אתון

Aramaic

Pronoun

אַתּוּן • (ʾattūn) m pl

1. masculine plural of אַתְּ (ʾatt)

Hebrew

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔatān-. Cognate with Aramaic אֲתָנָא (ʾăṯānā), אַתָּנָא (ʾattānā), Arabic أَتَان (ʔatān).

Noun

אָתוֹן • ('atón) f (plural indefinite אֲתוֹנוֹת, singular construct אֲתוֹן־, masculine counterpart חֲמוֹר)

1. jenny (female donkey)
   • Tanach, Numbers 22:23, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת־מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה נִצָּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ וַתֵּט הָאָתוֹן מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ וַתֵּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיַּךְ בִּלְעָם אֶת־הָאָתוֹן לְהַטֹּתָהּ הַדָּרֶךְ׃

     Va-tére ha-atón et mal'ákh Adonái nitsáv ba-dérekh v-ḥarb-ó shlufá b-yad-o va-tét ha-atón min ha-dérekh va-télekh ba-sadéh va-yakh Bil'ám et ha-atón l'hatotáh ha-dárekh.

     And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

   • a. 425 C.E., Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzi'a 5:4:

     הַשָּׁם בְּהֵמָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ, עַד כַּמָּה חַייָב בָּאַחֵרָיוּתָהּ? סוּמָכוֹס אוֹמֵר: הַגּוֹדָרוֹת שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, בָּאֲתוֹנוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֹדֶשׁ.

     Ha-sam b'hemá me-ḥaver-ó, 'ad kammá ḥayyáv ba-aḥerayut-áh? Súmakhos omér: ha-godarót shnéim 'asár ḥódesh, ba-atonót 'esrím v-arba'á ḥódesh.

     If someone has an animal placed with them from their fellow, how long are they liable for its responsibility? Symmachus says: for folded livestock twelve months, for she-asses twenty-four months.

Etymology 2

From Egyptian jtn.

Proper noun

אָתוֹן • ('atón)

1. Aten