Nineveh (English)

Where does "Nineveh" come from?

The name 'Nineveh' originates from the ancient Akkadian city name 'Ninua' or 'Ninuwā'[1][3]. This term likely derived from the Akkadian word 'ninâ', meaning 'fish'[1]. The name traveled through Ancient Greek as 'Nineuḗ'[1][2] and Latin as 'Nīnevē'[1][3] before entering Old English as 'Niniuea'[1][3]. While it was later influenced by the Biblical Hebrew form 'nīnəwē'[1], classical tradition also falsely linked the city to a mythical founder named 'Nínos'[1].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin of the name 'Ninua' remains uncertain despite its likely connection to the Akkadian word for fish. [1]
• It is unclear whether the reference to fish in the cuneiform name 'Ninua' originally denoted literal fish or a religious association with the goddess Ishtar or a Hurrian deity. [1]

Full etymology tree

• Nineveh (English), 'The capital of ancient Assyria, now Mosul, Iraq.'
  • inherited Niniuea (Old English), 'Ninevah'
    • influence נִינְוֵה (nīnəwē) (Biblical Hebrew)
    • inherited Nineve (Latin), 'Nineveh (an ancient city in Assyria)'
      • inherited Νινευή (Nineuḗ) (Ancient Greek)
        • inherited 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 (Ninua) (Akkadian)

Ancestors

• Niniuea (Old English)
• Nineve (Latin)

Sources

1. Nineveh (English) - Wiktionary
2. Nineve (Latin) - Wiktionary
3. Niniuea (Old English) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris