kalbum

Akkadian

Root
k-l-b
1 term

𒌨𒂠𒎌 (kalbū)

𒀯𒌨𒂠 (kalbum)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *kalb- (“dog”). Cognate with Arabic كَلْب (kalb) and Biblical Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kɛ́lɛḇ).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈkal.bum/

Noun

kalbum m (construct state kalab, plural kalbū, feminine kalbatum)

1. dog also as an invective

   𒈪𒉡𒌝 𒋢𒉡𒈠 𒅗𒀠𒁍 [mīnum šunūma kalbū] ― mi-nu-um šu-nu-ma ka-al-bu ― What are they? (Nothing but) dogs!

2. dog figurine
3. (astronomy, with determinative 𒀯) Hercules (the constellation)

Alternative forms

• kalbu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒌨𒂠 (UR.GI₇) 𒌨 (UR) 𒌨𒂠𒎌 (UR.GI₇.MEŠ) (plural) 𒀯𒌨𒂠 (MUL.UR.GI₇) (constellation)	𒅗𒀠𒁍𒌝 (ka-al-bu-um) 𒂵𒀠𒁍𒌝 (ka₃-al-bu-um) 𒅗𒀠𒁍 (ka-al-bu) 𒆗𒁍 (kal-bu) 𒃲𒅤 (kal₂-bum)

References

• “kalbu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[1], Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
• Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “kalbu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag