דבר אחר

Hebrew

Alternative forms

• ד״א (abbreviation)

Noun

דָּבָר אַחֵר • (davár achér) m (plural indefinite דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, no construct forms)

1. (literally, countable) Something else; another thing.
2. (idiomatic, singular only, archaic) Introduces an explanation alternative to one offered already.
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Makkot 1:9:

     דָּבָר אַחֵר, עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים, שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא סַנְהֶדְרִין שׁוֹמַעַת מִפִּי הַתֻּרְגְּמָן:

     Dabar ʾaḥer, ʿal ṗiy šnayim ʿediym, šeloʾ theʾ sanhedriyn šŵmaʿat miṗiy haturgman:

     An alternate interpretation: "By the mouth of two witnesses," [meaning] the court should not hear testimony from the mouth of a translator.

3. (idiomatic, euphemistic, archaic) Used to refer to any object or state to which the speaker does not wish to refer by name.