Lukasz Tobola, «The Divine Name Chemosh: A New Etymological Proposal», Vol. 94 (2013) 573-575
This short note discusses the possible etymology of the divine name Chemosh. It seems to be derived from the same root as the rare adjective kummusu, synonymous with the Akkadian divine epithet rašbu, 'awesome'. Consequently, the name of the god Chemosh can be interpreted as 'Redoubtable'.
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THE DIVINE NAME CHEMOSH: A NEW ETYMOLOGICAL PROPOSAL 575
splendour 18. In other lexical lists the term rašbu is equated with the adjec-
tive dannu “powerful, strong†19, which sometimes occurs in the descrip-
tions of warlike gods, especially Nergal 20. In such a context, the term
kummusu can be interpreted as one of the many adjectives describing the ter-
rific majesty of a deity 21. Apparently, the so far unknown root kamÄÅ¡u C?,
meaning “be awesome†or “be powerful†22, obviously became obsolete in the
Semitic languages, only the theonym Kmš being further used 23. The names
“Redoubtableâ€, “Tremendous†or “Mighty†harmonize with the epigraphic
and iconographic evidence depicting Chemosh as a divine warrior 24. Naturally,
this proposition will need to be supported and clarified by additional lexico-
graphic evidence.
Faculty of Theology Åukasz TOBOÅA
Adam Mickiewicz University
Poznan, Poland
SUMMARY
This short note discusses the possible etymology of the divine name
Chemosh. It seems to be derived from the same root as the rare adjective kum-
musu, synonymous with the Akkadian divine epithet raÅ¡bu, “awesomeâ€. Con-
sequently, the name of the god Chemosh can be interpreted as “Redoubtableâ€.
18
See, CAD Å 2, 61-62; compare also AhW 3, 1186.
19
A.D. KILMER, “The First Tablet of malku = šarru together with Its Ex-
plicit Versionâ€, JAOS 83 (1963) 425. The most recent study dedicated to these
texts, namely I. HRUÅ A, Die akkadische Synonymenliste, malku = Å¡arru. Eine
Textedition mit Übersetzung und Kommentar (Münster 2010), was inacces-
sible to the author.
20
See CAD D,95.
21
It seems to explain why the theonym dKa-am-muš is cited as a by-name
of god Nergal on one of the Assyrian lists of deities. See, H.P. MÃœLLER,
“Chemoshâ€, 187.
22
The derivation of the adjective kummusu, “be fearsomeâ€, from the root
kamÄÅ¡u B, “to kneelâ€, which is suggested in CDA, 166 seems to be very dif-
ficult to explain and consequently improbable.
23
The analogical problem can be observed in the case of the divine name
Resheph (ršp) and the divine epithet rašbu both derived from the obsolete root ršp.
See E. LIPIŃSKI, Resheph. A Syro-Canaanite Deity (OLA 181; Leuven 2009) 23-24.
24
LIPIŃSKI, On the Skirts of Canaan, 355-356.