Mesopotamian (All Terms)

Kurtik's Dictionary of the Babylonian Star Heaven

This list of terms is based upon the printed dictionary:

  • Kurtik, G. (2007): Звездное небо Древней Месопотамии. Шумеро-аккадские названия созвездий и других светил [The Star Heaven of Ancient Mesopotamia: Sumero-Akkadian Names of Constellations and Other Heavenly Bodies], Aletejja, St. Petersburg, Russia.

The author participated at the beginning of the project and sent us a reworked version of this print short before his death in March 2022. We include his last (unpublished) Russian version, Gössmann's 1950 German version, translated both and rework them continuously. The numbers of the terms are from Kurtik, terms without numbers were added by us.

Page 1 (a01. A to e03. E.TA.NAM.AN)

cuneiformKurtik's termEnglishour note
a01. Aabbreviation for UR.GU.LAmerged into UR.A
a02. A.EDINa goddessredirect to Erua
a03. dA.KUredirect to A.GI7
a04. A2mušenThe Eagleredirect to TE8mušen
a05. A2.GU2.ZI.GA
a06. AB.SIN2The Barley Stalksee AB.SIN2, ABSIN (𒀊𒉆)
a07. ABSIN
a08. AD.ME
a09. AD6The CorpseAkkadian "pagru"
a10. AG2.AN.BUR2The Crown of Anu (?)
a11. AGAThe Crown
a12. AGA dA-nimThe Crown of Anu
a13. Agru
a14. A-ḫa-ti
a15. Aḫû
a16. dAḪUD
a17. AKKIL
AlammušGod, vizier of the moon god Nanna/Sîn. d(MÙŠ.)LÀL (MUL.APIN, I i 6, EN 7–8r).
a18. AL.LUL 𒀠𒈜
a19. AL.TARmerged into UD.AL.TAR
a20. ALAM
a21. ALLA
a22. Alluttummerged into AL.LUL 𒀠𒈜
a23. Alpu
a24. Alû
a25. AM.AN.NAmerged into GU4.AN.NA
a26. ddAMA.ME.TIL
a27. AMAR.GIR2Only in Old Babylonian Sumerian star lists:
  • mulamar.˹gir2˺(?) [MSL XI, 143, Forerunner 8, col. x 21; OECT IV, Pl. LIII].
  • Probably a scribe's mistake, written instead of mulamar.utu (see a28).
a28. dAMAR.UD
a29. Amurru
a30. AN
a31. AN.KImerged into mulNUNki
a32. AN.ŠU2.TEmerged into AN
a33. mulAN.TA.GUB
a34. AN.TA.SUR.RAmerged into AN.TA.ŠU.UR.RA
a35. AN.TA.ŠUB.ŠUB.BA= kakkab eliš māqitu "Star falling from above"; a term for meteors(?) [BPO 2, 10; Chadwick 1993, 164; G. 35].

Only in EAE predictions series: mulAN.TA.ŠUB.ŠUB.BA <ana> IM.ŠUB.BA "stars, falling from above, to weaken? the wind". [BPO 2, I 20; III 20; IV 14].

a36. AN.TA.ŠU.UR.RA
a37. AN.U2.GI.E
a38. AN.ZUsee i07 mul dIM.DUGUDmušen. The reading ANZU and ANZUD have been proposed for IM.DUGUD and dIMDUGUD. Writings mul dIM.DUGUD prove that this is a name for an asterism, perhaps to be read mul dAnzu(d).
a39. ANŠE.KUR.RA
a40. dAntumAsterism forming part of the constellation (m08) Wagon, identified with the goddess Antum, the wife of the god Anu, 'the King of Heaven'; paired with (a41) mul dAnum. The name is attested in a night ritual at the temple of Anu in Uruk, see (a41) dAnum, 3. In the divine genealogies–the consort of the sky god Anu, see AN: dAnum (I 2-23, 29-31) [Litke 1998, 20-24].
a41. dAnumAkkadian name for the God of Heaven AN, see (a30) AN.
a42. dAnunītum
Anu-rabû“Great Anu”. Most probably to be understood as the name of a specific deity, the city god of Dēr. dA-num GAL-ú šá AN-e (MUL.APIN I i 19).
Apil-Emaḫ“First-born son of the (temple) Emaḫ”. Emaḫ is the name usually given to sanctuaries of the mother goddess. The first-born son of the mother goddess (under her name Ninḫursag) would normally be Ninurta whose father is, however, Enlil. mulIBILA-É.MAḪ (MUL.APIN, I i 21).
a43. gišAPIN
a44. ĀribuAkkadian parallel to mulUGAmušen "Raven"; a constellation within the modern Raven (Corvus), syllabic entries of it are found mostly in lexical texts, see (u11) UGAmušen.
a45. Arītum
a46. Arḫum
a47. Asīdu"the heel" is a mentioned as part of several constellations
a48. AŠ.GANsee mulIKU
a49. AŠ.ME
AyaGoddess, wife of the sun god Utu/ Šamaš. dA-a (MUL.APIN I i 18), associated with the asterism of The Ewe.
BabadBa-ba6, Goddess, wife of Ningirsu/Ninurta, identified with Gula who, in MUL.APIN I i 24 is associtated with the asterism of The Goat.
b01. dBA.LIMis a misreading, see b05. dBalum
b02. BAL.ME.GARmisreading, corrected: DILI.BAD, see d06 Dilbat
b03. BAL.TEŠ2.A
b04. BALAG
b05. dBalumMars
b06. gišBANsee gišPAN
b07. Barbarusee UR.BAR.RA
b08. Bašmu
bēlet balāṭiLady of Lifesee mul / dGAŠAN.TIN
b09. BI.GIR3
b10. Bibbu
b11. BIR
b12. BURANUN
b13. BURRUM AN.NA
d01. gišDA
Damkianna< Damkina. Goddess, wife of Enki/Ea. The normal form is Damkina; the extended form (with the component -an-na “of heaven”) is artificial. Used as the Akk. equivalent of Sum. Damgalnunna. dDam-ki-an-na. In MUL.APIN I i 20 associated with MAR.GID2.DA.AN.NA (The Great Wagon of Heaven)
d02. dDamu
d03. dDāpinu
d04. DAR.LUGALmušen
d05. DI
d06. DilbatVenusvariant: DILI.BAT
d07. DILI
d08. DILI ša2 KUN-šu2merged with (d07) DILI
d09. DINGIR
d10. DINGIR.GUB.BAmešStanding Gods
d11. DINGIR.KU.AmešSitting Godsvariant: mulDINGIR.TUŠ.Ameš
d12. dDU.ŠE.E GUD.UD
d13. dDUMU.ZIvariant Tammuz.
e01. E-pa2-eone time use for Jupiterprobably from Šul-pa2-e, see ŠUL.PA.E3
e02. E-ra-ʼa-al-BU
e03. dE.TA.NAM.AN

Page 2 (e04. dE2-a to i15. is-lê)

cuneiformKurtik's termEnglishour note
e04. dE2-a
e05. E2 sak-ki-iread: (MUL.MEŠ) bīt sakkî
e06. E2.TUR3
e07. Ēdu
e08. ElamātumElamattu(m)
ÉLLAG mulLU.LIM= kalītu “kidney”: see mulLU.LIM.
e09. EN.GIŠGAL.AN.NAJupiter
Enki/EaGod of sweet water, crafts and wisdom, father of Asalluḫi/Marduk. dÉ-a (MUL.APIN I i 40, I ii 19, 26).
e10. dEn-lil2
e11. dEN.ME.ŠAR2.RA
e12. dEN.MUL
dEN.TE.NA.BAR.GUZ
e13. EN.TE.NA.BAR.ḪUMEN.TE.NA.BAR.ḪUM, now read dEN.TE.NA.BAR.GUZ
e14. Enzusee UZ3
e15. Epinnusee APIN
e16. dEreš-ki-gal
e17. Eriduki
e18. ERIN2
e19. Eriqqusee mulMAR.GID2.DA
Eriqqu ša šamêsee mulMAR.GID2.DA AN.NA
e20. dErra
e21. dErragal
e22. Eru (Disambiguation)
Erû / Arû (Eagle)Akkadian parallel with mulTE8/TI8mušen "Eagle"
EruaERU, Erua
g01. Ga-ga
g02. GABA
g03. 4 ša2 GABA-šu2see UR.GU.LA
g04. dGAL.A.RU.RU
g05. GAM-ti
g06. GAM3
g07. GamluAn Akkadian parallel to mulGAM3(=ZUBI) "staff," see (Kurtik g06)GAM3, merged.
g08. gišGAN2.UR3
g09. mul / dGAŠAN.TIN, mulbēlet balāṭi
g10. GENNA
g11. GI.GI
g12. GI6
g13. dGIBIL6
g14. GIG
g15. gišGIGIR
g16. GILIM.MA
g17. GIR2abbreviation for GIR2.TAB
g18. GIR2.AN.NA
g19. GIR2.TAB
g20. GIR3
g21. GIŠ.BAR
g22. GIŠ.ERIN2a late variant of ERIN2
GIŠ.GÁNA.ÙR=maškakātu “harrow”. mulGIŠ.GÁNA.ÙR (in MUL.APIN I ii 23)
g23. GIŠ.KUN
GIŠ.RIN2
g24. Gizzānītu
g25. GUlate epoch abbreviation for GU.LA
g26. GU.AN.NAmerged into (g33) GU4.AN.NA, spelling variant
g27. GU.LA or Gula"Gula" (Disambiguation)
g28. GU2.AN.NAmerged into (g33) GU4.AN.NA, spelling variant
g29. GU2.ḪAL
g30. GU2.MUR
g31. GU4merged into (g33) GU4.AN.NA, abbreviation
g32. GU4.ALIM
g33. GU4.AN.NA
g34. GU4.UD
g35. dGula"Gula" (Disambiguation)
g36. GUR4
h01. ḪabaṣīrānuAkkadian equivalent for the EN.TE.NA.BAR.GUZ
h02. ḪabbātuAkkadian equivalent for mul lúSA.GAZ
h03. dḪaniš
h04. dḪar-ri-ru
h05. ḪE2.GAL2-a-a
h06. ḪI.LUGAL.MAŠ.LAḪ2.ḪA
h07. ḪU.NIM
h08. ḪUL
h09. ḪUM.BA
h10. ḪUNmerged with (Kurtik h12) ḪUN.GA2
h11. ḪUN.GA2merged with (Kurtik h12) ḪUN.GA2
h12. lu2ḪUN.GA2
i01. I3-li2-ab-rat
i02. IBILA.E2.MAḪ
i03. IDIGNA
i04. IKU, IkûAkkadian parallel to mulAŠ.GAN2 "Field"; parts of the constellations Andromeda and Pegasus + some other southern stars from the zodiacal belt [G. 193; AHw, 370; CAD I, 69], see (Kurtik a48) AŠ.GAN2.
i05. Ilumas a celestial name only in an Old Babylonian predictive text, the so-called Shileiko Tablet; see (Kurtik d09) DINGIR.
i06. dIM
i07. dIM.DUGUDmušen
i08. IM.GI
i09. IM.ŠEŠ
i10. IM.ŠU.RIN.NA
i11. dIMIN.BI
i12. IN.DUB.AN.NA
i13. dINANNA
i14. IR.BI4.IL
i15. Is lê  

Page 3 (i16. Iṣṣuru to m27. MU.BU.KEŠ2.DA)

cuneiformKurtik's termEnglishour note
i16. Iṣṣuru
i17. dIšḫara
Iškur / AdadThe storm god. dIŠKUR (MUL.APIN I ii 9, I ii 25-27).
i18. dIštar
i19. dIštaran
k01. KA
k02. KA.AN.DU8
k03. KA.AN.NA
k04. KA.KEŠ2
k05. KA.MUŠ.I3.KU2.Evariant KA.MUŠ.I3.GU7.E
k06. KA5.A
k07. dKAB.TA
k08. KajjamānuKurtik's spelling Kajjamānu;

now read Kayyamānu(m)

k09. KAK.BAN
k10. KAK.SI.SA2
k11. KAK.U2.TAG.GA
k12. kakkabu
k13. Kalbu
k14. Kalītu
k15. KAL.NE
k16. KAR2.ŠUL
k17. KASKAL.UDformer KASKAL.UD,

now read KASKAL.UTU

k18. KinṣuKinru / Kinṣu
k19. KippatuThe Circlemerged into the entry GAM-ti
k20. Kiṣru
k21. KIŠIB     
k22. Kittu
k23. KU.RU.NA
k24. KU6
k25. Kumāru  
k26. KUN
k27. KUNme(š)
k28. KUR.GI.Amušen
k29. lu2KUR2.RA
k30. dKusarikkumAkkadian for Sumerian GU4.ALIM (only the Sumerian occurs and only one time)
KusuGoddess of the cultic censer, mainly occurring in purification rituals. Her name is also an ancient epithet and later byname of the grain goddess Nissaba. See Michalowski 1993, 158–159; Simons 2018. dKù-sù (MUL.APIN I ii 28).
k31. KUŠU2
L01. la ŠID.MEŠ
L02. dLA.KU.DU
L03. dLAMMA
L04. Lammu
L05. dLātarāk
L06. LI.DUR
L07. dLI9.SI4 , Lisi(n)
L08. LU
L09. LU.LIM
L10. LU.MAŠ
L11. LU2
L12. dLU2.LAL3
L13. Lubuštum
L14. LUGAL
L15. LUGAL.E2.GAL
L16. dLUGAL.GIR3.RA
LÚ.ḪUĜ.ĜÁsee ḪUN.GA2
L17. LUL.LA
L18. Lulīmu
L19. Lumāšu
L20. Lumnu
m01. MA2.GUR8
m02. gišMA2.DIRI.GA
m03. Makrû
m04. MAN
m05. MAN-ma
m06. ManzâtAkkadian for Sumerian TIR.AN.NA, Rainbow
m07. MAR
m08. MAR.GID2.DA
m09. MAR.GID2.DA.AN.NA
m10. MAR.TU
Mār-bīti“Son of the House (Temple)”. A god worshipped in the city of Der. Originally, the name was perhaps an epithet of the snake god Niraḫ as attested in an inscription by Nebuchadnezzar I (see Paulus, AOAT 51, 507, NKU I 1, II 69). gišTUKUL šá dA/DUMU-É (EA 5r).
m11. dMarduk
m12. Marratu
m13. MAŠ
m14. Maš-a-ti
m15. MAŠ.MAŠ
m16. MAŠ.TAB.BA
m17. MAŠ.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL
m18. MAŠ.TAB.BA.TUR.TUR
m19. MAŠ.TAB.BA ša2 IGI-it mulSIPA.ZI.AN.NA
m20. MaškakātuAkkadian parallel to GAN2.UR3
m21. Māšū
m22. MAŠ2
m23. ME.GARJupiterabbreviation for SAG.ME.GAR, merged there
m24. dMES.LAM.TA.E3.A
m25. mišḫu
m26. mišiḫ dPA.BIL.SAG
m27. MU.BU.KEŠ2.DA

Page 4 (m28. MU.BU.KEŠ2.DA ša2 A.AB.BA  to p07. Puššaītu)

cuneiformKurtik's termEnglishour note
m28. MU.BU.KEŠ2.DA ša2 A.AB.BA  
m29. MUL
m30. dMUL.AN.DIRI.A
m31. MUL.AN.NA
m32. MUL.GAL
m33. MUL.KI.GAL   
m34. MUL.MEŠ kayyamānūtu
m35. MUL.MUL or MUL2.MUL2
m36. MUL.MUL.LAor: mulmullu. “arrow”: see GAG.SI.SÁ.
m37. MUL2
m38. MUL2.BABBAR
m39. MUL2.ŠID.MEŠ
m40. MUL4
m41. MULx
m42. MURUB4
m43. MUŠ
m44. MUŠ.ḪUŠ
(mul)mušḫuššusee (Kurtik m44)
m45. MUŠ.MIN.SAG.GA
m46. MUŠEN
m47. Muštarīlu
n01. NA2
n02. dNabû
n03. NAGAR
n04. NakaruAkkadian equivalent of Sumerian KUR2.RA
n05. NammaššûAkkadian equivalent of Sumerian NU.MUŠ.DA
n06. dNANNA
n07. NarkabtuAkkadian parallel to mul gišGIGIR, "Chariot"
n08. Naṣrapu
n09. NattulluAkkadian parallel to (Kurtik sh20) ŠUDUN.ANŠE
n10. Nattullu arkītiAkkadian parallel to (Kurtik sh21) ŠUDUN.ANŠE EGIR-ti       
n11. NE
n12. NE.GAR
n13. NE.GI.IZI.GAR
n14. NE.NE.GAR
n15. Nēberu
n16. Nebû
n17. NēltuAkkadian parallel to UR.NIG
n18. dNergal
n19. NēšuAkkadian parallel to UR.MAḪ
n20. ne2-bu-u2 ša2 GABA-šu2
n21. ne2-bu-u2 ša2 mulŠU.GI  
n22. NI2.ZU
n23. NIM.MA(ki)
n24. NimruAkkadian parallel to UD.KA.DU8.A
n25. dNIN.A.ZU
n26. dNIN.AN.NA
gišNÍNDA= ittû “seed-funnel”: see mulAPIN (MUL.APIN I i 2).
n27. dNIN.GIR2.SU
n28. dNIN.GIR3
n29. dNIN.GIŠ.ZI.DA
n30. NIN.GIRIM3
NingublagaBull god, considered as a son of the moon god Nanna/Sîn. dNingublaga (EN 7–8r).
n31. NIN.GUL.TI
n32. NIN.KA.SI
n33. NIN.KILIM
n34. NIN.LIL2
n35. NIN.MAḪ
n36. dNIN.MUL
n37. dNIN.MUL.NUN.DA
n38. dNIN.MUL.SI4.A
n39. dNIN.PA.MUL.E.SI
n40. NIN.SAR
n41. NIN.SI4
n42. NIN.SI4.AN.NA
n43. dNIN.URTA
n44. dNiraḫ
n45. Nīru
n46. NITA.A.ŠE3
n47. NU.KUŠ2.U3
n48. NU.ME.A
n49. NU.MUŠ.DA
n50. NUNki
n51. NUN.DIM4
n52. NUN.ME
n53. dNUN.SAR.A
n54. Nūnu
n55. dNusku
p01. PAsee p03. dPA.BIL.SAG
PAN
p02. PA.BILsee p03. dPA.BIL.SAG
p03. dPA.BIL.SAG
p04. Pagrusee a06. AD6
p05. dPAP.SUKKAL
p06. Peṣû
p07. Puššanītu

Page 5 (q01. Qaštu to u06. UD.KA.DU8.A)

cuneiformKurtik's termEnglishour note
q01. QaštuBowmerged into mulPAN as it occurs only in lexical lists
r01. RabûAkkadian parallel to GU.LA
r02. RapaštuAkkadian parallel to GIŠ.KUN
r03. Rappu
RIN2
r04. RI.ŠI.BE
r05. RittuAkkadian parallel to mulKIŠIB
s01. lu2SA.GAZ
s02. SA.RI
s03. SA4
s04. SA5
s05. SAG.DU
s06. SAG.DU mulUR.GU.LA? to UR.GU.LA
s07. SAG.DU3.A?
s08. dSAG.KUD
s09. SAG.ME.GARvar.: SAĜ.ME.ĜAR
s10. SAG.UŠ
s11. SAL.A.ŠE3
s12. SAL.ARḪUŠ.ŠA3.GA
s13. SAR.A
s14. SAR.U5
s15. SarruAkkadian parallel to LUL.LA
Sebettu“The Seven”, heptad of warlike gods, sometimes associated with the netherworld. d7.BI (AN 5r).
s16. dSI.MU2.A
SI= qarnu. “horn”: see mulGÍR.TAB.
s17. SI4
s18. SIG7
s19. SIM.MAḪ
s20. dSîn
s21. SIPA
s22. SIPA.ZI.AN.NA
Sissinnu
s23. SUḪUR
s24. SUḪUR.MAŠ2 ku6
s25. SuḫurmāšuAkkadian parallel to SUḪUR.MAŠ2 ku6
ts01. Ṣalabbreviationmerged into Ṣalbatānu
ts02. ṢalbatānuMars
ts03. Ṣallummu
ts04. ṢāriruAkkadian parallel to AN.TA.ŠU.UR.RA
ts05. Ṣarru
ts06. Ṣurru
sh01. ŠA3.TUR3.RA.ŠE3
sh02. ŠAḪ
ŠalaGoddess, wife of the storm god Iškur/Adad, associated with rain. dŠa-la šubu-ul-tu4 (MUL.APIN I ii 10, AN 15r).
sh03. dŠamaš
sh04. Šanûmma
sh05. ŠAR2.GAZ
sh06. ŠAR2.UR4
sh07. ŠēlebuAkkadian parallel to KA5.A
sh08. Šību
sh09. Šiḫtu
sh10. šil PA
sh11. Šiltāḫu
sh12. dŠimut
sh13. Šinūnūtusee s19. SIM.MAḪ
sh14. Šitadallusee s22. SIPA.ZI.AN.NA
sh15. ŠU
šubtu“seat”, “throne”. šu-bat dA-num (MUL.APIN I i 7, EN 9r). šu-bat dÉ-a (MUL.APIN I i 40, EA 1r).
šubultu(m)“ear (of grain)”: see Šala
sh16. ŠU.GI
sh17. ŠU.PA
sh18. ŠUDUN
sh19. ŠUDUN ša2 A.AB.BA
sh20. ŠUDUN.ANŠE       
sh21. ŠUDUN.ANŠE EGIR-ti       
sh22. ŠUDUN.IM.U18.LU
sh23. Šukūdu
sh24. dŠUL.GI
sh25. ŠUL.PA.E3
sh26. Šullat
t01. Tak-ša2-a-ti / tu2
... TE8mušen
t02. dTI.MU2.A
t03. Tikpu
t04. Tinūru
t05. TIR.AN.NA
TišpakChthonic deity, associated with a dragon, city god of Ešnunna, rarely attested in the 1st mill. The sign MÚŠ used for Tišpak is very similar to the sign MÙŠ for Inanna. In MUL.APIN, dMÚŠ is most probably to be emended to dINANNA! since the preceding mulBAL.TÉŠ.A is explained as the goddess Nanaya in 5R 46: 10, and since Nanaya, a hypostasis of Inanna in Uruk, is much more likely to be a vizier of Inanna than a vizier of Tišpak. dMÚŠ (MUL.APIN I i 14).
t06. dTU.TU
gišTUKUL= kakku “weapon”: see Mār-bīti(m).
t07. Tūʼamū
t08. Tūʼamū GAL.MEŠ Ereš-ki-gal
t09. Tūltu
t10. TUR3
u01. U.RI.RI
u02. U4.ZAL.LE
u03. U5.RI2.IN
u04. U8= laḫru “ewe”. mulU8 (EN 18r).
u05. UD.AL.TAR
u06. UD.KA.DU8.Avar. read.: mulU4.KA.DU8.A

Page 6 (u07. UDU.IDIM to z12. Zuqaqīpu)

cuneiformKurtik's termEnglishour note
u07. UDU.IDIM
u08. UDU.IDIM.GU4.UD
u09. UDU.IDIM.SAG.UŠ
u10. UDU.NITA2
u11. UGAmušen
u12. UL
u13. UMBIN
u14. ummulūtu
u15. unnutu
u16. URsee UR.GU.LA
u17. UR.AUR.A is an abbreviation of (Kurtik u20) UR.GU.LA in the constellation of Leo, The Lion. see also: (Kurtik u22) UR.MAḪ.
u18. UR.BAR.RA
u19. UR.GI7
u20. UR.GU.LA
u21. UR.IDIM
u22. UR.MAḪ
u23. UR.NIG
UR.KUnow read UR.GI7
u24. UR2.KUN
u25. Ur(i)dimmusee UR.IDIM
u26. Ur-um AN.NA
u27. dUSAN2.PA.SIKIL
u28. Uṣurtu
u29. UŠ12.ZU
u30. dUTU
u31. UZ3
z01. dZA.BA4.BA4
z02. ZAG.GAR
z03. Zappu
z04. dZa(r)pānītu /

Zerpānītu

z05. Zarû
z06. ZI
z07. ZI.BA.AN.NA
z08. ZIBme
z09. dZIB2
z10. Zibānītum
z11. Ziqpu
z12. Zuqaqīpu
source: https://xing.fmi.uni-jena.de/mediawiki/index.php/Mesopotamian_(All_Terms)