־ם

See also: ־ים, ם, מ־, מ, מ׳, and Appendix:Variations of "m"

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Contraction of ־הֶם (-hém, “them”).

Pronunciation

• ־ָם (-ám)
  • (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ɔm/ [ˈ-ɔːm]
  • (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): (stressed) /ˈ-ɔm/, (unstressed) /-ɔm/ [-əm]
  • (Mizrahi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-aːm/
  • (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ä(ː)m/
  • (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ɔːm/
  • (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-am/ [ˈ-äm]
• ־ֵם (-ém)
  • (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-em/ [ˈ-eːm]
  • (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ejm/, (Polish-Galician) [ˈ-ajm]
  • (Mizrahi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-eːm/
  • (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-e(ː)m/
  • (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-eːm/
  • (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-em/ [ˈ-e̞m]

Pronoun

־ם • (-m) m (feminine ־ן)

1. Indicates the direct object of a verb: them.
   • Tanach, Joshua 22:7, with translation of the King James Version:

     וְגַם כִּי שִׁלְּחָם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל־אָהֳלֵיהֶם וַיְבָרֲכֵם׃

     v'gam ki shilkhám y'hoshúa el-aholeihém vay'varakhém.

     And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them.

2. Indicates the object of a preposition: them.
3. Indicates the possessor of a noun in the construct state: them.
   • Tanach, Ezekiel 1:26, with translation of the King James Version:

     וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל־רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן־סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה׃

     umimáal larakía ashér al-roshám k'mar'é even-safír d'mút kisé v'al d'mút hakisé d'mut k'mar'é adám aláv mil'má'la.

     And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

Usage notes

• (direct object): The vocalization of this suffix depends on the form of the verb. See Appendix:Hebrew verbs#Suffixed object pronouns.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Semitic *-am, originally a mimated suffix representing the accusative case in nouns.

Pronunciation

• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ɔm/ [ˈ-ɔːm]
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): (stressed) /ˈ-ɔm/, (unstressed) /-ɔm/ [-əm]
• (Mizrahi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-aːm/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ä(ː)m/
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-ɔːm/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ-am/ [ˈ-äm]

Suffix

־ָם • (-ám)

1. A suffix forming some adverbs from nouns or adjectives.

   יוֹם (yóm, “day”) ‎→ יוֹמָם (yomám, “by day”)

   רֵיק (réik, “empty”) ‎→ רֵיקָם (reikám, “in vain”)

   חֵן (khén, “grace”) ‎→ חִנָּם (khinám, “in vain”)

Usage notes

Sometimes can occasionally change its form to ־ום / ־ֹם (-óm) as in פֶּתַע (péta', “sudden”) ‎→ *פֶּתַא ‎→ פתאום / פִּתְאֹם (pit'óm, “suddenly”).

References

• Klein, Ernest (1987), “◌ם”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎^[1], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 308
• Klein, Ernest (1987), “◌ָם”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎^[2], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 308