ܐܪܒܝܠ

Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Etymology

From Akkadian [script needed] (erbe ilū, literally “four gods”), from 𒐉 (erbet, “four”) the plural form of 𒀭 (ilum, “god”), from Sumerian 𒌨𒉈𒈝𒆠 (ur-bi₂-lum^ki /⁠Urbilum⁠/); compare Arabic أَرْبِيل‎‎ (ʔarbīl), Central Kurdish ھەولێر (hewlêr), Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎲𐎡𐎼𐎠𐏓 (Arbairā), Ancient Greek Ἄρβηλα (Árbēla) and Latin Arbēla.

Pronunciation

• (Standard) IPA^(key): [ʔarbeːl]
• (Urmia) IPA^(key): [ˈʔarbɪːl]

Proper noun

ܐܲܪܒܹܝܠ • (arbēl) f

1. Arbil (a city in northern Iraq, historically Assyrian, and the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region)
2. A governorate in northern Iraq