אי

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See also: ־אי and אי־

Hebrew

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Etymology 1

Compare Egyptian jw (“island”) and Phoenician 𐤀𐤉 (ʾy).

Noun

אִי • (í) m (plural indefinite אִיִּים, plural construct אִיֵּי־)

  1. (literal or figurative) an island
    • Tanach, Psalms 97:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      יְהוָה מָלָךְ תָּגֵל הָאָרֶץ יִשְׂמְחוּ אִיִּים רַבִּים׃
      Adonái malákh, tagél ha-árets; yism'ḥú iyyím rabim!
      The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad.
    • Tanach, Ezekiel 26:18, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      עַתָּה יֶחְרְדוּ הָאִיִּן יוֹם מַפַּלְתֵּךְ וְנִבְהֲלוּ הָאִיִּים אֲשֶׁר בַּיָּם מִצֵּאתֵךְ׃
      'Atá yeḥr'dú ha-iyyín yom mapaltékh, v-nivhalú ha-iyyím ashér ba-yám mitseitékh.
      Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; Yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be affrighted at thy going out.
Declension
Declension of אִי
isolated forms with possessive pronouns
Number: State: form Person: singular plural
m f m f
singular indefinite אִי first אִי אִינוּ
definite הָאִי second אִיךָ אִיךְ אִיכֶם אִיכֶן
construct אִי־ third אִיו אִיהָ אִיהֶם אִיהֶן
plural indefinite אִיִּים first אִיַּי אִיֵּינוּ
definite הָאִיִּים second אִיֶּיךָ אִיַּיִךְ אִיֵיכֶם אִיֵיכֶן
construct אִיֵי־ third אִיָּיו אִיֶּיהָ אִיֵיהֶם אִיֵיהֶן
Derived terms
References

Etymology 2

Compare Egyptian jw (“dog”) and Arabic اِبْن آوَى (ibn ʔāwā).

Noun

אִי • (í) m (plural indefinite אִיִּים, plural construct אִיֵּי־)

  1. Egyptian jackal (Canis aureus lupaster)
    • Tanach, Isaiah 13:22, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וְעָנָה אִיִּים בְּאַלְמנוֹתָיו וְתַנִּים בְּהֵיכְלֵי עֹנֶג
      və'aná iyyím bəalmənotáv vətanním bəhēchəlḗ 'óneg
      And jackals shall howl in their castles, And wild-dogs in the pleasant palaces
References

Etymology 3

Adverb

אִי • (í)

  1. not
    אי אפשר ― í efshár ― impossible
    • a. 1200, Maimonides, משנה תורה,‎ איסורי ביאה chapter 14:
      מה ראית שבאת להתגייר אי אתה יודע שישראל בזמן הזה דוויים ודחופים ומסוחפין ומטורפין ויסורין באין עליהן
      What did you see that you came convert? Don't you know that Israel in these times are anguished, crushed, eroded, subjugated, and torments come upon them?

Prefix

אִי־ • (í-)

  1. non-
Derived terms
Hebrew terms prefixed with אי־
אי־אפשר
אי־ודאות
אי נוחות
אי־שוויון

Etymology 4

Conjunction

אִי • (í)

  1. if
    • מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל,‎ מסכתא דפסחא, as quoted in, a. 1200, Maimonides, משנה תורה,‎ חמץ ומצה,‎ נוסח ההגדה:
      והגדת לבנך יכול מראש החודש תלמוד לומר ביום ההוא אי ביום ההוא יכול מבעוד יום תלמוד לומר בעבור זה לא אמרתי אלא בשעה שיש מצה ומרור מונחים לפניך
      "V-higádta l-vinkhá" — yakhól me-rosh ha-ḥódesh! Talmúd lomár "ba-yom ha-hu". I "ba-yom ha-hu", yakhól mi-be'ód yom! Talmúd lomár "ba'avúr zeh". Lo amárti éla be-sha'áh she-yesh matzáh u-marór munnaḥím lefanécha.
      "And you will speak to your son" - it could be from the New Moon! But we learn where it is stated, "on that day." If it is "on that day," it could be from while it is still daytime! But we learn where it is stated, "for the sake of this." I did not say it except when matsa and bitter herbs are resting in front of you.

Etymology 5

Interjection

אִי • (í)

  1. oh!, ah!

Etymology 6

From Proto-Semitic *ʔayy-. Usually occuring in the form of אַיֵּה.

Adverb

אַי • (ay) (construct: אֵי)

  1. (biblical, interrogative, stative) Where.
    • Tanach, Genesis 4:9, with translation of the King James Version:
      וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל־קַיִן אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ
      vayómer YHVH el-káyin é hével achícha
      And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?
Usage notes

אֵי is used before certain adverbs and pronouns to give an interrogative meaning (see derived terms). In that case it sometimes remains a separate word, sometimes it merges with the following one.

Derived terms
References

References

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

Further reading

Anagrams

Ladino

Etymology

From Old Spanish e, from Latin et.

Conjunction

אי (Latin spelling i)

  1. and
    • 1910, Ben Yitzhak Saserdoti, Refael i Miriam, page 3:
      אירה אונה די אקילייאס מאדֿרוגאדֿאס פֿריסקאס אי טיירנאס אין איל מיס די סיפטימברי, אינטרי ראש השנה אי יום כפור.
      Era una de akelyas maḏrugaḏas freskas i tiernas en el mes de septembre, entre Rosh Ashana i Yom Kippur.
      It was one of those fresh and tender early mornings in the month of September, between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
  2. too

Yiddish

Etymology

Probably from a Slavic source; compare Polish i, Russian и (i).

Conjunction

אי … אי • (i … i)

  1. both … and
    • 1967, Chaim Grade, צמח אַטלאַס , page 20:
      ווי ווינציק צמח האָט זיך פריער ניט אינטערעסירט מיט שידוכים, האָט ער דאָך אַ פּאָר באַגעגענישן מיט כלה־מיידלעך און איטלעכע פון זיי האָט אים אויסגעזען אי יינגער אי שענער פון דבורהלע נאַמיאָט.
      vi vintsik tsemekh hot zikh frier nit interesirt mit shidukhem, hot er dokh a por bagegenishn mit kale-meydlekh un itlekhe fun zey hot im oysgezen i yinger i shener fun dvorele namiot.
      Tsemakh had previously shown little interest in matches; yes, he had a few meetings with prospective brides, and each one of them had been both younger and prettier than Dvorele Namiot.

References

  • Justus van de Kamp et al., “אי” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek , Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). .
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