אשה

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
א־נ־שׁ (ʾ-n-sh)
7 terms

From Proto-Semitic *ʔanθ-at-. Cognate with Ugaritic 𐎀𐎘𐎚 (ảṯt), Aramaic אִנְתְּתָא (ʾintəṯā), אִיתְּתָא (ʾittəṯā), Arabic أُنْثَى (ʔunṯā).

False cognate of Hebrew אִישׁ (ísh, “man”), as Semitic š and ṯ merged into Hebrew שׁ. See female and woman for similar convergent developments involving influence or analogy.

Alternative forms

• אישה (excessive spelling)

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiʃˈʃa/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiʃˈʃɔː/, [ʔiʃˈʃɔː]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiʃˈʃɔ/, [ʔiʃˈʃɔː]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)iʃˈʃɒ/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /iˈʃɔ/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)iˈʃa/

• Audio:

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Noun

אִשָּׁה • (ishá) f (plural indefinite נָשִׁים, singular construct אֵשֶׁת־, plural construct נְשׁוֹת־ or נְשֵׁי־, masculine counterpart אִישׁ) [pattern: קִטְלָה]

1. woman (an adult female human)
2. wife (a married woman, especially in relation to her spouse)
3. (Biblical Hebrew) a female animal
   • Tanach, Genesis 7:2, with translation of the King James Version:

     מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה תִּקַּח לְךָ שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּמִן הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא טְהֹרָה הִוא שְׁנַיִם אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ׃

     Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

Declension

Declension of אִשָּׁה

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	אִשָּׁה	first	אִשְׁתִּי		אִשְׁתֵּנוּ
	definite	הָאִשָּׁה	second	אִשְׁתְּךָ	אִשְׁתֵּךְ	אִשְׁתְּכֶם	אִשְׁתְּכֶן
	construct	אֵשֶׁת־	third	אִשְׁתּוֹ	אִשְׁתָּהּ	אִשְׁתָּם	אִשְׁתָּן
plural	indefinite	נָשִׁים	first	נשותיי / נְשׁוֹתַי		נְשׁוֹתֵינוּ
	definite	הַנָּשִׁים	second	נְשׁוֹתֶיךָ	נשותייך / נְשׁוֹתַיִךְ	נְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם	נְשׁוֹתֵיכֶן
	construct	נְשׁוֹת־	third	נְשׁוֹתָיו	נְשׁוֹתֶיהָ	נְשׁוֹתָם	נְשׁוֹתָן
plural	indefinite	נָשִׁים	first	נשיי / נָשַׁי		נָשֵׁינוּ
	definite	הַנָּשִׁים	second	נָשֶׁיךָ	נשייך / נָשַׁיִךְ	נְשֵׁיכֶם	נְשֵׁיכֶן
	construct	נְשֵׁי־	third	נָשָׁיו	נָשֶׁיהָ	נְשֵׁיהֶם	נְשֵׁיהֶן

Synonyms

• (wife): אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ (éshet ísh)

References

• H802 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Kogan, Leonid (2011), “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 233
• “אשה” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Etymology 2

Related to אֵשׁ (ésh, “fire”), which is from Proto-Semitic *ʾiš-.

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiʃˈʃe/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiʃˈʃɛ/, [ʔiʃˈʃɛː]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔiʃˈʃa/, [ʔiʃˈʃæː]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)iʃˈʃe/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /iˈʃɛ/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)iˈʃe/

Noun

אִשֶּׁה • (ishé) f (plural indefinite אִשִּׁים, singular construct אִשֵּׁה־, plural construct אִשֵּׁי־)

1. (biblical) burnt offering

Synonyms

• עוֹלָה (olá)

References

• H801 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Kogan, Leonid (2011), “Proto-Semitic Lexicon”, in Weninger, Stefan, editor, The Semitic Languages. An International Handbook (Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft – Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science; 36), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, pages 194-195

Yiddish

Alternative forms

• אישה (ishe)

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אִשָּׁה (ishá, “woman; wife”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪʃə/

Noun

אשה • (ishe) f, plural נשים (noshem)

1. woman (usually Jewish)
   • 1967, Chaim Grade, צמח אַטלאַס [Tsemakh Atlas], volume 1, page 59:

     ס׳האָט אויסגעקוקט אַז די אשה האָט אויך בדעה אויסצושטרעקן די פרעמדע מאַנסלײַט איר האַנט, נאָר זייערע רוגזהדיקע פּנימער האַלטן זי אָפּ.

     s'hot oysgekukt az di ishe hot oykh bedeye oystsushtrekn di fremde manslayt ir hant, nor zeyere rugzedike penemer haltn zi op.

     It was seen that the woman also planned to shake hands with the strange men, but their angry faces stopped her.

Usage notes

This word is mainly used in reference to traditions and religious law, especially ones specific to women. The word is therefore also usually formal.

Related terms

• איש (ish)