Hebrew

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Chemical element
Cu
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Etymology

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Root
נ־ח־שׁ (n-kh-sh)

Compare Arabic نُحَاس (nuḥās, copper)

Noun

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נחושת / נְחֹשֶׁת (n'khóshetf (singular construct נחושת / נְחֹשֶׁת־)

  1. (uncountable) copper (a reddish-brown, malleable, ductile metallic element with high electrical and thermal conductivity, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29)
    (poetic, Biblical Hebrew): Bronze or brass (or other alloys of copper)
    • Tanach, 1 Samuel 17:6, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וּמִצְחַת נְחֹשֶׁת עַל־רַגְלָיו וְכִידוֹן נְחֹשֶׁת בֵּין כְּתֵפָיו׃
      U-mitsḥát n'ḥóshet ʿal ragláv v-khidón n'ḥóshet bein k'tefáv.
      And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders.
    • 1967, Naomi Shemer (lyrics and music), “ירושלים של זהב [Jerusalem of Gold]”, in שירי נעמי שמר [Songs of Naomi Shemer], performed by Shuly Nathan, Jerusalem, →OCLC:
      יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָב וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹר; הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְ אֲנִי כִּנּוֹר
      Yerushaláyim shel zaháv v-shel n'ḥóshet v-shel or; haló l-khol shiráyikh ani kinnor.
      Jerusalem of gold and of bronze and of light; am I not for all of your songs a violin?
  2. Copper: the reddish color associated with this metal.

References

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  • נחושת” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

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