אלף

Hebrew

Pronunciation

• (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- (“thousand; cattle”). Cognate with Arabic ألف.

Numeral

אֶלֶף • ('élef) m or f (dual אלפיים / אַלְפַּיִם, plural אֲלָפִים, Biblical Hebrew pausal form אָלֶף)

1. thousand, one thousand
   • Tanach, Exodus 12:37, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵרַעְמְסֵס סֻכֹּתָה כְּשֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רַגְלִי הַגְּבָרִים לְבַד מִטָּף׃

     Va-yis'ú vnéi Yisraél me-ra'msés sukkot-ah k-shesh meót élef raglí ha-gvarím lvád mit-táf

     And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children.

Noun

אֶלֶף • ('élef) m (plural indefinite אֲלָפִים, singular construct אֶלֶף־, plural construct אַלְפֵי־)

1. millennium
2. thousandship, a part of thousand of a tribe

   Synonym: מִשְׁפָּחָה (mišpāḥā́)

   • Tanach, Numbers 1:16, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אֵלֶּה קְרוּאֵי (קריאי_כתיב) הָעֵדָה נְשִׂיאֵי מַטּוֹת אֲבוֹתָם רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם׃

     Élleh qruéi ha-'edáh nsiéi mattót avotám rashei alféi Yisraél hem.

     These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

3. (chiefly in the plural) head of cattle, animal living in company
   • Tanach, Proverbs 14:04, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     בְּאֵין אֲלָפִים אֵבוּס בָּר וְרָב־תְּבוּאוֹת בְּכֹחַ שׁוֹר׃

     B-ein alafím evús bar v-rav tvuót b-khóaḥ shor.

     Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; But much increase is by the strength of the ox.

Etymology 2

Noun

אָלֶף • (álef) f

1. Alternative spelling of אל״ף

Derived terms

• אָלֶפְבֵּית (alefbet)

Etymology 3

Verb

אִלֵּף • (iléf) third-singular masculine past (pi'el construction, passive counterpart אֻלַּף)

1. defective spelling of אילף

Yiddish

Noun

אלף • (alef)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of אַלף (alef).