ܢܝܢܘܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

ܢܝܢܘܐ ܥܬܝܩܬܐ ܒܨܘܪܬܐ

ܢܝܢܘܐ ܒ2019

ܢܝܢܘܐ ܘܡܘܨܠ

Etymology

From Akkadian 𒌷𒀏𒆠 (Ninua). The cuneiform sign 𒀏 is formed by a sign denoting a "shrine" (𒀊) with the sign for "fish" (𒄩) inside, a sort of "shrine of the fish", although whether this referred to literal fish, an aspect of Ishtar, a separate Hurrian goddess, or something else entirely is unclear; compare Biblical Hebrew נִינְוֵה (nînəwê)

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): [niːnweː]
• (Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [nɪnweː]
• (Urmian) IPA^(key): [nɪnveː]

Proper noun

ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ • (nīnwē) f

1. (historical) Nineveh (the ancient capital of Assyria)
   • Genesis 10:11-12:

     ܡ̣ܢ ܗ̇ܝ ܐܲܪܥܵܐ ܦܠܝܼܛ ܠܹܗ ܠܐܵܫܘܿܪ ܘܒܢܹܐ ܠܹܗ ܠܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ، ܠܪܚܘܿܒܘܿܬ ܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ، ܠܟܵܠܵܚ، ܘܠܪܵܣܵܢ ܒܹܝܠ ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ ܘܒܹܝܠ ܟܵܠܵܚ، ܗ̇ܝ ܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܓܘܼܪܬܵܐ.

     min aya arˁā plīṭ lēh l-āšōr w-bnē lēh lnīnwē, lrḥōbōt mdītā, lkālāḥ, w-lrāsān bēl nīnwē w-bēl kālāḥ, aya mdītā gurtā.

     From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

   • Jonah 3:1-2:

     ܗ̇ܝܼܓܵܗ ܗ݇ܘܹܐ ܠܹܗ ܚܲܒܪܵܐ ܕܡܵܪܝܵܐ ܠܝܵܘܢܵܢ ܒܓܵܗܵܐ ܕܬܲܪܬܹܝܢ، ܒܹܐ݇ܡܵܪܵܐ: «ܩܘܼܡ ܙܹܠ݇ ܠܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ ܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܓܘܼܪܬܵܐ، ܘܡܲܟܪܸܙ ܐܸܠܘܿܗ̇ ܚܲܒܪܵܐ ܕܒܹܐ݇ܡܵܪܵܐ ܝܘܸܢ ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂».

     hīgāh wē lēh ḥabrā dmāryā lyāwnān bgāhā dtartēn, bēmārā: “qūm zē lnīnwē mdītā gurtā, w-makriz illōh ḥabrā dbēmārā ìwen ilūḵ”.

     Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying: “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”

   • Luke 11:32:

     ܐ݇ܢܵܫܹ̈ܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ ܒܸܬ ܩܵܝܡܝܼ ܒܝܵܘܡܵܐ ܕܕܝܵܢܬܵ‌ܐ ܥܲܡ ܐܵܗܵܐ ܫܲܪܒܬܵ‌ܐ ܘܒܸܬ ܕܵܝܢܝܼ ܠܵܗ̇، ܣܵܒܵܒ ܐܵܢܝܼ ܬܘܼܘܸܒ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܒܟܵܪܘܿܙܘܼܬܵ‌ܐ ܕܝܵܘܢܵܢ؛ ܘܠܲܐܟ݂ܵܐ ܐܝܼܬ ܚܲܕ݇ ܒܘܼܫ ܓܘܼܪܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܝܵܘܢܵܢ.

     nāšē dnīnwē bit qāymī b-yāwmā ddyāntā‌ā ˁam āhā šarbtā‌ā w-bit dāynī lāh, sābāb ānī tūwib lhōn bkārōzūtā‌ā dyāwnān; w-laˀḵā īt ḥa būš gūrā min yāwnān.

     The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

2. Nineveh as its original entirety, ie. Mosul and Nineveh
3. a female given name

Usage notes

• Today, it is a common name for the half of Mosul that lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris, and the Nineveh Governorate in Northern Iraq takes its name from it.
• It is also as Nineveh in its original entirety, covering both of Mosul and Nineveh

Derived terms

• ܢܝܼܢܘܵܝܵܐ (nīnwāyā, “Ninevite”)
• ܗܹܘܦܲܪܟܝܼܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (hēwparkīyā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Governorate”)
• ܕܲܫܬܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (daštā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Plains”)
• ܫܸܛܚܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (šiṭḥā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Plains”)
• ܦܲܩܥܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (paqˁṯā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Plains”)

See also

• ܡܵܘܨܸܠ (māwṣil, “Mosul”)