Number: 2649
Proto-Semitic: *laḫm-
Meaning: kind of large aquatic animal
Akkadian: laḫmu (laḫamu) 'a monster' OAkk. on [CAD l 41], 'ein mythisches Meerungeheuer' [AHw. 528]. Until recently, l. was known exclusively from literary texts (for its association with water cf. the well-documented expression laḫmū šūt tâmtim 'lahmus, those of the Deep'. Now, interesting evidence for l. as a real, non-mythical creature inhabiting the waters of Euphrates comes from Mari letters for which see [Guichard], [Durand 1993], [Durand 1997 344] (but cf. sceptical observations in [Edzard] and [Cavigneaux]).
Mehri: ǝwzáym (an evident misprint instead of ǝwḫáym) 'shark' [JM 259].
Jibbali: lḫum id. [JJ 167].
Harsusi: léḫem id. [JH 86].
Soqotri: léḥem 'grand poisson, requin' [LS 232].
