Akkadian

or Ac·ca·di·an

[ uh-key-dee-uhn, uh-kah- ]

/ əˈkeɪ di ən, əˈkɑ- /

Save This Word!

noun

the eastern Semitic language, now extinct, of Assyria and Babylonia, written with a cuneiform script.

one of the Akkadian people.

Obsolete. Sumerian.

adjective

of or belonging to Akkad.

of or relating to the eastern Semitic language called Akkadian.

Obsolete. Sumerian.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Akkadian

First recorded in1850–55; Akkad + -ian

Words nearby Akkadian

akinetic mutism, Akins, akiraho, Akita, Akkad, Akkadian, Akkerman, Akmola, Akmolinsk, Akola, akrasia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Akkadian in a sentence

We have already fleetingly mentioned the influence of both the Old Akkadian language and culture on the Sumerians.
Who Were The Ancient Sumerians? History of the ‘First’ Mesopotamians|Dattatreya Mandal|September 15, 2022|Realm of History
There is no doubt that these read (like the early Akkadian texts) in lines with syllables arranged in columns.
Palestine|Claude Reignier Conder
The phonetic writing is, therefore, a warning against any endeavor to read the name by an Akkadian transliteration of the signs.
An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic|Anonymous
Mr. G. Bertin, the Akkadian scholar, favours the same conclusion.
Palestine|Claude Reignier Conder

A god called Uz has for his name the Akkadian word for goat.
Myths & Legends of Babylonia & Assyria|Lewis Spence
By these it is shown to be clearly a Mongol language, closely related with the Akkadian, though somewhat later.
The American Journal of Archaeology, 1893-1|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Akkadian

Akkadian

Accadian

/ (əˈkædɪən, əˈkeɪ-) /

noun

a member of an ancient Semitic people who lived in central Mesopotamia in the third millennium bc

the extinct language of this people, belonging to the E Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family

adjective

of or relating to this people or their language

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012