אלף

See also: אַלף‎ and אל״ף‎

Hebrew[edit]

Root
א־ל־ף‎ (ʾ-l-p)

From Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- (“thousand; cattle”). Cognate with Arabic ألف‎.

אֶלֶף • ('élef) m or f (dual אלפיים / אַלְפַּיִם‎, plural אֲלָפִים‎, Biblical Hebrew pausal form אָלֶף) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

thousand, one thousand
- Exodus 12:37, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
  ‏וַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵ רַעְמְסֵס סֻכֹּתָ ה כְּ שֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רַגְלִי הַ גְּבָרִים לְבַד מִטָּף׃‎‎
  Va-yis'ú vnéi Yisraél me-ra'msés sukkot-ah k-shesh meót élef raglí ha-gvarím lvád mit-táf
  And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children.

אֶלֶף • ('élef) m (plural indefinite אֲלָפִים‎, singular construct אֶלֶף־, plural construct אַלְפֵי־‎) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

millennium
thousandship, a part of thousand of a tribe
- Numbers 1:16, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
  ‏אֵלֶּה קְרוּאֵי (קריאי_כתיב) הָ עֵדָה נְשִׂיאֵי מַטּוֹת אֲבוֹתָם רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם׃‎‎
  Élleh qruéi ha-'edáh nsiéi mattót avotám rashei alféi Yisraél hem.
  These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.
Synonym: מִשְׁפָּחָה‎ (mišpāḥā́)
(chiefly in the plural) head of cattle, animal living in company
- Proverbs 14:04, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
  ‏בְּ אֵין אֲלָפִים אֵבוּס בָּר וְ רָב־תְּבוּאוֹת בְּכֹחַ שׁוֹר׃‎‎
  B-ein alafím evús bar v-rav tvuót b-khóaḥ shor.
  Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; But much increase is by the strength of the ox.

אָלֶף • (álef) f

אִלֵּף • (iléf) (pi'el construction, passive counterpart אֻלַּף)

אלף • (alef)