עבודה

Hebrew

FWOTD – 1 May 2022

Etymology

Root
ע־ב־ד (ʿ-b-d)
12 terms

Cognate with Arabic عِبَادَة (ʕibāda).

Pronunciation

• (reconstructed Biblical) IPA^(key): /ʕaboːˈdaː/
• (Rabbinic Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕaboːˈdaː/, [ʕa.βoː.ˈðäː]
• (Tiberian) IPA^(key): /ʕăvoːˈðaː/, [ʕa.voː.ˈðɔː]
• (Iraqi) IPA^(key): /ʕavoːˈðaː/, [ʕa.voː.ˈðäː]
• (Yemenite) IPA^(key): /ʕavoːˈðɔː/, [ʕæ.vøː.ˈðɔː]
• (Sephardi) IPA^(key): /ʔavoˈda/, [ʔa.vo.ˈdä]
• (Dutch Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ŋavoˈda/, [ŋa.vo.ˈdä]
• (Northern Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /aˈvoːdɔ/, [aˈve͡i.dɔ], [ə.ˈva͡u.dɔ]
• (Southern Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /aˈvo͡idu/, [aˈvo͡i.du], [aˈvø͡i.du]
• (Contemporary Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /aˈvo͡udə/, [ə.ˈvo͡u.də]
• (Modern Israeli) IPA^(key): /ʔavoˈda/

Noun

עֲבוֹדָה • (avodá) f (plural indefinite עֲבוֹדוֹת, singular construct עֲבוֹדַת־, plural construct עֲבוֹדוֹת־) [pattern: קְטוֹלָה]

1. worship, service
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah. Avot, section 1.2:

     עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד: עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים

     al shloshá d'varím ha'olám oméd: al hatoráh v'al ha'avodah v'al g'milút khasadím

     Upon three things the world stands: upon the Torah, and upon worship, and upon deeds of loving kindness.

2. work, job, labor
   • Tanach, Exodus 1:14, with translation of the New International Version:

     וַיְמָרְרוּ אֶת־חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּחֹמֶר וּבִלְבֵנִים וּבְכָל־עֲבֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה אֵת כָּל־עֲבֹדָתָם אֲשֶׁר־עָבְדוּ בָהֶם בְּפָרֶךְ׃

     vaymar'rú et khayehém ba'avodá kashá b'khómer uvil'vaním uv'khól avodá basadé et kol avodatám ashér avdú vahem b'fárekh.

     They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

3. (physics) work

Declension

Declension of עֲבוֹדָה

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	עֲבוֹדָה	first	עֲבוֹדָתִי		עֲבוֹדָתֵנוּ
	definite	הָעֲבוֹדָה	second	עֲבוֹדָתְךָ	עֲבוֹדָתֵךְ	עֲבוֹדַתְכֶם	עֲבוֹדַתְכֶן
	construct	עֲבוֹדַת־	third	עֲבוֹדָתוֹ	עֲבוֹדָתָהּ	עֲבוֹדָתָם	עֲבוֹדָתָן
plural	indefinite	עֲבוֹדוֹת	first	עבודותיי / עֲבוֹדוֹתַי		עֲבוֹדוֹתֵינוּ
	definite	הָעֲבוֹדוֹת	second	עֲבוֹדוֹתֶיךָ	עבודותייך / עֲבוֹדוֹתַיִךְ	עֲבוֹדוֹתֵיכֶם	עֲבוֹדוֹתֵיכֶן
	construct	עֲבוֹדוֹת־	third	עֲבוֹדוֹתָיו	עֲבוֹדוֹתֶיהָ	עֲבוֹדוֹתָם	עֲבוֹדוֹתָן

Derived terms

• סוּס עֲבוֹדָה (sús avodá)
• עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה (avodá zará)
• עבודה שחורה / עֲבוֹדָה שְׁחֹרָה (avodá shkhorá)
• עֲבוֹדוֹת דְּחָק (avodót d'khak)

See also

• מְלָאכָה (m'lakhá)

References

• H5656 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Proper noun

הָעֲבוֹדָה • (ha'avodá)

1. (Politics) the Israeli Labor Party (a social-democratic and Zionist political party in Israel)

Further reading

• Avodah on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• עובדה

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew עֲבוֹדָה.

Noun

עבודה • (avoyde) f, plural עבֿודות (avoydes)

1. worship, service, work

Derived terms

• עבֿודה־זרה (avoyde-zore)
• עבֿודת־פּרך (avoydes-perekh)
• עבֿודה־בזויה (avoyde-bzuye)
• עבֿודת־הבורא (avoydes-haboyre)
• עבֿודת־הקודש (avoydes-hakoydesh)

References

• Astravux, Aljaksandar (2008), “avojde”, in Idyš-bjelaruski slównik [Yiddish–Belarusian Dictionary], Minsk: Mjedisónt, →ISBN, page 110