Even plants had a heart in Sumer

Sumerian people believed that humans, animals and plants were living things and as such they deserved to be treated equally. Hence they invented the notion that plants must have a heart too.

From Akkadian derived Sumerian:

gakkul [EYEBALL] (1x: Old Babylonian) wr. gakkul "eyeball" Akk. kakkultu

[1]

gakkul

Then Sumerian used the same Akkadian cognate to create:

gakkul [MASH-TUB] (23x: Old Babylonian) wr. ^gigakkul; gakkul₂; gakkul₃ "mash-tub" Akk. kakkullu; namzītu

[1]		^gigakkul
[2]		gakkul2
[3]		gakkul3

And because the heart is round like an eyeball they also named the heart of a plant with the cognate for the eye:

gakkul [HEART] (4x: Old Babylonian) wr. gakkul; gakkul₃; gakkul₃^sar "heart (of a plant)"

[1]		gakkul
[2]		gakkul3
[3]		gakkul3^sa

When it comes to technical language the author of Sumerian is not afraid of similarities between Sumerian and Akkadian but when it comes to human body parts he is very careful to play with the rebus game but not with the normal rebus but with partial phonetic representation:

lib [HEART] (3x: ED IIIa) wr. lib "inner body; heart" Akk. libbu

[1]

lib

Sumerian ideogram

LUL

ka₅

ka'a [FOX].

kušum₂

kušum [HEIGHT].

lib

lib [DAZED].

lib [HEART].

lu₅

(see full listing)

lub

(see full listing)

lug_x(LUL)

lug [DWELL].

lul (lulu)

lul [FALSE].

nar (nari)

nar [MUSICIAN].

pah (bah₃)

pah [LEG].

sulug

zalag [SHINE].

šatam

šatam [OFFICIAL].

še₁₁

sed [COLD].

Akkadian:

Also: buh, dunga₂, duga_x(LUL), ilumer₃, lab₂, lep, libi, lip, lup, pan₂, pih, puh, sar₇, šattam, šaţam, zulug.

We can see the phonetic transformations of the ideogram from the largest phonetic value to the smallest:

Sumerian:

dunga₂, duga_x < ka₅ > kušum₂ < šatam/ šattam / še₁₁ > sulug, zulug < lug_x(LUL) / lul (lulu) > lib, lab₂, lep, libi, lup > lu₅ > lub > pah (bah₃), buh, pih, puh > pan₂, > nar (nari) > ilumer₃, sar₇

Hence the ideogram lib also represents phonetically še_{11 and} bah₃

lipiš [INNARDS] (40x: ED IIIb, Old Babylonian) wr. lipiš; lipiš_x(|AB₂.ŠA₃|) "inner body; heart; anger, rage" Akk. libbu; uzzu; şurru

[1]		lipiš (|AB2.ŠA3|)
[2]		lipišx (|AB2.ŠA3|)

Then Sumerian women's language Eme.sal uses the metathesis of lipiš_x(|AB₂.ŠA₃|) to produce another cognate:

šag [HEART] (10808x: ED IIIa, ED IIIb, Old Akkadian, Lagash II, Ur III, Early Old Babylonian, Old Babylonian, uncertain, unknown) wr. šag₄; ša; ša₃-ab "inner body; heart; in, inside" Akk. libbu

See šag bala[ponder], šag bala[procreate], šag dab[angry], šag dab[think], šag dar[heartbroken], šag de[decide], šag dug[cheerful], šag gur[feel wonderful], šag huĝ[soothe], šag hul[happy], šag kušu[soothe], šag sag[afflicted], šag sag[feel better], šag sig[plot], šag sur[have diarrhea], šag šed[soothe], zi šag ĝal[provide with life].

[1]		šag4 (ša3)
[2]		ša
[3]		ša3-ab (ES)

Clearly Sumerian ša₃-ab (ES) is the metathesis of lipiš_x(|AB₂.ŠA₃|).

From there derived Sumerian šag₄ (ša₃) / ša all these cognates are abbreviated forms or partial representations of Sumerian ša₃-ab / AB₂.ŠA₃

For that reason šag₄ represents as a partial allophone of an intermediary Eme.sal cognate of Akkadian libbu.

This is another proof that there were three layers of the ancient language and it started from the bottom up Akkadian (language of the people, the vulgar language) > Eme.sal (language of women) > Eme.ĝir₁₅ (the language of men, priests, lords, gods).

Sumerian is a phonetic representation of Akkadian and vice versa: Sumerian ideogram LIB also represents phonetically ŠE_{11 and} BAH₃ which equals lipiš_x(|AB₂.ŠA₃|) ŠA₃-AB / AB₂.ŠA₃

where they behave as partial allophones. It is obvious that Sumerian is a parallel language to Akkadian.

Sumerian can shed light to the development of the word heart among Semitic languages:

Proto-Semitic: *libb-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: heart

Akkadian: libbu OA on [CAD l 164], [AHw 549]

Eblaitic: li-bù /libbu(m)/ [Kr 22; Bl E No. 65]

Ugaritic: lb [DLU 240]

Phoenician: lb [T 155]

Hebrew: lēb [KB 513], lēbāb [ibid. 515]

Aramaic: OFF lb [HJ 561]

Biblical Aramaic: *lēb (with suff. libb-), *lǝbab (with suff. libǝb-) [KB deutsch 1730]

Judaic Aramaic: libbā, lǝbābā, libǝbā (also 'bosom, thought, mind' [Ja 686]); lb, det. läbbā, lybh, pl. lbbyn [Sok 273]

Syrian Aramaic: lebbā [Brock 354]

Modern Aramaic: MAL leppa 'Herz' (suff. lippi) [Berg 52] TUR lēbo 'Heart' [R Ṭūrōyō 116] HRT lebba 'Herz' [J Hert 192] NASS libä 'Heart' [Tser 0116] URM libbǝ 'Heart' [R Urmi 100] ZAKH lǝbba (lübba) 'heart' [R Zakho 108] MMND leb, emph. lebba 'heart' [M MND 505] GZR líbba [Nak 78] AZR libba 'heart' [Garb 317] IRAN *libbā 'il cuore, la mente, lo stomaco' (c. suff. libbú etc.) [Pen 97]

Mandaic Aramaic: liba, lub, lbab (abs., constr.) 'pulp, core, heart, mind' [DM 232, 234]

Arabic: lubb- 'coeur, milieu, noyau, graine' [BK 2 955] (-u- <*-i- before -b?)

Modern Arabic: SYR libbe

Epigraphic South Arabian: SAB lb 'heart' [SD 81]; lbb 'palm-heart' [ibid.]; MIN lb [LM 56]

Geʕez (Ethiopian): lǝbb (also 'mind') [LGz 304]

Tigre: lǝbb [LH 39]

Tigrai (Tigriñña): lǝbbi [Bass 22]

Amharic: lǝbb (also 'belly') [K 71]

Gurage: MUH SOD GOG lǝbb [LGur 373]

Mehri: ḥǝ-wbēb [JM 250]

Jibbali: ubbǝ́tǝ, ɛbbǝ́tǝ [JJ 159] (<*lVbb-ǝt)

Harsusi: ḥe-lbēb [JH 82]

Soqotri: ʔílbib [LS 61], [SSL LS 1465].

    According to Leslau, "le ʔ initial est un ʔ prosthétique" [ibid.]; rather a prefix (ʔi- < *ʔa- influenced by -i- of the second syllable?). Note that lbib 'conscience' [LS 228] is likely an Arabism

Notes: Note another form, *libab-, to be reconstructed as common SEM from HBR (where lēbāb was explained by Kuriɫowicz as a historically broken plural in -a- from lēb [Kuriɫowicz 179]), ARM and MSA (probably *libib).

    [Fron 47] (*libb- 'cuore' /GEZ,ARB,SYR,HBR,UGR,AKK); [Holma 69]: AKK, ARB, HBR, SYR, GEZ; [KB 513]: HBR, UGR, PHO, ARM, ARB, ESA, GEZ, TGR, AKK; [DLU 240]: UGR, HBR, PHO, ARM, AKK, ARB, ESA, GEZ; [Brock 354]: SYR, ARM, HBR, ARB, AKK, GEZ; [LGz 304]: GEZ, ETH, ARB, ESA, SOQ, HBR, ARM, UGR, AKK; [LS 61]: SOQ, JIB, HBR, ARM, AKK, GEZ, ARB, ESA

We can see that

Mehri: ḥǝ-wbēb [JM 250]

Jibbali: ubbǝ́tǝ, ɛbbǝ́tǝ [JJ 159] (<*lVbb-ǝt)

Harsusi: ḥe-lbēb [JH 82]

Soqotri: ʔílbib [LS 61], [SSL LS 1465].

are all derivatives of Semitic ḥe-[the, this] lib-lib [duplication of heart]

But I am deeply disappointed with linguists who have not told us the truth. Sumerian also uses this duplicated Semitic form:

ĝiš-rin₂ [scales] lib-lib-bi [of the heart]

(OB Nippur Ura 1 437)

The real origin of the cognate heart in Sumerian:

libi [HICCUP] (1x: Old Babylonian) wr. al-li-bi "to hiccup"

[1]

al-li-bi

1 distinct form attested; click to view forms table.

1. to hiccup (1x/100%)

~ LEX/Old Babylonian/unknown šag₄ al-li-bi = i-sa₃-u₂ OB List of Diseases 175.

The origin of the word heart in Sumerian is the most spectacular cheat of all Sumerian ideograms. But without the help of other Semitic languages it is impossible to detect the trick.

Look it for yourself how easy it is now:

Proto-Semitic: *ŝ₁hḳ {} *ŝhḳ

Meaning: to hiccup

Hebrew: šhḳ (pi.) [BY 6926] (Hapax in Abot de-r. Nathan)

Arabic: šhḳ (a, i) 'râler; sangloter (se dit d'un mourant); avoir le hoquet' [BK 1 1282]

Mehri: šwēheḳ [JH 124], šwēhǝḳ [JM 540, Engl-Mehri], šǝwhǝḳáwt 'hiccup' (n.).

    Cf. also what looks a series of misspellings: ŝǝwēkǝḳ [JM 424] (ŝ- instead of š-, -k- instead of -h-?), ŝǝmhǝḳáwt [JM 540, Engl-Mehri] (ŝ- instead of š-, -m- instead of -w-?), pl. šɔ́hɔ́ḥɔ́t [ibid.] (-ḥ- instead of -ḳ-? three accent marks also looking strange). Note that Johnstone unconvincingly placed this root under whḳ

Jibbali: s̃éhǝḳ [JJ 266]; cf. also ŝhḳ 'to have whooping cough' [JJ 249]; (EAST) šehǝḳ 'to have hiccups' [JM 424]

Harsusi: šeháwḳ (yǝšhōḳ) [JH 124]

Notes: Cf. forms without -h- (related to each other and the present root?) in ARM: SYR sāḳ 'spiravit, aspiravit; olfecit; clamavit (asinus), etc.' [Brock 465], MND SUḲ 'to inhale, snuff up' [DM 323]; and ETH: TGR siḳ belä 'to sputter through the teeth' [LH 181] (other ETH examples are likely from *ṣiḳ, with *s- > ṣ- by assimilation to -ḳ: TNA ṣiḳ bälä, č̣ǝk_̣ bälä, AMH ṭiḳḳ alä, ṣiḳḳ alä, EAST: ZWY ṭīḳ-ǝm bālä 'to spit in spurt' [LGur 627], GUR: END ṭiḳḳ barä do. [ibid.])

It is an onomatopoeic word in Semitic. It was considered a disease of the heart. Look again:

Proto-Semitic: *libb-

Afroasiatic etymology: Afroasiatic etymology

Meaning: heart

Akkadian: libbu OA on [CAD l 164], [AHw 549]

Eblaitic: li-bù /libbu(m)/ [Kr 22; Bl E No. 65]

Ugaritic: lb [DLU 240]

Phoenician: lb [T 155]

Hebrew: lēb [KB 513], lēbāb [ibid. 515]

Aramaic: OFF lb [HJ 561]

Biblical Aramaic: *lēb (with suff. libb-), *lǝbab (with suff. libǝb-) [KB deutsch 1730]

Judaic Aramaic: libbā, lǝbābā, libǝbā (also 'bosom, thought, mind' [Ja 686]); lb, det. läbbā, lybh, pl. lbbyn [Sok 273]

Syrian Aramaic: lebbā [Brock 354]

Modern Aramaic: MAL leppa 'Herz' (suff. lippi) [Berg 52] TUR lēbo 'Heart' [R Ṭūrōyō 116] HRT lebba 'Herz' [J Hert 192] NASS libä 'Heart' [Tser 0116] URM libbǝ 'Heart' [R Urmi 100] ZAKH lǝbba (lübba) 'heart' [R Zakho 108] MMND leb, emph. lebba 'heart' [M MND 505] GZR líbba [Nak 78] AZR libba 'heart' [Garb 317] IRAN *libbā 'il cuore, la mente, lo stomaco' (c. suff. libbú etc.) [Pen 97]

Mandaic Aramaic: liba, lub, lbab (abs., constr.) 'pulp, core, heart, mind' [DM 232, 234]

Arabic: lubb- 'coeur, milieu, noyau, graine' [BK 2 955] (-u- <*-i- before -b?)

Modern Arabic: SYR libbe

Epigraphic South Arabian: SAB lb 'heart' [SD 81]; lbb 'palm-heart' [ibid.]; MIN lb [LM 56]

Geʕez (Ethiopian): lǝbb (also 'mind') [LGz 304]

Tigre: lǝbb [LH 39]

Tigrai (Tigriñña): lǝbbi [Bass 22]

Amharic: lǝbb (also 'belly') [K 71]

Gurage: MUH SOD GOG lǝbb [LGur 373]

Mehri: ḥǝ-wbēb [JM 250]

Jibbali: ubbǝ́tǝ, ɛbbǝ́tǝ [JJ 159] (<*lVbb-ǝt)

Harsusi: ḥe-lbēb [JH 82]

Soqotri: ʔílbib [LS 61], [SSL LS 1465].

    According to Leslau, "le ʔ initial est un ʔ prosthétique" [ibid.]; rather a prefix (ʔi- < *ʔa- influenced by -i- of the second syllable?). Note that lbib 'conscience' [LS 228] is likely an Arabism

Notes: Note another form, *libab-, to be reconstructed as common SEM from HBR (where lēbāb was explained by Kuriɫowicz as a historically broken plural in -a- from lēb [Kuriɫowicz 179]), ARM and MSA (probably *libib).

    [Fron 47] (*libb- 'cuore' /GEZ,ARB,SYR,HBR,UGR,AKK); [Holma 69]: AKK, ARB, HBR, SYR, GEZ; [KB 513]: HBR, UGR, PHO, ARM, ARB, ESA, GEZ, TGR, AKK; [DLU 240]: UGR, HBR, PHO, ARM, AKK, ARB, ESA, GEZ; [Brock 354]: SYR, ARM, HBR, ARB, AKK, GEZ; [LGz 304]: GEZ, ETH, ARB, ESA, SOQ, HBR, ARM, UGR, AKK; [LS 61]: SOQ, JIB, HBR, ARM, AKK, GEZ, ARB, ESA

Sumerian phrase šag₄ al-li-bi = i-sa₃-u₂ is actually an Akkadian expression meaning the hiccup of the heart. Ancient people had no clue of this disease and because it was so widespread and attacked anybody who laughed a lot they called it a heart disease. This is how the author of Sumerian got the idea to name the Sumerian cognate after the Akkadian word for hiccup.

Sumerian is a labyrinth where you can get lost easily. Another suggestion that initially the name of the heart meant a disease comes from another source:

The ideogram of the name heart:

ŠA₃

ša₃

(see full listing)

šag₄ (ša₃)

šag [HEART].

šalambi

šalambi [BROAD].

šalambi [GRASS].

Full listing.

Also: didala, lib₃, peš_x(ŠA₃), šab₂.

The largest base of the ideogram is [šalambi] which equals phonetically Sumerian šag₄ al-li-bi  = [hiccup of the heart]. That means that Sumerians must have seen a beating heart during sacrificial rituals.

Another source of the name heart in Sumerian is the use of the Semitic phonetic value for the organ of life in Sumerian

Sumerian ideogram

LUL

ka₅

ka'a [FOX].

kušum₂

kušum [HEIGHT].

lib

lib [DAZED].

lib [HEART].

lu₅

(see full listing)

lub

(see full listing)

lug_x(LUL)

lug [DWELL].

lul (lulu)

lul [FALSE].

nar (nari)

nar [MUSICIAN].

pah (bah₃)

pah [LEG].

sulug

zalag [SHINE].

šatam

šatam [OFFICIAL].

še₁₁

sed [COLD].

Akkadian:

Also: buh, dunga₂, duga_x(LUL), ilumer₃, lab₂, lep, libi, lip, lup, pan₂, pih, puh, sar₇, šattam, šaţam, zulug.

The pictogram ŠA₃
and the pictogram LUL
are actually pictographic homonyms. Actually the first pictogram has been included into the second compound.

We can see that the Akkadian libbu now has become Sumerian lib [HEART].

Now the Ideogram LUL has two other phonetic values:

lib

lib [DAZED]

lib [HEART]

lib [DAZED] (8x: Old Babylonian) wr. lib "dazed silence; (to be) dazed" Akk. šaqummatu

See igi lib[awake].

[1]						lib
+	-0 (8x/100%).
			3500	3000	2500	2000		1500	1000	(no date)
[1]						4

5 distinct forms attested; click to view forms table.

1. dazed silence (8x/100%)

2. (to be) dazed

Akk. šaqummatu "(deathly) hush".

[1999] E. Flückiger-Hawker, Urnamma 165.

šaqû  [LAL : 
 , NIM : 
 ]  (vb. u/u, i/i ; stat. šaqu)

G. to be(come) high, elevated Gtn. to rise repeatedly [NIM.MEŠ : 
 ] (Astronomy) D. to raise up ; to exalt ; to bring, travel upstream Š. to exalt, elevate ; to praise N. to rise(price)

See also : šapālu

Akkadian Akk. šaqummatu "(deathly) hush" equal to Sumerian lib [DAZED] is a reminder that of Sumerian šag [HEART] = Akkadian šaqû to raise up ; to exalt ; to bring, travel upstream Š. to exalt, elevate ; to praise

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