maṭû

LA₂

Akkadian · verb

variant ma-ṭu-u₂ : maṭû

Edited by: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Last edited: 2024-07-15

Meanings

Literal translation

to be lacking

1. to decrease

1.a to decrease mathematical expression

in mathematical astronomy, said of number sequences

(6) [ana tar-ṣi] (7) 1.58.31.6.40 LA₂-u₂ 4.46.42.⸢57⸣.46.40 GAR-an ša₂ al-la 1.58.31.⸢6⸣.[40] (8) LA₂-u₂ LA₂-u₂ EN 1.58.13.20 ma-ṭu-u₂ A.RA₂ 8.20 DU KI 4.46.42.57.4⸢6.40⸣ ( 9) TAB-ma GAR-an

‘(6) [Opposite] (7) 1,58;31,6,40, decreasing, you put 4,46;42,57,46,40. Whatever (the amount) by which it is less than 1,58;31,6, [40], (8) decreasing, until 1,58;13,20, decreasing, you multiply by 8;20, add with 4,46;42,57,46,40, and (9) put down.’

— BM 32167+ (BMAPT No. 53) rev. i 6-9

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text Provenance: Babylon Date: ca. 350-250 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer.

2. to be less

2.a to be less mathematical expression

n mathematical astronomy, used in comparisons

(6) [ana tar-ṣi] (7) 1.58.31.6.40 LA₂-u₂ 4.46.42.⸢57⸣.46.40 GAR-an ša₂ al-la 1.58.31.⸢6⸣.[40] (8) LA₂-u₂ LA₂-u₂ EN 1.58.13.20 ma-ṭu-u₂ A.RA₂ 8.20 DU KI 4.46.42.57.4⸢6.40⸣ ( 9) TAB-ma GAR-an

‘(6) [Opposite] (7) 1,58;31,6,40, decreasing, you put 4,46;42,57,46,40. Whatever (the amount) by which it is less than 1,58;31,6, [40], (8) decreasing, until 1,58;13,20, decreasing, you multiply by 8;20, add with 4,46;42,57,46,40, and (9) put down.’

— BM 32167+ (BMAPT No. 53) rev. i 6-9

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text Provenance: Babylon Date: ca. 350-250 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer.

3. to be subtractive

3.a to be subtractive mathematical expression

in mathematical astronomy

(16') 1.59.9.15.33.20 LA₂ 12.⸢4⸣8.53.20 LA₂ A.RA₂ 11

‘(16') 1,59;9,15,33,20, decreasing, 12;48,53,20, subtractive, times 11.’

— BM 35564+ (BMAPT No. 79) obv. ii' 16'

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text Provenance: Babylon Date: ca. 350-50 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer 458

4. to be lacking

4.a to be lacking mathematical expression, mathematical operation, arithmetical operation, subtractive operation

Cite this entry

APA (7th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). LA₂ (Lemma #1308). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1308/

Chicago (Author-Date)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). LA₂ (Lemma #1308). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1308/

MLA (9th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). LA₂ (Lemma #1308). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1308/

Harvard

Ossendrijver, M. (2024) LA₂ (Lemma #1308), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1308/ (Accessed: July 4, 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{zodiac1308,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-07-04]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2024},
	title = {LA₂ ({Lemma} #1308)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1308/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1308/},
}