חוח

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
ח־ו־ח (kh-w-kh)
2 terms

Probably related to חָח (khakh, “hook, ring, buckle”) [1]; cognates with Aramaic חוֹחַא (ḥōḥā, “thorn, thornbush”), Classical Syriac ܚܘܚܐ (ḥōḥā, “thorn, thornbush”), Jewish Babylonian Aramaic חָחָא / חָאחָא (ḥaḥḥā, “plum”), Classical Syriac ܚܲܚܵܐ (ḥaḥḥā, “plum”), Arabic خَوْخ (ḵawḵ, “plum, peach”).

Pronunciation

Noun

חוֹחַ • (khóakh) m (plural indefinite חוֹחִים or חֹחִים)

  1. golden thistle (Scolymus)
  2. (biblical) briar, thorn, thornbush
    • Tanach, Song of Songs 2:2, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      כְּשׁוֹשַׁנָּה בֵּין הַחוֹחִים
      כֵּן רַעְיָתִי בֵּין הַבָּנוֹת׃
      Like a lily among thorns,
      So is my darling among the maidens.
  3. (biblical) hook, ring
    • Tanach, 2 Chronicles 33:11, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וַיָּבֵא יְהוָה עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַצָּבָא אֲשֶׁר לְמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיִּלְכְּדוּ אֶת־מְנַשֶּׁה בַּחֹחִים וַיַּאַסְרֻהוּ בַּנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם וַיּוֹלִיכֻהוּ בָּבֶלָה׃
      Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
Declension
Declension of חוֹחַ
isolated forms with possessive pronouns
Number: State: form Person: singular plural
m f m f
singular indefinite חוֹחַ first חוֹחִי חוֹחֵנוּ
definite הַחוֹחַ second חוֹחֲךָ חוֹחֵךְ חוֹחֲכֶם חוֹחֲכֶן
construct חוֹחַ־ third חוֹחוֹ חוֹחָהּ חוֹחָם חוֹחָן
plural indefinite חוֹחִים first חוחיי / חוֹחַי חוֹחֵינוּ
definite הַחוֹחִים second חוֹחֶיךָ חוחייך / חוֹחַיִךְ חוֹחֵיכֶם חוֹחֵיכֶן
construct חוֹחֵי־ third חוֹחָיו חוֹחֶיהָ חוֹחֵיהֶם חוֹחֵיהֶן
Derived terms
  • חוֹחַ עָקוּד (khóakh 'akúd, “spotted golden thistle (Scolymus maculatus)”)
  • חוֹחִית (khokhít, “goldfinch”)
  • חוֹחַן (khokhán, “cotton thistle (Onopordum)”)

Etymology 2

Root
ח־ו־ח (kh-w-kh)
2 terms

Compare Old South Arabian 𐩭𐩭 (ḫḫ), from which Arabic خَوْخَة (ḵawḵa, “wicket, aperture”), Ge'ez ኆኅት (ḫoḫət, “door, gate, wall opening”), Amharic ኆኅት (ḫoḫət, “space between letters”); also cognates with Shehri ḫɔh, Mehri ḫā, Soqotri حه (ḥe, “mouth”).

Pronunciation

Noun

חוֹחַ • (khóakh) m (plural indefinite חֲוָחִים)

  1. (hapax legomenon, biblical) aperture, cleft
    • Tanach, 1 Samuel 13:6:
      וְאִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל רָאוּ כִּי צַר־לוֹ כִּי נִגַּשׂ הָעָם וַיִּתְחַבְּאוּ הָעָם בַּמְּעָרוֹת וּבַחֲוָחִים וּבַסְּלָעִים וּבַצְּרִחִים וּבַבֹּרוֹת׃
      When Israel’s side saw that they were in trouble—for the troops were hard pressed—the people hid in caves, in clefts, among rocks, in tunnels, and in cisterns.
Usage notes

This word occurs only once in the Bible, in its plural form, and has traditionally been associated with חוֹחַ (khoakh, “thorn, thornbush”) (which has a plural form of חוֹחִים (khokhím)), and has been translated as such.

However, Klein[2] proposed that its meaning was "aperture, cleft", comparing the word to Ge'ez ኆኅት (ḫoḫət, “door, gate, wall opening”) and Arabic خَوْخَة (ḵawḵa, “wicket, aperture”).

Declension
Declension of חוֹחַ
isolated forms with possessive pronouns
Number: State: form Person: singular plural
m f m f
singular indefinite חוֹחַ first חוֹחִי חוֹחֵנוּ
definite הַחוֹחַ second חוֹחֲךָ חוֹחֵךְ חוֹחֲכֶם חוֹחֲכֶן
construct חוֹחַ־ third חוֹחוֹ חוֹחָהּ חוֹחָם חוֹחָן
plural indefinite חֲוָחִים first חוחיי / חֲוָחַי חֲוָחֵינוּ
definite הַחֲוָחִים second חֲוָחֶיךָ חוחייך / חֲוָחַיִךְ חֲוָחֵיכֶם חֲוָחֵיכֶן
construct חֲוָחֵי־ third חֲוָחָיו חֲוָחֶיהָ חֲוָחֵיהֶם חֲוָחֵיהֶן

References

  1. ^ Klein, Ernest (1987), “חָח”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎[1], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 213
  2. ^ Klein, Ernest (1987), “חֽוֹחַ”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎[2], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 210

Further reading

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