Gilgāmeš

Akkadian

Etymology

From Sumerian 𒀭𒄑𒉋𒂵𒎌 (“Gilgameš”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ɡilˈɡaː.meʃ/

Proper noun

Gilgāmeš m

1. Gilgamesh (a Sumerian king of early dynastic Uruk, later made an epic hero)
   • 𒀭𒄑𒂆𒈦 𒌌𒌅 𒌓𒌝 𒀪𒀠𒁺 𒈾𒁍 𒋳𒋙 𒋃𒁷𒋙 𒀭𒈠 𒂄𒈜𒋫𒋙 𒀀𒈨𒇻𒌅

     [Gilgameš ultu ūm ialdū nabu šumšu šittīnšu ilumma šulultašu amēlūtu]

     ^dGIŠ.GIN₂.MAŠ ul-tu u₄-um i'-al-du na-bu šum-šu₂ šit-tin-šu₂ DINGIR-ma šul-lul-ta-šu₂ a-me-lu-tu

     Gilgameš was his name from the day he was born, two-thirds of him god but one-third of him human.

     (Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet I, lines 47-48)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms
(Old Babylonian) 𒀭𒄑 (dGIŠ) 𒀭𒄑𒂆𒈦 (dGIŠ.GIN₂.MAŠ) 𒁹𒀭𒄑𒂆𒈦 (mdGIŠ.GIN₂.MAŠ) 𒀭𒄑𒉋𒂵𒈩 (dBIL₃.GA.MEŠ₃) 𒀭𒄑𒉋𒂅𒈩 (dBIL₃.GIN₂.MEŠ₃)

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: Γίλγαμος (Gílgamos)
• → English: Gilgamesh

References

• Miller, Douglas B.; Shipp, R. Mark (2014), An Akkadian Handbook, 2nd edition, Eisenbrauns, pages 103-104

Further reading

• Gilgamesh on Wikipedia.Wikipedia