𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌝

Akkadian

Afro-Asiatic (Semitic, East) · historical / hidden variety

FamilyAfro-Asiatic (Semitic, East) SpeakersExtinct ScriptCuneiform CountriesMesopotamia (Iraq) Official inBabylonian, Assyrian empires Vitalityextinct ISO 639-3akk

Akkadian (𒅖 lišānum akkadītum) was the lingua franca of the ancient Near East for two millennia (c. 2500 BCE–100 CE), the language of the Akkadian Empire under Sargon (c. 2334 BCE), the Babylonian Empire (Hammurabi's Code, c. 1754 BCE), and the Assyrian Empire. Recorded in cuneiform borrowed from Sumerian, Akkadian preserves vast legal codes, royal annals, scientific treatises (mathematics, astronomy, medicine), and literary works including the Epic of Gilgamesh in its Standard Babylonian recension (c. 1200 BCE). Includes Babylonian and Assyrian dialects. As an East Semitic language it is the only well-attested member of that branch — all other major Semitic languages (Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge'ez) are West Semitic.

Where it is spoken

31 core words in Akkadian

Water

𒈬

/muː/

Fire

𒉈𒌋

/iʃaːtu/

Sun

𒀭𒌓

/ʃamʃu/

Moon

𒌗

/warχu/

Star

𒀯

/kakːabu/

Mother

𒌝𒈬

/umːu/

Father

𒀊

/abu/

I

𒀀𒈾𒆪

/anaːku/

You

𒀜𒋫

/atːa/

Name

𒈬

/ʃumu/

Eye

𒅆

/iːnu/

Hand

𒋗

/qaːtu/

Heart

𒇷𒅁

/libːu/

Love

𒊏𒄠

/raːmu/

Tree

𒄑

/isˤu/

House

𒂍

/biːtu/

Dog

𒌨𒁇

/kalbu/

Cat

𒋗𒊏𒉡

/ʃuraːnu/

Eat

𒀀𒅗𒇻

/akaːlu/

Drink

𒊮𒌅

/ʃatuː/

One

𒁹

/iʃteːn/

Two

𒈫

/ʃina/

Hello

𒁲

/ʃulmu/

Thank you

𒁲𒌅

/taʃlimtu/

Good

𒄭𒄀

/damqu/

Sushi

𒅆𒅅𒄣

/ʃiqːu/

Sources

Words compared

Compared with related Afro-Asiatic (Semitic, East) languages

Meaning AkkadianUgariticPhoenicianMandaicOld AramaicWestern Neo-AramaicPunic
Water 𒈬 /muː/ 𐎎𐎊 /maju/ 𐤌𐤌 /meːm/ ࡌࡉࡀ /mia/ מין /majin/ ܡܘܝܐ /moːja/ 𐤌𐤉𐤌 /majim/
Fire 𒉈𒌋 /iʃaːtu/ 𐎛𐎌𐎚 /ʔiʃt/ 𐤀𐤔 /ʔeʃ/ ࡍࡅࡓࡀ /nura/ נור /nuːr/ ܐܫܬܐ /iʃtaː/ 𐤀𐤔 /ʔeʃ/
Sun 𒀭𒌓 /ʃamʃu/ 𐎌𐎔𐎌 /ʃapʃ/ 𐤔𐤌𐤔 /ʃameʃ/ ࡔࡀࡌࡔࡀ /ʃamʃa/ שמש /ʃamʃ/ ܫܡܫܐ /ʃemʃaː/ 𐤔𐤌𐤔 /ʃameʃ/
Moon 𒌗 /warχu/ 𐎊𐎗𐎈 /jaːriχ/ 𐤉𐤓𐤇 /jaræħ/ ࡎࡉࡓࡀ /sira/ שהר /sahr/ ܣܗܪܐ /sahraː/ 𐤉𐤓𐤇 /jeraħ/
Star 𒀯 /kakːabu/ 𐎋𐎁𐎋𐎁 /kabkabu/ 𐤊𐤊𐤁 /koːkab/ ࡊࡅࡊࡁࡀ /ˈkukba/ כוכב /kawkab/ ܟܘܟܒܐ /kawkba/ 𐤊𐤊𐤁 /koːkab/
Mother 𒌝𒈬 /umːu/ 𐎜𐎎 /ʔumm/ 𐤀𐤌 /ʔem/ ࡀࡌࡀ /ama/ אמ /ʔem/ ܐܡܐ /emaː/ 𐤀𐤌 /ʔem/
Father 𒀊 /abu/ 𐎜𐎁 /ʔabu/ 𐤀𐤁 /ʔab/ ࡀࡁࡀ /aba/ אב /ʔab/ ܒܒܐ /babːaː/ 𐤀𐤁 /ʔav/
I 𒀀𒈾𒆪 /anaːku/ 𐎀𐎐𐎋 /ʔanaːku/ 𐤀𐤍𐤊 /ʔanoːkiː/ ࡀࡍࡀ /ˈana/ אנה /ʔanaː/ ܐܢܐ /ana/ 𐤀𐤍𐤊 /ʔanoːk/
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Word order compared

Compare with major world languages

Akkadian
anāku erriš labāšu lubāri ša amuru ina bīti mehret bīt nubatti
أنا أريد أن أجرب بدلة رأيتها في محل مقابل الفندق
试穿 酒店 对面的 商店 看到的 那套西装
I want to try on a suit I saw ‌in a shop across from the hotel
Ich möchte einen Anzug anprobieren den ich in einem Geschäft gegenüber vom Hotel gesehen habe
मैं होटल के सामने एक दुकान में देखा सूट को पहनकर देखना चाहता हूँ
私は ホテルの 向かいの お店 見た スーツを 試着 したいです
Я хочу примерить костюм который я увидел в магазине напротив отеля

Compare with closely-related languages

Akkadian
anāku erriš labāšu lubāri ša amuru ina bīti mehret bīt nubatti
𓅓𓂋𓏏|mrt 𓇋|.j 𓅓𓂝𓂝|mꜣꜣ.n.j 𓎛𓃀𓋴|ḥbs 𓅓 𓅱𓇋𓂝𓏏|m wjꜥ.t 𓂋 𓉐|r-ḥꜣ.t pr
أنا أبي أجرب البدلة اللي شفتها في المحل مقابل الفندق
ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲉⲓⲟⲩⲱϣ ⲛⲧⲁϣⲉⲡ ⲟⲩϩⲃⲥⲱ ⲉⲧⲁⲓⲛⲁⲩ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲁⲡⲟⲑⲏⲕⲏ ⲙⲡⲉⲙⲧⲟ ⲙⲡⲙⲁⲛϣⲱⲡⲉ
Ina so in gwada rigar ‌da na gani a shago gaban hotel

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