muškēnum

Akkadian

Etymology

Derived from the participle of 𒆠𒍝𒍝 (šukênum, “to prostrate oneself”).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

muškēnum m (plural muškēnū)

1. commoner, dependent (a class of people dependent or reliant on others, unable to provide supplies on their own)

   𒁕𒀀𒀀𒉡 𒉿𒅈𒅗𒀜 𒈦𒆕𒂗 𒋗𒀀𒋾 𒅁𒊒𒋢

   da-a-a-nu wa-ar-ka-at MAŠ.GAG.EN šu-a-ti ip-ru-su

   /dayyānū warkat muškēnim šuāti iprusū/

   The judges investigated the circumstances of that commoner's case.

2. poor person, destitute

Alternative forms

• muškēnu (non-mimated form)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒈦𒂗𒆕 (MAŠ.EN.GAG) 𒈦𒆕𒂗 (MAŠ.GAG.EN)	𒈬𒍑𒆠𒉡𒌝 (mu-uš-ke-nu-um)

Descendants

• → Biblical Hebrew: מִסְכֵּן (miskēn)
• → Classical Syriac: ܡܶܣܟܸܝܢܳܐ (meskēnā)
  • → Arabic: مِسْكِين (miskīn) (see there for further descendants)