הוא

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Aramaic

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *šuʔa.

Pronoun

הוּא (m sg (feminine singular הִיא)

  1. he, it
  2. (copulative) (he/it) is
Synonyms
  • (he/it): איהו (ʾīhū) (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic)
  • (is): ניהו (nīhū) (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic)

Determiner

הוּא (m sg (feminine singular הִיא)

  1. that (distal)

Etymology 2

Verb

הֲוָא (hăwā)

  1. to be, to exist
Alternative forms

Hebrew

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *šuʔa.

Pronunciation

Pronoun

הוּא (hum sg

  1. (personal) he
  2. Used as a copula: is.
Usage notes
  • The received text of the Bible (the Masoretic Text) has many instances where the normally-masculine spelling הוא is used in a context where a feminine form is expected. The Masoretic tradition says to use the feminine pronunciation /hi/, normally spelled הִיא, in these cases. To indicate this pronunciation, it is written with the vowel diacritics of הִיא: ‎ הִוא. This is one of a few examples of a qere perpetuum in the Masoretic Text.
See also

Pronoun

הִוא (hif sg

  1. (Biblical Hebrew) Archaic spelling of הִיא.

Etymology 2

From הָוָה (havá, to be). Compare Arabic هَوَى (hawā)

Verb

הֱוֵא (hevé)

  1. (rare) Be: used as an imperative.
    • Tanach, Job 37:6, with translation of the King James Version:
      כִּי לַשֶּׁלַג ׀ יֹאמַר הֱוֵא אָרֶץ וְגֶשֶׁם מָטָר וְגֶשֶׁם מִטְרוֹת עֻזּוֹ׃
      ki lashélag yomár hevé áretz v'géshem matár v'géshem mitrót uzó.
      For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.
  2. (rare) to fall, hence to befall; to take place; become
Usage notes

References

Anagrams