ח־ל־ש
Hebrew
Etymology
Related to Aramaic [script needed] (ḥlš, “to be weak”),[1] and possibly also Aramaic [script needed] (qlš),[2] which is associated with meanings "thin", "reduce".
Sense 2 is from a rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 14:12 as saying "cast lots over the nations" instead of the more common "weaken the nations".
Sense 3 is from an interpretation of the previous verse, as well as Exodus 17:13.
Root
ח־ל־שׁ • (ḥ-l-š)
- Related to weakness.
- (post-Biblical) Related to lots, sortition.
- (post-Biblical) Related to control, governance.
Derived terms
Hebrew terms belonging to the root ח־ל־שׁ (0 c, 5 e)
References
- “ḥlš2”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
- “qlš”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
Further reading
- “ח־ל־שׁ” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language
- “ח־ל־ש”, in Hebrew dictionary and conjugation tables, Pealim.com
- Klein, Ernest (1987), “חלשׁ”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English, Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 220c
- A. Murtonen (1989), “XLʃ”, in Hebrew in Its West Semitic Setting, Part I, Section Bb, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 184