lābum

Akkadian

𒆷𒁍𒌝 (lābum)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *labuʔ- (“lion”). Cognate with Arabic لَبُؤَة (labuʔa, “lioness”) and Biblical Hebrew לָבִיא (lɔḇíʔ, “lion”).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

lābum m (plural lābū) (from Old Akkadian on)

1. (poetic) lion

   Synonym: nēšum (“lion”)

Alternative forms

• lābu (non-mimated)
• lab'um (Old Akkadian, Old Assyrian)
• labbu (Standard Babylonian)

Cuneiform spellings

Phonetic
𒆷𒁍𒌝 (la-bu-um) 𒆷𒀊𒁍 (la-ab-bu) 𒆗𒁍 (lab-bu) 𒆷𒀀𒁍 (la-a-bu) 𒆷𒁍𒌑 (la-bu-u₂) 𒆷𒁍 (la-bu)

Derived terms

• lābatum (“lioness”)
• lābiš (“like a lion”)

References

• “labbu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[1], Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011