נפש

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Hebrew

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Root
נ־פ־שׁ (n-p-sh)

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Proto-Semitic *napš-. Compare Akkadian 𒆒 (napāšum, to breathe), 𒍣 (napištum, life), Arabic نَفْس (nafs, a soul, a life), and Ge'ez ነፍስ (näfs).

Noun

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נֶפֶשׁ (néfeshf (plural indefinite נְפָשׁוֹת, singular construct נֶפֶשׁ־, plural construct נַפְשׁוֹת־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

  1. a soul, psyche (spirit of a person or animal)
  2. life (the state of being alive, of living)
    • Tanach, Genesis 9:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וּמִיַּד הָאָדָם מִיַּד אִישׁ אָחִיו אֶדְרֹשׁ אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם
      umiyád haadám miyád ísh achív edrósh et-néfesh haadám
      and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man
  3. a person (human being)
    • Tanach, Genesis 36:6, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וַיִּקַּח עֵשָׂו אֶת־נָשָׁיו וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בְּנֹתָיו וְאֶת־כָּל־נַפְשׁוֹת בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶת־מִקְנֵהוּ וְאֶת־כָּל־בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וְאֵת כָּל־קִנְיָנוֹ
      vayikákh esáv et-nasháv v'et-banáv v'et-b'notáv v'et-kol-nafshót betó v'et-miknéhu v'et-kol-b'hemtó v'ét kol-kinyanó
      And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his possessions
    • Tanach, Leviticus 21:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא־יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו
      l'néfesh lo-yitamá b'amáv
      There shall none defile himself for the dead among his people
  4. will (intent, volition)
    • Tanach, Genesis 23:8, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      אִם־יֵשׁ אֶת־נַפְשְׁכֶם לִקְבֹּר אֶת־מֵתִי מִלְּפָנַי
      im-yésh et-nafsh'chém likbór et-metí mil'fanáy
      If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight
  5. (dated) breath
    • Tanach, Job 41:13, with translation of the New International Version:
      נַפְשׁוֹ גֶּחָלִים תְּלַהֵט וְלַהַב מִפִּיו יֵצֵא׃
      Its breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from its mouth.

Declension
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Derived terms
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Descendants
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  • English: nephesh
Further reading
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Etymology 2

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Verb

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נָפַשׁ (nafásh) (pa'al construction)

  1. to go on holiday/vacation
Conjugation
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Noun

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נֹפֶשׁ (nofeshm

  1. defective spelling of נופש