צבי

Hebrew

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *ṯ̣aby(at-). Compare Arabic ظَبْي (ẓaby) & Aramaic טַבְיָא (ṭaḇyā).

Pronunciation

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Noun

צְבִי • (ts'ví) m (plural indefinite צְבָיִים, feminine counterpart צבייה / צְבִיָּה, Biblical Hebrew pausal form צֶבִי) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. gazelle
   • Tanach, 2 Samuel 2:18, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּהְיוּ־שָׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה בְּנֵי צְרוּיָה יוֹאָב וַאֲבִישַׁי וַעֲשָׂהאֵל וַעֲשָׂהאֵל קַל בְּרַגְלָיו כְּאַחַד הַצְּבָיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה׃

     vayihyu-shám sh'loshá b'néi ts'ruyá yo'áv va'avishái va'asa'él va'asa'él kál b'ragláv k'akhád hats'vayím 'ashér basadé.
     wayyihyū-šām šəlōšā bənē ṣərūyā yōʾāḇ waʾăḇīšay waʿăśāʾēl waʿăśāʾēl qal bəraḡlāw kəʾaḥaḏ haṣṣəḇāyīm ʾăšer baśśāḏe.

     And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as one of the roes that are in the field.

Derived terms

• עַל קֶרֶן הַצְּבִי (al kéren hats'ví)

Proper noun

צְבִי • (ts'ví) m

1. a male given name, Tzvi

References

• Weninger, Stefan, editor (2011), The Semitic Languages - An International Handbook, KG, Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 208