ܢܝܢܘܐ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Akkadian 𒌷𒀏𒆠 (Ninua). The cuneiform sign 𒀏 is formed by a sign denoting a "shrine" (𒀊) with the sign for "fish" (𒄩) inside, a sort of "shrine of the fish", although whether this referred to literal fish, an aspect of Ishtar, a separate Hurrian goddess, or something else entirely is unclear; compare Biblical Hebrew נִינְוֵה (nînəwê)

Pronunciation

(Standard) IPA^(key): [niːnweː]
(Nineveh Plains) IPA^(key): [nɪnweː]
(Urmia) IPA^(key): [nɪnveː]

Proper noun

ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ • (nīnwē) f

(historical) Nineveh (the ancient capital of Assyria)
- c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., Genesis 10:11–12:
  ܡ̣ܢ ܗ̇ܝ ܐܲܪܥܵܐ ܦܠܝܼܛ ܠܹܗ ܠܐܵܬ݂ܘܿܪ ܘܒܢܹܐ ܠܹܗ ܠܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ، ܠܪܚܘܿܒ݂ܘܿܬ݂ ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ، ܠܟܵܠܵܚ، ܘܠܪܵܣܵܢ ܒܹܝܢ ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ ܘܒܹܝܢ ܟܵܠܵܚ، ܗ̇ܝ ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܪܲܒܬ݂ܵܐ.
  min aya arˁā plīṭ lēh l-āṯōr w-bnē lēh l-nīnwē, l-rḥōḇōṯ mḏītā, l-kālāḥ, w-l-rāsān bēn nīnwē w-bēn kālāḥ, aya mḏītā rabṯā.
  From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).
- c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., Jonah 3:1–2:
  ܗ̇ܝܼܓܵܗ ܗ݇ܘܹܐ ܠܹܗ ܡܸܠܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܡܵܪܝܵܐ ܠܝܵܘܢܵܢ ܒܓܵܗܵܐ ܕܬܲܪܬܹܝܢ، ܒܹܐ݇ܡܵܪܵܐ: «ܩܘܼܡ ܙܹܠ݇ ܠܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܪܲܒܬ݂ܵܐ، ܘܐܲܟ݂ܪܸܙ ܐܸܠܘܿܗ̇ ܡܸܠܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܒܹܐ݇ܡܵܪܵܐ ܝܘܸܢ ܐܸܠܘܼܟ݂».
  hīgāh wē lēh milṯā d-māryā l-yāwnān bgāhā dtartēn, bēmārā: “qūm zē l-nīnwē mḏītā rabṯā, w-aḵriz illōh milṯā dbēmārā ìwen ilūḵ”.
  Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying: “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”
- c. 2014, ܕܝܬܩܐ ܚܕܬܐ ܕܡܪܢ ܝܫܘܥ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܘܡܙܡܘܪ̈ܐ ܒܠܫܢܐ ܐܬܘܪܝܐ, Aramaic Bible Translation, Inc., Luke 11:32:
  ܐ݇ܢܵܫܹ̈ܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ ܒܸܬ ܩܵܝܡܝܼ ܒܝܵܘܡܵܐ ܕܕܝܵܢܬܵ‌ܐ ܥܲܡ ܗܵܕ݂ܹܐ ܫܲܪܒܬ݂ܵܐ ܘܒܸܬ ܕܵܝܢܝܼ ܠܵܗ̇، ܡܸܛܠ ܕܡܬܘܼܘܸܒ݂ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܒܟܵܪܘܿܙܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܝܵܘܢܵܢ؛ ܘܠܲܐܟ݂ܵܐ ܐܝܼܬ݂ ܚܲܕ݇ ܝܲܬܝܼܪ ܪܲܒܵܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܝܵܘܢܵܢ.
  nāšē dnīnwē bit qāymī b-yāwmā d-dyāntā‌ā ˁam hāḏē šarbṯā w-bit dāynī lāh, miṭṭul d-mtūwiḇ lhōn b-kārōzūṯā dyāwnān; w-laˀḵā īṯ ḥa yatīr rabbā min yāwnān.
  The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
Nineveh as its original entirety, ie. Mosul and Nineveh
A governorate in northern Iraq
a female given name

Usage notes

Today, it is a common name for the half of Mosul that lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris, and the Nineveh Governorate in Northern Iraq takes its name from it.
It is also as Nineveh in its original entirety, covering both of Mosul and Nineveh

Derived terms

ܢܝܼܢܘܵܝܵܐ (nīnwāyā, “Ninevite”)
ܗܹܘܦܲܪܟܝܼܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (hēwparkīyā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Governorate”)
ܕܲܫܬܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (daštā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Plains”)
ܫܸܛܚܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (šiṭḥā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Plains”)
ܦܲܩܥܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ (paqˁṯā dnīnwē, “Nineveh Plains”)