nisḫu

Akkadian · noun

variant nis-ḫu : nisḫu

Edited by: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Last edited: 2024-03-22

Meanings

1. subtraction

Literal translation

subtraction

1. subtraction

1.a subtraction mathematical quantity, arithmetical quantity, subtractive quantity

(1) 1 ḪUN mi-⸢nu-u₂⸣ ki al 12 ḪUN LA₂-u₂ 11 LA₂ (2) 11 A.RA₂ 30 5.30 5.30 TA 45 (3) ZI ša₂ ḪUN ZI-ma 39.30

‘(1) 1 Aries: whatever it is less than 12 Aries, it is less by 11. (2) 11 times (0);30 is 5;30. You subtract (‘tear out’) 5;30 from 45, (3) the subtraction for Aries, it is 39;30.’

— BM 36722 (BMAPT No. 52) Rev. i 1-3

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

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

(31) ma-la ina 18-ka kun-nu u ṭe-pi KI-šu₂ la ṭe-pu-u₂ u₃ nis-ḫu TA ŠA₃ ZI-ma al-la ITI (32) ša₂ UGU-šu₂ LA₂-u₂ ana kun-nu E

‘(31) Whatever (month) in your (year) 18 (preceding it) is full, and to which there is no addition added, and a subtraction is subtracted from it, and which is (32) less than the month preceding it, you declare it as full.’

— AO 6455 (TU 11) obv. 31-32

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text Provenance: Uruk Date: ca. 200 BCE

Brack-Bernsen, Lis, and Hunger, Hermann. 2002. TU 11. A Collection of Rules for the Prediction of Lunar Phases and of Month Lengths. SCIAMVS 3: 3–90.

Cite this entry

APA (7th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). ZI (Lemma #212). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/212/

Chicago (Author-Date)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). ZI (Lemma #212). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/212/

MLA (9th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). ZI (Lemma #212). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/212/

Harvard

Ossendrijver, M. (2024) ZI (Lemma #212), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/212/ (Accessed: July 4, 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{zodiac212,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-07-04]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2024},
	title = {ZI ({Lemma} #212)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/212/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/212/},
}