Bābilim

Akkadian

Etymology

The ancient interpretation by Akkadian speakers of the city name as bāb (“gate”) +‎ ilim (“of god”) is likely a folk etymology, later translated into Sumerian and written 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (ka₂ dig̃ir-ra^ki /⁠kan dig̃irak⁠/, literally “gate of god”). More at Babylon.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbaː.bi.lim/

Proper noun

Bābilim m

Babylon

Alternative forms

Bābili (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings
Logograms	Phonetic
𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (KA₂.DINGIR.RA^ki) 𒁷𒌁𒆠 (TIN.TIR^ki) 𒂊𒆠 (E^ki) 𒉣𒆠 (NUN^ki)	𒁀𒁉𒅆 (ba-bi-lim) 𒁀𒁉𒅆𒆠 (ba-bi-lim^ki) 𒁀𒀊𒉌𒉌 (ba-ab-i₃-li₂) 𒁀𒀊𒉌𒉌𒆠 (ba-ab-i₃-li₂^ki) 𒁀𒁉𒇻 (ba-bi-lu)

Descendants

→ Ancient Greek: Βαβυλών (Babulṓn)
- Greek: Βαβυλών (Vavylón), Βαβυλώνα (Vavylóna)
- → Latin: Babylōn
- → Macedonian: Вавилон (Vavilon)
- → Russian: Вавилон (Vavilon)
- → Ukrainian: Вавилон (Vavylon)
→ Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܒܒܠ (bāḇel)

Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: בָבֶל (bāḇel)

Mandaic: ࡁࡀࡁࡉࡋ (bābīl)
- → Arabic: بَابِل (bābil)
- → Middle Persian: bʾbyl
  - Persian: بابل (bâbel)
→ Egyptian: bbr
→ Biblical Hebrew: בָּבֶל (bɔḇɛ́l)
- → Israeli Hebrew: בָּבֶל (bavél)
→? Old Armenian: բաւիղ (bawił, “labyrinth”), բաւիլ (bawil), բաւեղ (baweł)
→ Old Persian: 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢𐏁 (b-a-b-i-ru-u-š /⁠Bābiruš⁠/)
- → Egyptian:
  Late Egyptian:
  
  (bꜣbꜣrw)^[1]^[2]
- → Pali: Bāveru^[3]
→ Sumerian: 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 (ka₂ dig̃ir-ra^ki /⁠kan dig̃irak⁠/, literally “gate of god”) (calque)
→ Taymanitic: 𐪈𐪈𐪁 (bbl)

References

^ Posener, Georges (1936), La première domination perse en Égypte: Recueil d’inscriptions hiéroglyphiques, page 185
^ Jona Lendering, Susa, Statue of Darius, Subject L01, b3b3l (Babylonia), Livius.org
^ Albright, W. F., A Babylonian Geographical Treatise on Sargon of Akkad's Empire, Journal of the American Oriental Society (1925)