abūbum

Akkadian

𒀀𒈠𒊒 (abūbum)

Etymology

Compare Arabic أُبَاب (ʔubāb, “billow”) and the developments under the root ح ب ب (ḥ-b-b).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

abūbum m (Babylonian)

1.  the Deluge, the Flood (as cosmic event or as personification of the ultimate wrath, destruction and aggressiveness)
2. (mythology) the Deluge, the Flood (a monster with definite features)
3. a destructive flood

   Synonym: (flood) 𒌓𒈿𒀀𒀭 (bibbulum)

Alternative forms

• abūbu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒀀𒈠𒊒 (A.MA.RU)	𒀀𒁍𒁍𒌝 (a-bu-bu-um) 𒀀𒁍𒁍 (a-bu-bu)

Related terms

• tīl abūbim (“hill or ruins made by the Deluge”)

 

References

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