בהמה

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ב־ה־ם (b-h-m)

Cognate with Ugaritic 𐎁𐎅𐎎𐎚 (bhmt); Arabic بَهِيمَة (bahīma); Ge'ez ባሃመ (baham, “to be dumb”).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /beheˈma/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

בְּהֵמָה • (behemá) f (plural indefinite בְּהֵמוֹת, singular construct בֶּהֱמַת־, plural construct בַּהֲמוֹת־) [pattern: קְטֵלָה]

1. beast, animal (usually domesticated), livestock
2. beast, a person who behaves in an uncivilized manner

   Synonym: (slang) וָואחְשׁ (wakhsh)

Declension

Declension of בְּהֵמָה

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	בְּהֵמָה	first	בְּהֶמְתִּי		בְּהֶמְתֵּנוּ
	definite	הַבְּהֵמָה	second	בְּהֶמְתְּךָ	בְּהֶמְתֵּךְ	בְּהֶמְתְּכֶם	בְּהֶמְתְּכֶן
	construct	בֶּהֱמַת־	third	בְּהֶמְתּוֹ	בְּהֶמְתָּהּ	בְּהֶמְתָּם	בְּהֶמְתָּן
plural	indefinite	בְּהֵמוֹת	first	בהמותיי / בַּהֲמוֹתַי		בַּהֲמוֹתֵינוּ
	definite	הַבְּהֵמוֹת	second	בַּהֲמוֹתֶיךָ	בהמותייך / בַּהֲמוֹתַיִךְ	בַּהֲמוֹתֵיכֶם	בַּהֲמוֹתֵיכֶן
	construct	בַּהֲמוֹת־	third	בַּהֲמוֹתָיו	בַּהֲמוֹתֶיהָ	בַּהֲמוֹתָם	בַּהֲמוֹתָן

Descendants

• English: behemoth
• Russian: бегемот (begemot)
• Yiddish: בהמה (beheyme)

See also

• חַיָּה (ḥayyá)

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
• H929 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Koehler, Ludwig, Walter, Baumgartner (1994–2000) The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Leiden: Brill
• “בהמה” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Ladino

Etymology

From Hebrew בְּהֵמָה (behemá).

Noun

בהמה f (Hebrew spelling, Latin spelling beemá)

1. animal, beast
2. head of cattle

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew בְּהֵמָה (behemá).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈhɛɪ̯mə/

Noun

בהמה • (beheyme) f, plural בהמות (beheymes)

1. cow, head of cattle
2. animal, beast
3. (derogatory) beast, brute (person who acts in an uncivilised manner)
4. (derogatory) imbecile

Synonyms

• (cow): קו (ku)