mīnum

Akkadian

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *mīn- (“what”). Cognate with Ge'ez ምንት (mənt) and Ugaritic 𐎎𐎐𐎎 (mnm, “whatever, anything”).

Pronoun

mīnum (from Old Akkadian on)

  1. (interrogative) what?
    𒈪𒉆 𒂊𒇷𒅀 𒋾𒋗 [mīnam elīya tīšu?] ― mi-nam e-li-ia ti-šu ― What do I owe you?
  2. (relative) what, whatever
  3. (interrogative) why?, what for?, for what reason?
Alternative forms
Cuneiform spellings
Logograms Phonetic
  • 𒂗𒉆 (EN.NAM) (mathematics)
  • 𒂗𒈾 (EN.NA) (mathematics, Middle/Neo-Babylonian)
  • 𒂗 (EN) (mathematics, Middle/Neo-Babylonian)
  • 𒈪𒉡𒌝 (mi-nu-um)
  • 𒈨𒉡𒌝 (mi₃-nu-um)
  • 𒈨𒉏 (mi₃-num)
  • 𒈪𒉡𒌑 (mi-nu-u₂)
  • 𒈨𒉡𒌋 (mi₃-nu-u)
  • 𒈪𒄿𒉡 (mi-i-nu)
  • 𒈨𒄿𒉡 (mi₃-i-nu)
  • 𒈪𒉡 (mi-nu)
Derived terms
  • ana mīnim (why?)

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

Etymology 2

From manûm (“to count”).

Noun

mīnum m (from Old Babylonian on)

  1. number
    𒈪𒉡𒌝 𒌑𒌌 𒊏𒁉 [mīnum ul rabi] ― mi-nu-um u₂ ra-bi ― (Their) number is not big.
    𒀉𒋾 𒀲𒆳𒊏𒎌 𒆷 𒈪𒉆 [itti sīsê lā mīnam] ― it-ti ANŠE.KUR.RA.MEŠ la mi-nam ― with countless horses
  2. accounting
  3. shape, good look, figure
Alternative forms
Cuneiform spellings
Phonetic
  • 𒈪𒉡𒌝 (mi-nu-um)
  • 𒈪𒉡 (mi-nu)
Derived terms
  • minûtum (ammount)

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