組成The English name comes down from Old English Niniuea, shaped by the Hebrew Bible name, and from Latin and Greek forms, and before that from Akkadian Ninua / Ninuwa. That older name is of uncertain origin, but it is clearly a variation of a word for “fish”; the old writing seems to mean “House of Fish,” though it is unclear whether that meant real fish, a side of the goddess Ishtar, another goddess, or something else. An old folk story said a founder called Ninus gave the city its name; that is a story, not a sure fact.