See also: bitum

Akkadian

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𒂍 (bītum)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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

  1. house
    • 1755–1750 BCE, King Hammurabi of Babylon, translated by OMNIKA Foundation, Hammurabi Code[1], The Louvre, Law 21:
      𒋳𒈠 𒀀𒉿𒈝 𒁉𒌓 𒅁𒇻𒍑 𒄿𒈾 𒉺𒉌 𒁉𒅋𒅆𒉎 𒋗𒀀𒋾 𒄿𒁺𒊌𒆪𒋗𒈠 𒄿𒄩𒀠𒆷𒇻𒋗
      [šumma awīlum bītam ipluš, ina pāni pilšim šuāti idukkūšū-ma iḫallalūšu]
      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
      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

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Cuneiform spellings
Logograms Phonetic Mixed
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References

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  • “bītu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)[2], 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