bēltum

Akkadian

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *baʕlat- (“lady”). Equivalent to 𒂗 (bēlum, “lord”) +‎ -𒌈 (-tum, feminine suffix). Compare Arabic بَعْلَة‎ (baʿla) and Biblical Hebrew בַּעֲלָה‎ (baʕălɔ́).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈbeːl.tum/

Noun

bēltum f (construct state bēlet, plural bēlētum, masculine bēlum) (from Old Akkadian on)

1. lady, mistress
2. female owner

Alternative forms

• bēltu (non-mimated)
• bēletum, bēletu (poetic)
• bēlatum, bēlatu (Old Assyrian, Middle Assyrian, Middle Babylonian, El-Amarna, Boghazkeui)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒎏 (NIN) 𒃽 (GAŠAN)	𒁁𒂖𒌈 (be-el-tum) 𒁁𒂖𒌅𒌝 (be-el-tu-um) 𒁁𒂖𒌅 (be-el-tu) 𒁁𒂖𒌓 (be-el-tu₂) 𒁁𒇷𒌈 (be-le-tum) (plural) 𒁁𒇷𒀉 (be-le-et) (construct state) 𒁁𒀖 (be-let) (construct state)

References

• “bēltu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD), Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
• Black, Jeremy; George, Andrew; Postgate, Nicholas (2000), “bēltu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag