šumma

Akkadian

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *šim (“if”). Cognate with Arabic إِن (ʔin) and Biblical Hebrew אִם (ʾim).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈʃum.ma/

Conjunction

šumma

1. if, whether
   • 1755–1750 BCE, King Hammurabi of Babylon, translated by OMNIKA Foundation, Hammurabi Code‎^[1], The Louvre, Law 195:

     𒋳𒈠 𒌉 𒀀𒁀𒋗 𒅎𒋫𒄩𒊍 𒈩𒇲𒋗 𒄿𒈾𒀝𒆠𒋢

     [šumma mārum abāšu imtaḫaṣ rittašu inakkisū]

     šum-ma DUMU A.BA-šu im-ta-ḫa-aṣ KIŠIB.LA₂-šu i-na-ak-ki-su

     If a son has struck his father, his hand will be cut off.

Alternative forms

• šummu (Neo-Assyrian)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic	Mixed
𒀸 (AŠ) (omens and medicine) 𒈦 (MAŠ) (omens and medicine) 𒌓 (UD) (omens and medicine) 𒁹 (DIŠ) (Neo-Assyrian) 𒁁 (BE) (Neo-Assyrian) 𒈬 (MU) (Neo-Assyrian; rare)	𒋳𒈠 (šum-ma) 𒋗𒌝𒈬 (šu-um-mu) 𒋧𒈠 (šum₂-ma) (Neo-Assyrian) 𒋧𒈬 (šum₂-mu) (Neo-Assyrian)	𒁁𒈠 (BE-ma) (Neo-Assyrian)