חמור

Hebrew

חמור

Pronunciation

• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): [ħaˈmoːʀ]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈmoʁ/

Etymology 1

Root
ח־מ־ר (kh-m-r)
6 terms

From Proto-Semitic *ḥimār- (“donkey”). Cognate with Arabic حِمَار (ḥimār). Called after their reddish-brown to gray color, which they share with clay, whose Hebrew equivalent חֹמֶר (khómer) originates from the same root. For a similar etymology, cf. Spanish burro (“donkey”) from Latin burrus (“red, reddish-brown”).

Noun

חֲמוֹר • (khamór) m (plural indefinite חֲמוֹרִים, singular construct חֲמוֹר־, plural construct חֲמוֹרֵי־, feminine counterpart אָתוֹן) [pattern: קְטוֹל]

1. donkey (a domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse)
   • Tanach, Exodus 4:20, with Young's Literal Translation:

     וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם עַל־הַחֲמֹר

     yayikách moshé et-ishtó v'et-banáv vayarkivém al-hachamór

     and Moses taketh his wife, and his sons, and causeth them to ride on the ass

   • Tanach, Deuteronomy 22:10, with translation of the King James Version:

     לֹא־תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר־וּבַחֲמֹר יַחְדָּו

     lo-tacharósh b'shor-uvachamór yachdáv

     Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah. Bechorot, section 1.2:

     פָּרָה שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין חֲמוֹר, וַחֲמוֹר שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין סוּס, פָּטוּר מִן הַבְּכוֹרָה

     Paráh she-yaldáh k-min ḥamór, va-ḥamór she-yaldah k-min sus, patur min ha-b'khorah.

     A cow that births what looks like a donkey, or a donkey that births what looks like a horse, these are exempt from the firstborn offering.

2. jackass (foolish person)
3. sawhorse

Declension

Declension of חֲמוֹר

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	חֲמוֹר	first	חֲמוֹרִי		חֲמוֹרֵנוּ
	definite	הַחֲמוֹר	second	חֲמוֹרְךָ	חֲמוֹרֵךְ	חֲמוֹרְכֶם	חֲמוֹרְכֶן
	construct	חֲמוֹר־	third	חֲמוֹרוֹ	חֲמוֹרָהּ	חֲמוֹרָם	חֲמוֹרָן
plural	indefinite	חֲמוֹרִים	first	חמוריי / חֲמוֹרַי		חֲמוֹרֵינוּ
	definite	הַחֲמוֹרִים	second	חֲמוֹרֶיךָ	חמורייך / חֲמוֹרַיִךְ	חֲמוֹרֵיכֶם	חֲמוֹרֵיכֶן
	construct	חֲמוֹרֵי־	third	חֲמוֹרָיו	חֲמוֹרֶיהָ	חֲמוֹרֵיהֶם	חֲמוֹרֵיהֶן

Alternative forms

• (Biblical Hebrew) חֲמֹר

Coordinate terms

• פֶּרֶא (“wild-ass”)

Derived terms

• חֲמוֹר נוֹשֵׂא סְפָרִים (khamór nosé sfarím)

References

• H2543 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Klein, Ernest (1987) “חֲמוֹר”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎^[1], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 221b
• Jastrow, Marcus (1903) A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature‎^[2], London, New York: Luzac & Co., G.P. Putnam's Sons, page 476a
• “חמור” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Root
ח־מ־ר (kh-m-r)
6 terms

Adjective

חָמוּר • (khamur) (feminine חֲמוּרָה, masculine plural חֲמוּרִים, feminine plural חֲמוּרוֹת)

1. severe, grave, serious, critical, drastic.

References

• “חמור” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• חמור on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew חמור.

Noun

חמור • (khamer) m, plural חמורים (khamoyrim)

1. (derogatory) donkey, jackass, fool