גמא

Hebrew

Noun

גָּמָא • (gáma) f

1. gamma (the third letter of the Greek alphabet)
2. (Mishnaic Hebrew) (usually with כמין) L-shaped, the form of a capital Greek gamma, the semiperimeter of a rectangular item.
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Middot 3:1:

     וּכְשֶׁעָלוּ בְנֵי הַגּוֹלָה, הוֹסִיפוּ עָלָיו אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת מִן הַדָּרוֹם וְאַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת מִן הַמַּעֲרָב, כְּמִין גַּמָּא

     U-k-she-'alu vnei ha-golah, hosífu 'alav arba' ammot min ha-darom v-arba' ammot min ha-ma'arav, k-min gamma.

     t-And when the children of exile returned, they added to it four cubits from the south and four cubits from the west, in an L shape.

1. • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzi'a 28a:

     מִדַּת אָרְכּוֹ וּמִדַּת רָחְבּוֹ וּמִדַּת גַּמָּיו יִנָּתֵן לְמִדַּת אָרְכּוֹ וְרָחְבּוֹ

     Middat orko u-middat roḥbo u-middat gammav, yinnaten l-middat orko v-roḥbo.

     If one claimant knows its length and its width separately, and the other knows its semiperimeter, it is given to the one who knows its length and its width separately.