šinnum

Akkadian

𒅗𒎌 (šinnān)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *šinn-. Cognate with Arabic سِنّ (sinn) and Biblical Hebrew שֵׁן (šen).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

šinnum f (construct state šinni, pronominal state šinna, dual šinnān, plural šinnātum)

1. tooth
   • 1755–1750 BCE, King Hammurabi of Babylon, translated by OMNIKA Foundation, Hammurabi Code‎^[1], The Louvre, Law 200:

     𒋳𒈠 𒀀𒉿𒈝 𒅆𒅔𒉌 𒀀𒉿𒅆 𒈨𒄴𒊑𒋗 𒀉𒋫𒁲 𒅆𒅔𒈾𒋗 𒄿𒈾𒀜𒁺𒌑

     [šumma awīlum šinni awīlim meḫrīšu ittadi, šinnašu inaddû]

     šum-ma a-wi-lum ši-in-ni a-wi-lim me-eḫ-ri-šu it-ta-di, ši-in-našu i-na-ad-du-u₂

     If a man has knocked out the tooth of a man of his own rank, his tooth will be knocked out.

2. (in the dual) teeth ("two rows of teeth")
3. Elephant tusk, ivory
4. tooth, tine of a comb, saw, harrow, blade of a plow

Alternative forms

šinnu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒅗 (ZU₂) 𒅗𒄢 (ZU₂.GUL) (Ras Shamra) 𒅗𒎌 (ZU₂.MEŠ) (plural)	𒅆𒅔𒉡𒌝 (ši-in-nu-um) 𒅆𒅔𒉡 (ši-in-nu)

Related terms

• 𒅗𒄠𒋛 (ZU₂ AM.SI, šinni pīrim, “ivory”)

 

References

• “šinnu A”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[2], volume 17, Š, part 3, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1992