /tˤaba/ | *ṭāb- /ṭāb/ |
| New | 𒉋 /eʃːu/ | 𐎈𐎄𐎘 /ħadaːθu/ | — | — | 𐤇𐤃𐤔 /ħadaʃ/ | — | *ḥad(i)ṯ- /ħadiθ/ |
| Red | 𒊓𒀀𒈬 /saːmu/ | 𐎀𐎄𐎎 /ʔadam/ | 𐤀𐤃𐤌 /ʔadom/ | סמק /summaːq/ | 𐤀𐤃𐤌 /ʔadom/ | ࡎࡅࡌࡒࡀ /sumqa/ | *ʔadam- /ʔadam/ |
| White | 𒌓 /pesˤuː/ | 𐎍𐎁𐎐 /laban/ | 𐤋𐤁𐤍 /laban/ | חור /ħewːaːr/ | 𐤋𐤁𐤍 /laban/ | ࡄࡉࡅࡀࡓࡀ /hiwara/ | *laban- /laban/ |
| Black | 𒍝𒀠𒈬 /sˤalmu/ | — | — | — | — | ࡊࡅࡌࡀ /kuma/ | — |
| Green | 𒅊 /warqu/ | — | — | ירק /jraːq/ | — | — | *waraḳ- /waraq/ |
| Sushi | 𒅆𒅅𒄣 /ʃiqːu/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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