Nov.5] PROCEEDINGS. [1889.see,""inspect,""observe,""to cause to be seen," "display";and
shi, "to show,"makeknownthe will of heaven," "toproclaim,""a
revelation," " prognostic," " sign," etc (cp. ^|- shi (?), " eye,"
"eye-witness"), shi, "toteach,"and shi, "to learn." We have
alreadyfoundwordsansweringto Accadian zi, " life," etc.,under
thesame head. Thecommon Chineseterm for "to know," "to
perceive"(also"to tell," "inform")is chi (old sounds,tai dai, ti),
pronouncedin Swatow as ti, but at Shanghai as tsz'. Thisimplies
a dialectic Accadiantermrelatedto zu, as dug to zib. Now we
actuallyhave dug, "tospeak," answeringto chi, "totell." The
termab-zu, olderformzu-ab, Assyrianizedas apsu, andmeaning
" ocean," is probably not " house of wisdom," but " house of water,"
Chineseshui" water" (old sound,zhui); cp. shun, ch'un,(oldsounds,
zhon, shon, don, zhun, dun),"tocleanse," "wash," "sprinkle";
Accadianshun,"towash";fshwan,old sound, shon,"to wash,"
"rinse";shwan,"to scour andwashout";and SeS,"to purify."
Sukkal, "highservant," "messenger,"maybecomparedwith shi,
" to command," " to send," " service" ; shi, " following," as an
attendant(old sound,shik). Kalis " exalted," " mighty," Chinese
kao,"high."
The sign t^tf, which is the ideogram for " fire," has the
valuesnc, de, pi, pi/, hum, zah,izi, gibil. Of these izi is elsewhere
definedby isatu, " fire," andpentu, " fire of charcoal " ; cp. shan
(oldsounds,shin,shim,zhim)" a brazier " ; shao " to burn," " ignite,"
"light," "to roast" (= shal = zal = namaru, "to be bright");
shan, " to make a blaze," " a blaze " (old sounds, shen, zhen);
shan,"glittering,""flashing,";shan, "toblow a fire and makeit
burn brighter," "to blaze up," "bright," "clear"; shang, "the
brightnessof the sun," " light" (old sounds,shing,zhing); shang,
"wise, holy,sacred" = shig, damqu,nummuru, "bright," "pure,"
" holy," " to make bright" (<f-J) ; sho (old sound,shak)" bright,"
"to shine," to " embellish " (shig = munammir) ; sho, "tomelt a
metal" (cp. dug-dugga-bi = muballilsunu, "their melter"); shun
(zhon,shon,don,zhun,dun)," bright, fiery,"" blazing," " the colour
- Like a-aba," water-house," anotherAccadiandesignationof the ocean.
Aba,"grandfather,""oldman" is identical withold Chinese ba (modern fit),
and ama, " mother," withold Chinese ma (modern mu). Theold sounds of the
Chineseare givenhereand everywhere on the authority of Dr Edkins.
t The Chinese shungis "to rushon,"in battle; cp. Accadian shun,
" to fight."
27