חנון

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
ח־נ־ן (ḥ-n-n)

Cognate with Arabic حَنُون (ḥanūn, “kind, affectionate”).

Adjective

חַנּוּן • (khanún)

1. gracious, merciful, compassionate
   • Tanach, Exodus 34:6, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל־פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה יְהוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת

     Va-ya'avor Adonai 'al panav va-yiqra Adonai Adonai El raḥum v-ḥanun érekh apáyim v-rav ḥésed ve-emet

     And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: ‘The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth

   • Tanach, Psalms 116:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     חַנּוּן יְהֹוָה וְצַדִּיק וֵאלֹהֵינוּ מְרַחֵם׃

     Ḥanun Adonai v-tsaddiq, v-elohénu m'raḥem.

     Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yea, our God is compassionate.

Usage notes

• This adjective is nearly always used to describe God, and thus the feminine and plural forms are very rare.

Adjective

חָנוּן • (khanún) (masculine plural חֲנוּנִים)

1. passive participle of חָנַן (khanán).
   • c. 1200, Yehuda Alharizi, “Translator's Preface”, in Maimonides, translated by Yehuda Alharizi, Rambam's Introduction to the Mishnah‎^[1]:

     חַנּוּנָיו הֵמָּה חֲנוּנִים וּמְלֻמָּדָיו הֵם מְלֻמָּדִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל טוּבִי עַל פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם ה' לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם

     Ḥanunav héma ḥanunim u-m'lumadav hem m'lumadim k'mo she-ne'emar, 'vayómer: ani a'avir kol tuvi 'al panékha v-qaráti v-shem Adonai l'fanékha v-ḥannotí et asher aḥon v-riḥámti et asher araḥem.'

     His merciful ones are merciful, and his learned ones are learned, as is written, 'And he said: I will pass all my goodness before Your face and call by the name of Adonai before you, and have mercy over whom I have mercy and compassion over whom I have compassion.'

Verb

חָנוֹן • (khanón)

1. infinitive absolute of חָנַן (khanán).
   • Tanach, Isaiah 30:19, with Young's Literal Translation:

     חָנוֹן יָחְנְךָ לְקוֹל זַעֲקֶךָ

     khanón yokhn'khá l'kol za'akékha

     Pitying, He pitieth thee at the voice of thy cry

Etymology 2

From Moroccan Arabic خنونة (ḵnūna, “mucus, snot”).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈχnun/

Noun

חְנוּן • (khnún) m (plural indefinite חְנוּנִים, feminine counterpart חְנוּנִית)

1. A (male) nerd, a (male) geek.

   Synonym: לפלף

Etymology 3

Proper noun

חָנוּן • (khanún) m

1. a male given name
   • Tanach, 2 Samuel 10:1, with Young's Literal Translation:

     וַיִּמְלֹךְ חָנוּן בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

     vayimlókh khanún b'no takhtáv

     and Hanun his son reigneth in his stead