לילית

Hebrew

Etymology

A loanword from Akkadian 𒊩𒆤𒇲 (lilû, lilītu), which is itself derived from Sumerian "lil", both referring to the goddess Lilith. See Lamashtu (Akkadian: 𒀭𒈕𒈨, Sumerian: Dimme), who some have identified as Lilith because of various mythological similarities. For the Hebrew term for Lilith, the Semitic root l-l- (masculine noun meaning "night") is joined to the feminine suffix -t (see לַיְלָה (láylā, “night”)), which can cause the Hebrew term to literally translate to "lady of the night". A similar principle is true of the root word Akkadian 𒊩𒆤𒇲 (lilû, lilītu) as well. There seems to be a wordplay and/or etymological connection in both the Hebrew and the Akkadian between the name "Lilith" and the title "lady of the night". This interestingly adds to the narrative in the Akkadian myths about Lilītu, where she has no husband, and strolls about searching for men in order to ensnare them and enters their houses through the window like the wind, then flees out the window as the wind. The title "lady of the night" would imply that Lilith does these things spoken of in the myths, during the night. The wordplay/etymology being present in Akkadian would provide evidence that the mythological being Lilith or Lilītu, was perceived as "a lady of the night". And it seems that Hebrew has captured this idea as well, in its own technical way unique to its language. So the Hebrew term can perhaps mean "Lilith, the lady of the night".

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

לִילִית • (lilít) f

1. Lilith: a female demon in Talmudic tradition.
   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 100b:

     מְגַדֶּלֶת שֵׂעָר כְּלִילִית, וְיוֹשֶׁבֶת וּמַשְׁתֶּנֶת מַיִם כִּבְהֵמָה, וְנַעֲשֵׂית כַּר לְבַעְלָהּ.

     M'gadélet se'ár k-Lilít, v-yoshévet u-mashténet máyim ki-vhemáh, v-na'asét kar l-va'lah.

     She grows her hair long like Lilith, and sits and urinates water like an animal, and serves as a pillow for her husband.

Noun

לִילִית • (lilít) m (plural indefinite לִילִיו or לִילֵי) (Biblical Hebrew, Mishnaic Hebrew)

1. "Lilith, lady of the night"
   • Tanach, Isaiah 34:14, with translation of ISV:

     וּפָגְשׁוּ צִיִּים אֶת־אִיִּים וְשָׂעִיר עַל־רֵעֵהוּ יִקְרָא אַךְ־שָׁם הִרְגִּיעָה לִּילִית וּמָצְאָה לָהּ מָנוֹחַ׃

     u-fagshú tsiyyím et iyyím v-sa'ír 'al re'éhu yiqrá akh sham hirgi'á lilít u-mats'á lah manóaḥ

     And desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and goat-demons will call out to each other. There also Liliths will settle, and find for themselves a resting place.

   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 24b:

     מַעֲשֶׂה בְּסִימוֹנִי בְּאַחַת שֶׁהִפִּילָה דְּמוּת לִילִית וּבָא מַעֲשֶׂה לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים וְאָמְרוּ וָלָד הוּא אֶלָּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ כְּנָפַיִם

     Ma'asé b-Simonéi b-aḥat she-hipilá d'mút lilít, u-va ma'asé lifnéi ḥakhamím v-amrú valád hu éla she-yesh lo k'nafáyim.

     A matter in Simonias where one woman birthed the form of a demon, and the matter was brought before the sages and they said it was a viable offspring, except it had wings.

Noun

לִילִית • (lilít) f (plural indefinite לִילִיּוֹת) (Medieval Hebrew, Neo-Hebrew)

1. An owl: any member of the genus Strix of nocturnal birds of prey.
2. (specifically) tawny owl (any of species Strix aluco of strigid owls, of Europe, western Asia, and the Middle East)

References

• Jastrow, Marcus (1903) A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, London, New York: Luzac & Co., G.P. Putnam's Sons, page 707b
• Kaufman, Stephen A. (1974) The Akkadian Influences on Aramaic (The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago Assyriological Studies; 19)‎^[1], Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 66
• Zimmern, Heinrich (1915) Akkadische Fremdwörter als Beweis für babylonischen Kultureinfluss (in German), Leipzig: A. Edelmann, page 69
• Hutter, M. (1999). Lilith. In K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, & P. W. van der Horst (Eds.), Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible (2nd extensively rev. ed., pp. 520-521). Leiden; Boston; Köln; Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: Brill; Eerdmans.