kânum

Akkadian

Root
k-w-n
3 terms

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *kawan- (“to be”). Cognate with Arabic كَانَ (kāna, “to be”) and Biblical Hebrew נָכוֹן (nɔḵón, “to be set up, established”).

Pronunciation

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

Verb

kânum (G, a-u, durative ikân, perfect iktūn, preterite ikūn, imperative kūn) (from Old Akkadian on)

1. to stay in place, remain stationary
   • c. 1900–1600 BCE, Franz Köcher, A. Leo Oppenheim, editors, AfO 18, 062-080‎^[1] (omen text; clay tablet), published 1958, CDLI P491487, archived from the original on 2022/11/26, column 2, lines 8–9:

     𒁹 𒇽 𒍪𒁀𒀜𒍪​𒄿𒈾​𒉺𒀝𒊑𒋗​𒆷​𒄿𒅗𒀭𒈠
     𒈠𒂵𒀠 𒀉𒋫𒈾𒀸𒄩𒀜​𒇽​𒋗𒌑

     [šumma awīlum ṣubāssu ina pagrišu lā ikâm‑ma
     magal ittanašḫaṭ awīlum šu […] ]

     DIŠ LU₂ ṣu₂‐ba‐at‐su₂ i‐na pa‐ag‐ri‐šu la i‐ka‐an‐ma
     ma‐ga‐al it‐ta‐na‐aš‐ḫa-aṭ LU₂ šu‐u₂ x x x [x]

     If a man’s garment does not stay firm on his body and
     moves around a lot, that man […]

   • 722 BCE – 705 BCE, “CT 54 057”, in Manfried Dietrich, editor, Cuneiform texts from Babylonian tablets‎^[2], volume 54, published 1979, →OCLC, plate 26; republished as “SAA 10 160”, in Simo Parpola, editor, State Archives of Assyria‎^[3], volume 13 (priestly letter; clay tablet), Helsinki, 1993, CDLI P237220, line 11:

     𒁹 𒀯𒊕𒈨𒃻 𒀸 𒊺𒅕𒋾 𒅅𒌅𒌦 𒈗𒈨𒌍 𒉽𒈨𒌍 𒁲𒈨𒌍

     [šumma Nebēru ina šērti iktūn šarrū nakrūtu isallimū]

     DIŠ MUL.SAG.ME.GAR ina še-er-ti ik-tu-un LUGAL-MEŠ KUR₂-MEŠ SILIM-MEŠ

     If Jupiter stands still in the evening, enemy kings will make peace.

2. to remain steadfast and secure
3. to endure
4. to be true
5. to be loyal

Conjugation

Conjugation
Infinitive		kânum
Participle		kāinum
Adjective		kīnum
Active		Durative	Perfect	Preterite	Imperative
1.sg		akân	aktūn	akūn	lukūn
2.sg	m	takân	taktūn	takūn	kūn
	f	takunnī	taktūnī	takūnī	kūnī
3.sg		ikân	iktūn	ikūn	likūn
1.pl		nikân	niktūn	nikūn	i nikūn
2.pl		takunnā	taktūnā	takūnā	kūnā
3.pl	m	ikunnū	iktūnū	ikūnū	likūnū
	f	ikunnā	iktūnā	ikūnā	likūnā
This table gives Old Babylonian inflection. For conjugation in other dialects, see Appendix:Akkadian dialectal conjugation.

Alternative forms

• kânu (non-mimated)
• kuānum (Old Akkadian), kuānu (Assyrian)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒄀 (GI) 𒄀𒈾 (GI.NA) 𒁺 (GIN, GUB)	𒅗𒀀𒉡 (ka-a-nu)

Derived terms

• kēna (“yes”)

 

References

• “kânu (A)”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[4], volume 8, K, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1971, pages 159–162
• Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “kânu(m)”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, page 146