ēkallum

Akkadian

Etymology

Borrowed from Sumerian 𒂍𒃲 (e₂-gal /⁠ēgal⁠/).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /eːˈkal.lum/

Noun

ēkallum f (construct state ēkal, pronominal state ēkalla, plural ēkallātum)

1. (royal) palace

   Synonym: 𒂍 (bītum)

   𒅆𒅗𒅈 𒂊𒅗𒀠𒇷𒉎 𒌑𒌌 𒉌𒅖𒋾

   [šikar ēkallim ul ništi]

   ši-ka-ar e-ka-al-li-im u₂-ul ni-iš-ti

   We didn't drink the beer of the palace.

2. administrative authority, government

Alternative forms

• ēkallu (non-mimated form)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic	Mixed
𒂍𒃲 (E₂.GAL) 𒆳 (KUR) (Neo-Assyrian) 𒂍𒃲𒎌 (E₂.GAL.MEŠ) (plural)	𒂊𒅗𒀠𒈝 (e-ka-al-lum) 𒂊𒆗𒇻 (e-kal-lu) (non-mimated)	𒂍𒃲𒈝 (E₂.GAL-lum)

Descendants

• → Proto-West Semitic: *haykal- (probably)
  • Arabic: هَيْكَل (haykal) (see there for further descendants)
  • Aramaic:
    • Biblical Aramaic: הֵיכְלָא (hēḵəlā)
    • Classical Syriac: ܗܝܟܠܐ (haykəlā)
      • → Sogdian: 𐼳𐼷𐼸𐽄𐼰 (hyklʾ /⁠heykala⁠/, “nave”)
    • Imperial Aramaic: 𐡄𐡉𐡊𐡋𐡀 (hyklʾ)
    • → Ancient Greek: ἀειχάλας (aeikhálas)
  • Biblical Hebrew: הֵיכָל (heḵɔ́l)
    • → Israeli Hebrew: היכל (heikhál)
  • Old South Arabian: 𐩠𐩺𐩫𐩡 (hykl)
• → Ugaritic: 𐎅𐎋𐎍 (hkl /⁠hêkal⁠/)