mātum

Akkadian

Pronunciation

• (Old Babylonian) IPA^(key): /ˈmaː.tum/

Noun

mātum f (plural mātātum) (from Old Akkadian on)

1. (political unit) home country, native land
2. land (in contrast to sea), flat country (in contrast to mountain)
3. foreign country/territory
4. inhabitants of a country

Alternative forms

mātu (non-mimated)

Cuneiform spellings

Logograms	Phonetic	Mixed
𒆳 (KUR) (Old Akkadian, Old Babylonian) 𒌦 (KALAM) (Old Akkadian, Neo-Babylonian) 𒈠𒁕 (MA.DA) (plural) 𒆳𒆳 (KUR.KUR)	𒈠𒀀𒌈 (ma-a-tum) 𒈠𒀀𒌓 (ma-a-tu₂)	𒆳𒆠𒌈 (KUR.KI-tum)

Descendants

• → Aramaic: מתא (māṯā, “region, country, town”)
• → Sumerian: 𒈠𒁕 (ma-da /⁠mada⁠/)

References

• “mātu”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎, volume 10, M, part 1, Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1977