אלמנה

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
א־ל־ם (ʾ-l-m)

Possibly from the root א־ל־ם, and if so comparable to Arabic أَلَم (ʔalam, “pain, ache”). But compare also Aramaic אַרְמַלְתָּא (ʾarmaltā) and Arabic أَرْمَلَة (ʔarmala). One of the two consonantisms is likely due to assimilation and dissimilation processes.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

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Noun

אַלְמָנָה • (almaná) f (plural indefinite אַלְמָנוֹת, masculine counterpart אַלְמָן)

1. widow (woman whose husband has died)

Derived terms

• אלמנה שחורה / אַלְמָנָה שְׁחֹרָה (almaná sh'khorá)
• אַלְמְנַת קַשׁ ('alm'nat kásh)

References

• H490 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Further reading

• אלמנה on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Yiddish

Noun

אלמנה • (almone) f, plural אלמנות (almones)

1. Non-standard spelling of אַלמנה