Nineveh

English

Etymology

From Old English Niniue (under influence from Biblical Hebrew נִינְוֵה (nīnəwē)), from Latin Nīnevē, from Ancient Greek Νινευή (Nineuḗ), ultimately from Akkadian 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 𒀏 (/⁠Ninua⁠/) or Old Babylonian 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 (/⁠Ninuwā⁠/) of uncertain origin, but is clearly a variation of 𒀏 (/⁠ninâ⁠/, “fish”). The cuneiform seems to denote "House of Fish", although whether this referred to literal fish, an aspect of Ishtar, a separate Hurrian goddess, or something else entirely is unclear.

The traditional folk etymology in classical antiquity derived it from an eponymous founder Ninus (Greek: Νίνος (Nínos)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɪnɪvə/, /ˈnɪnəvə/

Proper noun

Nineveh

1. (historical) The capital of ancient Assyria, now Mosul, Iraq.

Synonyms

• Mosul (present settlement)

Translations

ancient capital of Assyria — see also Mosul

• Arabic: نِينَوَى (nīnawā)
• Aramaic:

  Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܢܝܢܘܐ (nīnwē)

• Armenian: Նինվե (Ninve)
• Burmese: နိနဝေမြို့ (ni.na.we-mrui.)
• Car Nicobarese: Ninevē
• Catalan: Nínive f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 尼尼微 (Níníwēi, Níníwéi)

• Danish: Nineve
• Finnish: Ninive
• French: Ninive (fr) f
• Georgian: ნინევია (ninevia)
• German: Ninive (de)
• Greek: Νινευή f (Nineví)

  Ancient: Νινευή f (Nineuḗ), Νινειΐ f (Nineiḯ)

• Hebrew: נִינְוֵה f (nin'vé)
• Irish: Ninivé f
• Italian: Ninive f
• Japanese: ニネヴェ (Nineve)
• Korean: 니네베 (Ninebe)
• Latin: Nīnevē f, Nīnivē f
• Macedonian: Нини́ва f (Niníva)
• Ottoman Turkish: نينوه (Ninova)
• Persian: نینوا (fa) (Neynavâ)
• Polish: Niniwa (pl) f
• Portuguese: Nínive f
• Russian: Ниневия (ru) f (Ninevija)
• Spanish: Nínive (es) f
• Thai: นิเนเวห์
• Turkish: Ninova