babylonian
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Of or relating to the ancient city of Babylon, its people, or its culture: This describes anything originating from or connected to the historical Mesopotamian city of Babylon, its inhabitants, or their civilization.
Noun:
- An inhabitant of ancient Babylon: A person who lived in the city of Babylon during ancient times.
- The ideographic and syllabic writing system of the ancient Babylonian language: This refers specifically to the cuneiform script used to write the Akkadian language in its Babylonian dialect.
Examples of Usage
Adjective:
- The museum has a remarkable collection of Babylonian artifacts.
- He is an expert in Babylonian history and mythology.
Noun (Inhabitant):
- The Babylonian was known for his skill in astronomy and mathematics.
- Ancient Babylonians built impressive structures like the Ishtar Gate.
Noun (Writing System):
- Scholars spent years learning to decipher Babylonian.
- This clay tablet is inscribed with Babylonian.
Advanced Usage
- "Babylonian captivity": A historical and theological term referring to the period when Jews were exiled in Babylon (6th century BCE). It can also be used metaphorically for any period of exile or subjugation.
- The period of the Babylonian captivity was a formative era in Jewish history.
Variants and Related Words
Babylonia (n): The ancient empire or region of which Babylon was the capital.
- Babylonia was a major power in Mesopotamia.
Babylon (n): The ancient capital city of Babylonia.
- The Hanging Gardens were one of the wonders of ancient Babylon.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Chaldean (in some historical/archaeological contexts, though not perfectly synonymous).
- Noun (Inhabitant): None that are direct and common. "Mesopotamian" is a broader regional term.
Related Phrases
(As 'Babylonian' is primarily a proper adjective/noun, it does not form standard phrasal verbs.)
Related Idioms
- "Babylonian confusion": A reference to the Tower of Babel story, describing a state of chaos, noise, or misunderstanding due to many languages or voices.
- The meeting turned into a Babylonian confusion with everyone talking at once.
Adjective
- of or relating to the city of Babylon or its people or culture
- Babylonian religion
Noun
- the ideographic and syllabic writing system in which the ancient Babylonian language was written
- an inhabitant of ancient Babylon