לילה

Hebrew

Etymology

Likely a remnant of the accusative case (used adverbially to mean “at night”) of לַיִל (láyil), from Proto-Semitic *layl-. Cognate with Arabic لَيْل (layl), لَيْلَة (layla), Aramaic לֵילְיָא (lēləyā), Classical Syriac ܠܹܠܝܵܐ (lēlyā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaj.la/

Noun

לַיְלָה • (láyla) m (plural indefinite לֵילוֹת, singular construct לֵיל־, Biblical Hebrew pausal form לָיְלָה)

1. night: period from nightfall to daybreak
2. (figuratively) adversity

Synonyms

• לַיִל (láyil)

Derived terms

• הַלַּיְלָה (haláyla)
• לַיְלָה טוֹב (láyla tóv)

References

• H3915 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

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Judeo-Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic ليلة.

Noun

לילה • (layla)

1. night