bakûm

Akkadian

Root
b-k-y
1 term

𒀀𒅆 (bakûm)

Etymology

Cognate with Arabic بَكَى (bakā) and Biblical Hebrew בָּכָה (bɔḵɔ́).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /baˈkuːm/

Verb

bakûm (G, i, durative ibakki, perfect ibtaki, preterite ibki, imperative biki) (from Old Assyrian/Old Babylonian on)

1. to weep, shed tears

   Antonym: 𒍢𒀀𒄷𒌝 (ṣiāḫum, “to laugh”)

2. to wail, mourn
3. to howl

Alternative forms

• bakû (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒀀𒅆 (IR₂, ER₂)	𒁀𒆪𒌑𒌝 (ba-ku-u₂-um) 𒁀𒆪𒌑 (ba-ku-u₂) 𒁀𒆪𒌋 (ba-ku-u)

References

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