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Nineveh. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Nineveh, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Nineveh in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
Nineveh you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Old English Niniue (under influence from Biblical Hebrew נִינְוֵה (nīnəwē)), from Latin Nīnevē, from Ancient Greek Νινευή (Nineuḗ), ultimately from Akkadian 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 𒀏 (/Ninua/) or Old Babylonian 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 (/Ninuwā/) of uncertain origin, but is clearly a variation of 𒀏 (/ninâ/, “fish”).[1] The cuneiform seems to denote "House of Fish", although whether this referred to literal fish, an aspect of Ishtar, a separate Hurrian goddess, or something else entirely is unclear.[2]
The traditional folk etymology in classical antiquity derived it from an eponymous founder Ninus (Greek: Νίνος (Nínos)).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈnɪnɪvə/, /ˈnɪnəvə/
Proper noun
Nineveh
- (historical) The capital of ancient Assyria, now Mosul, Iraq.
Synonyms
- Mosul (present settlement)
Translations
ancient capital of Assyria
— see also Mosul
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "Ninevite, n. and adj." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013.
- ^ "Nineveh" in the Encyclopaedia Judaica.