nindanu

NINDA

Akkadian · noun

Edited by: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Last edited: 2024-11-03

Meanings

1. arc minute

2. nindanu

Literal translation

rod

1. arc minute

1.a arc minute unit of celestial position

1 nindanu = 1/60 UŠ

TA UŠ IGI 30 NINDA ZI-šu₂

‘From the first appearance its displacement is (0;)30 nindanu.’

— BM 41043 obv. 8

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text Provenance: Babylon Date: ca. 300-50 BCE

M. Ossendrijver, 2017, New results on a Babylonian scheme for Jupiter's motion along the zodiac, Journal of Near Eastern Studies 76, 231–247 236

2. nindanu

2.a nindanu unit of time

1 nindanu = 1/60 UŠ

(2) 8 UŠ 20 NINDA ar₂ 2 MUL₂.ME ša₂ SAG A KI.MIN ḪA.LA reš-tu₂ ša₂ MUL₂.GIR₂.TAB MUL₂.GIR₂.TAB š[a₂ MUL₂.GIR₂.TAB ITU.APIN KUR ina ITU.APIN ina še-rim UD.28.KAM] (3) MUL₂.UR.IDIM meš-ḫa im-šuḫ ZI

‘8 UŠ 20 NINDA behind the 2 Stars of the Head of the Lion ditto (at) the first portion of Scorpio, Scorpio o[f Scorpio, (which corresponds to) Month VIII, rises. In Month VIII, in the morning (which corresponds to) the 28th day,] the Wolf (star) "mešḫa imšuḫ", moves.’

— A 3427 obv. 2-3

Genre: astronomical treatise: microzodiac rising time scheme Provenance: Uruk Date: ca. 220-140 BCE

Steele, J. 2017, Rising Time Schemes in Babylonian Astronomy. Springer 61-69

2.b nindanu unit of length

1 nindanu = 1/60 UŠ

[...] ut his respondeamus, qui totam vim matheseos multiplici orationum genere labefactere conantur [...]

‘[...] to answer those writers who are trying to destroy the whole theory of astrology by many different kinds of arguments’

— Firmicus Maternus, Mathesis 1.1.1

Genre: astrological compendium Provenance: Sicily Date: ca. 334 CE

Firmicus Maternus. 1897. Ivlii Firmici Materni Matheseos Libri VIII, ed. W. Kroll, F. Skutsch. Stuttgart: B. G. Teubner. 1.4

Cite this entry

APA (7th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). NINDA (Lemma #160). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/160/

Chicago (Author-Date)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). NINDA (Lemma #160). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/160/

MLA (9th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). NINDA (Lemma #160). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/160/

Harvard

Ossendrijver, M. (2024) NINDA (Lemma #160), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/160/ (Accessed: July 4, 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{zodiac160,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-07-04]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2024},
	title = {NINDA ({Lemma} #160)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/160/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/160/},
}