libbum

Akkadian

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *libb- (“heart”). Cognate with Arabic لُبّ (lubb) and Biblical Hebrew לֵב (leḇ).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

libbum m (construct state libbi, pronominal state libba, plural libbū) (from Old Akkadian on)

1. heart, abdomen, womb
2. mind, thought, intention, wish, desire, preference

   𒊮𒅗 𒈪𒅎𒈠 𒆷𒀀 𒄿𒈠𒅈𒊏𒊍

   [libbaka mimma lā imarraṣ]

   ŠA₃-ka mi-im-ma la-a i-ma-ar-ra-aṣ

   Do not be angry/annoyed at all.

   (literally, “Do not at all make your heart sick”)

   𒆠𒄿 𒆷 𒊮𒁉 𒀭𒀭 [kī la libbi ilānī] ― ki-i la lib₃-bi DINGIR.DINGIR ― contrary to the will of the gods

3. inside, inner part

Alternative forms

• libbu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒊮 (ŠA₃)	𒇷𒅁𒁍𒌝 (li-ib-bu-um) 𒇷𒅁𒁍 (li-ib-bu) 𒈜𒁍 (lib-bu)

Derived terms

• ana libbi
• ina libbi
• libbātum

References

• “libbu”, 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) “libbu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, via the electronic Babylonian Library