Editing Enki (section)

=== Niššiku ===
Niššiku was an alternative name and epithet of Enki/Ea of uncertain meaning. It is first attested in literary texts of the [[Old Babylonian Empire|Old Babylonian period]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Galter |first=Hannes D. |url=https://www.academia.edu/45092567/Der_Gott_Ea_Enki_in_der_akkadischen_%C3%9Cberlieferung_Eine_Bestandsaufnahme_des_vorhandenen_Materials_Dissertationen_der_Universit%C3%A4t_Graz_58_Graz_dbv_Verlag_1983 |title=Der Gott Ea/Enki in der akkadischen Überlieferung: eine Bestandsaufnahme des vorhandenen Materials |date=1983 |publisher=dbv-Verl. für die Techn. Univ |isbn=978-3-7041-9018-5 |series=Dissertationen der Universität Graz |location=Graz |pages=12}}</ref> Wilfred G. Lambert and Alan R. Millard propose that the name was derived from the Semitic element ''nasīku'' ,’’chieftain’’, which reflects Enki’s sumerian epithet ''nun''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Atra-ḫasīs: the Babylonian story of the flood |date=1969 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=978-0-19-813153-3 |editor-last=Lambert |editor-first=W. G. |location=Oxford |pages=148–149 |editor-last2=Millard |editor-first2=Alan R.}}</ref> Hannes D. Galter considers that a connection between an Old Babylonian expression and a loanword from [[Aramaic]] is implausible.<ref name=":6" /> Alternative spellings of the name include Naššiku and Ninšiku.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Cavigneaux |first=Antoine |last2=Krebernik |first2=Manfred |date=1998 |title=Niššīku |url=https://publikationen.badw.de/en/rla/index#9117 |access-date=2025-05-24 |website=Reallexikon der Assyriologie |page=590}}</ref> Ninšiku is likely a later [[folk etymology]] from [[Sumerian language|Sumerian]]. It is attested from the [[Middle Babylonian period]] onwards.<ref name=":6" /> One god list explains Ninšiku as Ea in his aspect as god of wisdom. In this interpretation, -šiku was likely equated with Sumerian ''kù-zu'', ‘’wise’’.<ref name=":7" />