dīnum

Akkadian

Root
d-y-n
2 terms

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *dVn- (“obligated conduct, moral or ethical decision, judgement, ruling”). Cognate with Arabic دِين (dīn, “religion; law”) and Biblical Hebrew דִּין (din, “law”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈdiː.num/

Noun

dīnum m (construct state dīn or dīni, plural dīnātum f)

1. (law) decision, judgment, verdict
2. (law) case, lawsuit, claim, hearing

   𒁲𒁁𒆷 [dīnum gamrum] ― DI TIL.LA ― settled law case

   𒀀𒉿𒇴 𒁲𒈾𒄠 𒋗𒄷𒍪𒌝

   [awīlam dīnam šūḫuzum]

   a-wi-lam di-na-am šu-ḫu-zu-um

   to grant a legal case/hearing to a man

3. (law) law, article of law

Alternative forms

• dīnu (non-mimated)
• dēnum, dēnu (Assyrian)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒁲 (DI) 𒁲𒋻 (DI.KUD, DI.KU₅)	𒁲𒉡𒌝 (di-nu-um) 𒁲𒄿𒉡 (di-i-nu) 𒁲𒂊𒉡 (de-e-nu) 𒁲𒉡 (di-nu)

Related terms

• bēl dīnim (“adversary in court”)
• ša dīnim (“litigant”)

 

References

• “dīnu”, 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) “dīnu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag