qanûm

Akkadian

Root
q-n-'
1 term

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /qaˈnuːm/

Etymology 1

Noun

qanûm m (base qana or qanu, plural qanû m or qanâtum f) (from Old Assyrian/Old Babylonian on)

(botany) reed, cane
(weaponry) arrow
(music) pipe
(tool) measuring reed
a unit of length equal to 6 cubits

Alternative forms

qanû (non-mimated)
qanu'u

Cuneiform spellings
Logograms	Phonetic
𒄀 (GI) (plural) 𒄀𒄭𒀀 (GI.ḪI.A)	𒂵𒉡𒌑𒌝 (qa₂-nu-u₂-um) 𒂵𒉡𒌑 (qa₂-nu-u₂) 𒋡𒉡𒌑 (qa-nu-u₂) 𒂵𒉡𒌋 (qa₂-nu-u) (state construct) 𒋡𒀭 (qa-an)

Related terms

qan ṭuppim (“stylus”)

Descendants

→ Eblaite: 𒄀 (qanuwum, qanûm)
→ Aramaic: קַנְיָא / ܩܢܝܐ (qanyā)
- → Arabic: قَنَاة (qanāh)
→ Ethiopian:
- Ge'ez: ኵናት (kʷənat), ኲናት (kʷinat)
- Tigre: ኮናት (konat)
- Tigrinya: ኵናት (kʷənat)
→ Ancient Greek: κᾰ́ννᾱ (kắnnā), κᾰ́ννη (kắnnē) — Ionic
- Greek: κάννη (kánni)
- → Latin: canna (see there for further descendants)
  - ⇒ Latin: *cannālis, canālis (see there for further descendants)
→ Mycenaean Greek: 𐀒𐀜𐀛𐀠 (ko-no-ni-pi /⁠konōni-pʰi⁠/)
→ Hebrew: קָנֶה (qɔnɛ́, “stem, reed, cane”)
- → English: kaneh
→ Phoenician: *𐤒𐤍𐤀 (*qnʾ /⁠qanā⁠/)
- Punic: 𐤒𐤍𐤀 (qnʾ /⁠qanā⁠/)
  - → Proto-Berber:
    - Kabyle: aɣanim (“reed”)
    - Tashelhit: aɣanim (“reed”)
    - Tarifit: ɣanim (“reed”)
→ Ugaritic: 𐎖𐎐 (qn /⁠qanû⁠/, “cane; arrow”)

References

“qanû”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[1], Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
Black, Jeremy; George, Andrew; Postgate, Nicholas (2000), “qanû”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, via the electronic Babylonian Library

Etymology 2

Verb

qanûm (G, i, durative iqanni, perfect iqtani, preterite iqni, imperative qini) or qanûm (G, u, durative iqannu, perfect iqtanu, preterite iqnu, imperative qunu) (Old Assyrian, Old Babylonian, Mari, Middle Babylonian, Neo-Assyrian)

to keep possession of
(Neo-Assyrian) to acquire, buy

Usage notes

Forms with theme vowel "i" appear in Old Babylonian, those with "u" in Neo-Assyrian.

Alternative forms

qanû (non-mimated)
qanā'u

References

“qanû”, in The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD)‎^[2], Chicago: University of Chicago Oriental Institute, 1956–2011
Black, Jeremy; George, Andrew; Postgate, Nicholas (2000), “qanû”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, via the electronic Babylonian Library