mušḫuššum

Akkadian

𒈲𒍽 (mušḫuššum)

Etymology

From Sumerian 𒈲𒍽 (muš-ḫuš /⁠mušḫuš⁠/, “a mythical serpent”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /muʃˈχuʃ.ʃum/

Noun

mušḫuššum m (construct state mušḫuš, pronominal state mušḫušša, plural mušḫuššū) (Old Babylonian, Standard Babylonian, Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian)

1. the name of a kind of serpent
2. the name of a mythical or literary dragon
3. (Old Babylonian, astronomy) the name of a constellation

Alternative forms

• mušḫuššu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic	Mixed
(common) 𒈲𒍽 (MUŠ.ḪUŠ) (glossaries only) 𒈲𒅆𒌨 (MUŠ.ḪUL)	𒈬𒍑𒄷𒍑𒋗𒌝 (mu-uš-ḫu-uš-šu-um) 𒈲𒍽𒋗 (muš-ḫuš-šu) 𒈲𒄷𒋗 (muš-ḫu-šu)	(glossaries only) 𒋗𒋙 (ŠU-šú)

References

• “mušḫuššum”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[1], volume 10, M, part 2, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1977
• Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “mušḫuššu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, via the electronic Babylonian Library, page 222
• Huehnergard, John (2011) “mušḫuššum”, in A Grammar of Akkadian (Harvard Semitic Studies; 45), 3rd edition, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, page 507