šēpum

Akkadian

Etymology

Compare perhaps Biblical Hebrew פֶּשַׂע (pɛ́śaʕ, “step”), by metathesis.

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈʃeː.pum/

Noun

šēpum f (construct state šēp or šēpi, dual šēpān, plural šēpētum or šēpātum)

1. foot
2. leg

   𒋗𒋛 𒄊 [ubān šēpim] ― ŠU.SI GIR₃ ― toe (literally, “foot finger”)

3. self, person
4. access, approach, attack
5. conveyance, transport, routing
6. rank
7. (extispicy) "foot" (a distinctive mark on the liver)

Alternative forms

• šēpu (non-mimated)
• šīpum (Old Babylonian)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒄊 (GIR₃) 𒁺 (DU) (Old Akkadian) 𒀸 (AŠ) (extispicy)	𒊺𒂊𒁍 (še-e-pu) 𒊺𒁍 (še-pu) 𒊺𒉺𒄠 (še-pa-am) (accusative) 𒊺𒉿𒅎 (še-pi-im) (genitive)

Related terms

• šēpītum (“lower part, end, foot”)

 

See also

• 𒇿 (pagrum, “body”)

References

• “šēpu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[1], volume 17, Š, part 2, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1992
• Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “šēpu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
• Huehnergard, John (2011) A Grammar of Akkadian (Harvard Semitic Studies; 45), 3rd edition, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns