Yam-Nahar
/ˈjɑːm ˈnɑːhɑːr/noun
A Ugaritic divine title or paired name meaning the Sea and the River, associated with the forces opposing the storm-god Baal.
Did you know?In the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, Yam is portrayed as a rival claimant to divine kingship, making the struggle against him a mythic contest over who governs the cosmos.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*yamm-
“Sea or ocean; a widespread Semitic root for the waters.”
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*nahr-
“River or flowing watercourse.”
Late Bronze Age
Ugaritic
ym
“Sea; also the name of a major divine power in Ugaritic mythology.”
Late Bronze Age
Ugaritic
nhr
“River; paired with ym in the expression meaning Sea and River.”
14th–13th Century BCE
Ugaritic
ym nhr
“A divine pairing or title, Sea-River, appearing in the mythological traditions of ancient Ugarit.”
Modern English
English
Yam-Nahar
“A scholarly transliteration of the Ugaritic mythological name or title.”