תורא

Aramaic

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ṯawr- (“bull, ox”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tawrɑ/, /tɔːrɑ/

Noun

תּוֹרָא or תַּוְורָא • (tōrā or tawrā) m (plural תּוֹרֵא (tōrē) or תַּוְורֵא (tawrē), singular feminine counterpart תּוֹרְתָּא)

1. steer, bull, ox

Proper noun

תּוֹרָא • (tōrā)

1. (astrology) Taurus

Etymology 2

Occupational noun from תַּוְורָא (tawrā, “ox”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tawːɑːrɑ/

Noun

תַּוָּרָא • (tawwārā) m (plural תַּוָּרֵי (tawwārē))

1. ox-driver
2. cattle dealer

Etymology 3

From Akkadian 𒄙 (/⁠turru, ṭurru⁠/, “yarn, twine, wire, string; a twist of fibers”), possibly a loan from or influenced by Sumerian 𒄙 (dur, “strip”) or rather related to the native verb Proto-Semitic *tawar- (“to go about, to circle, to turn about, to encompass, to come around again; to plait, to braid”). Cognate to Hebrew תּוֹר (tōr, “line”), and Persian تار (târ, “cord, string”) is possibly related by phono-semantic matching.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːrɑ/

Noun

תּוֹרָא • (tōrā) m (plural תּוֹרֵא (tōrē))

1. cord, band
2. row, line

Descendants

• → Arabic: تُرّ (turr)

References

• “twr”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “twr⁴”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Sokoloff, Michael (2002) A Dictionary of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic of the Talmudic and Geonic periods, Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University, page 1199