Etymograph

English

Nineveh

Nineveh comes from Old English Niniuea, and goes back to Ancient Greek Νινευή.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΝινευή
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CENīnevē
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150Niniuea
  4. EnglishtodayNineveh

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΝινευή
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CENīnevē
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150Niniuea
  4. EnglishtodayNineveh

The story

From Old English Niniuea (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”).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. 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.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain. The traditional folk etymology in classical antiquity derived it from an eponymous founder Ninus (Greek: Νίνος (Nínos)).folk etymology The source marks this as unproven or a folk etymology. Quoted, not asserted.

Every English word from Ancient Greek Νινευή

Today it means

name The capital of ancient Assyria, now Mosul, Iraq.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek Νινευή / Nineveh

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