מה
See also: Appendix:Variations of "ma" and Appendix:Variations of "me"
Aramaic
editPronoun
editמה • (ma)
Hebrew
editEtymology
editPronunciation
edit- (Biblical Hebrew) IPA(key): /maː/
- (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA(key): /mɔ/
Audio: (file)
Pronoun
editמָה • (má) m or f
- what
- מה זאת אומרת? ― ma zot oméret? ― What does it mean? [literally What is this saying?]
- מה אתה שואל? ― ma atá sho'el? ― What [are] you asking?
- מה נשמע? ― ma nishmá? ― How are you? [literally What [is] being heard?]
- Tanach, Genesis 2:19, with translation of Robert Alter:
- וַיִּצֶר ה׳ אֱלהִים מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָה כָּל־חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל־עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיָּבֵא אֶל־הָ֣אָדָם לִרְאוֹת מַה־יִּקְרָא־לוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא־לוֹ הָֽאָדָם נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה הוּא שְׁמֽוֹ:
- wa-yiṣer ʾǎḏonay ělohim min-hâ-ʾǎḏâmâ kol-ḥayaṯ hassâḏe we-ʾēṯ kol-ʿof ha-ššâmayim wa-yyâvē ʾel-hâ-ʾâḏâm li-reʾoṯ ma-yyiqrâ-lo we-ḵol ʾǎšer yiqrâ-lo hâ-âḏâm nefeš ḥayâ huʾ šemo
- And the Lord fashioned from the soil each beast of the field and each fowl of the heavens and brought each to the human to see what he would call it, and whatever the human called a living creature, that was its name.
- which
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Usage notes
edit- In traditional Hebrew grammar can also be vocalized as מַה (má) (with the doubling of the following consonant) or מֶה (mé). The vowel is determined by the following word and behaves the same way as the vowel in הַ־ (há). However, the Academy of the Hebrew Language recommends always using the vocalization מָה (má).
Derived terms
edit- אָז מָה (az ma)
- אֵין בְּעַד מָה (éin beád má)
- למה (lama, “for what, why”)
- מִשּׁוּם מָה (mishúm ma)
Interjection
editמָה • (má)
- An expression of wonder or amazement.
- Tanach, Genesis 28:17, with translation of the New International Version:
- Response that confirms that the speaker is paying attention (usually said unhappily).
Usage notes
edit- In traditional Hebrew grammar can also be vocalized as מַה (má) (with the doubling of the following consonant) or מֶה (mé). The vowel is determined by the following word and behaves the same way as the vowel in הַ־ (há). However, the Academy of the Hebrew Language recommends always using the vocalization מָה (má).
Anagrams
editYiddish
editEtymology
editPronoun
editמה • (ma)
- (interrogative) what?
- Synonym: וואָס (vos)
- 1998, Steven A. Jacobson, quotee, A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, Fairbanks, AK, page 99:
- ״מה אַנו מה חײנו?“
- "ma anu ma khayeynu"
- "Who are we (and) what is our life?"
- 1998, Steven A. Jacobson, quotee, A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, Fairbanks, AK, page 99:
- “מה בכּך?“
- "ma bekakh"
- "So what? What does it matter?"
- (interrogative) how?
- Synonym: װי (vi)
Usage notes
editמה־דאָך (madekh) functions as an "even if...then" pattern.
References
edit- Steven A. Jacobson (1998) A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, 5th edition, Fairbanks, AK: National Yiddish Book Center, →ISBN, page 99
Categories:
- Aramaic lemmas
- Aramaic pronouns
- Aramaic terms with quotations
- Hebrew terms with IPA pronunciation
- Hebrew terms with audio pronunciation
- Hebrew lemmas
- Hebrew pronouns
- Hebrew terms with usage examples
- Hebrew terms with quotations
- Hebrew interjections
- Yiddish terms borrowed from Hebrew
- Yiddish terms derived from Hebrew
- Yiddish lemmas
- Yiddish adverbs
- Yiddish terms with quotations