warḫum

Akkadian

𒌚 (warḫum)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *warḫ- (“moon; month”). Cognate with Biblical Hebrew יָרֵחַ (yɔréaḥ, “moon”) and יֶרַח (yɛ́raḥ, “month”) and Aramaic ירח (*yaraḥ, “month”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈwar.χum/

Noun

warḫum m (construct state waraḫ, plural warḫum)

1. moon

   𒋳𒈠 𒀭𒌑 𒆠𒈠 𒍢𒀉 𒉿𒅈𒄭𒅎 𒉺𒉡𒋗𒉡 𒈾𒄠𒊒𒌑 𒊭𒀜𒌈 𒁕𒄠𒂵𒀜

   [šumma šamû kīma ṣēt warḫim pānūšunu namrū šattum damqat]

   šum-ma AN-u₂ ki-ma ṣe-et wa-ar-hi-im pa-nu-šu-nu na-am-ru-u₂ ša-at-tum da-am-qa₂-at

   If the surface of the sky is as bright as the light of the moon, the year will be good.

2. new moon (first day of the month)
3. month

   𒀭𒉌𒀉𒅗 𒆷 𒀭𒉌𒀉𒅗 𒉿𒅈𒄩𒄠 𒊭 𒋫𒀠𒆷𒄰 𒋢𒌒𒊏𒄠𒈠

   [annītka lā annītka warḫam ša tallakam šupram-ma]

   an-ni-it-ka la an-ni-it-ka wa-ar-ḫa-am ša ta-al-la-kam šu-up-ra-am-ma

   Whatever your consent or refusal (=answer) may be, let me know the month you will come.

Alternative forms

• warḫu (non-mimated)
• arḫum, arḫu
• urḫum, urḫu (Assyrian)
• barḫum, barḫu (Old Babylonian)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic
𒌚 (ITI, ITU) 𒌚𒁹𒄰 (ITI.1.KAM) 𒌚𒄰 (ITI.KAM) (Old Assyrian) 𒀖 (AB₂) (Neo-Babylonian, astronomy)	𒉿𒅈𒄷𒌝 (wa-ar-ḫu-um) 𒅈𒄷 (ar-ḫu)

Coordinate terms

• (time period): ḫamuštum (“week”), līmum (“year”)

Derived terms

• warḫišam
• warḫītum