שפחה
Hebrew
Etymology
From the unused root שׁ־פ־ח (š-p-ḥ), possibly meaning "to spread out". Related to מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpakhá), Ugaritic 𐎌𐎔𐎃 (špḫ, “family”), and Phoenician 𐤔𐤐𐤇 (špḥ, “family”).
Pronunciation
- (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA(key): /ʃifˈχa/
- (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA(key): /ʃifˈħɔː/
- (Biblical Hebrew) IPA(key): /ʃipʰˈħaː/
- (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA(key): /ʃifˈχɔ/, [ˈʃɪf.χə]
- (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA(key): /ʃifˈħɔː/
- (Persian Hebrew) IPA(key): /ʃifˈhɒ/
Noun
שִׁפְחָה • (shifkhá) f (plural indefinite שְׁפָחוֺת, singular construct שִׁפְחַת־) [pattern: קִטְלָה]
- maidservant, female slave, maid, handmaid
- Synonym: אמה (amá)
- Tanach, Genesis 29:24, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
- וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לָ֔הּ אֶת־זִלְפָּ֖ה שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ לְלֵאָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ שִׁפְחָֽה׃
- vayitén Laván lah 'et Zilpá shifkható l'Le'á vitó shifkhá
- Laban had given his maidservant Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maid.—
Declension
| isolated forms | with possessive pronouns | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number: | State: | form | Person: | singular | plural | ||
| m | f | m | f | ||||
| singular | indefinite | שִׁפְחָה | first | שִׁפְחָתִי | שִׁפְחָתֵנוּ | ||
| definite | הַשִּׁפְחָה | second | שִׁפְחָתְךָ | שִׁפְחָתֵךְ | שִׁפְחַתְכֶם | שִׁפְחַתְכֶן | |
| construct | שִׁפְחַת־ | third | שִׁפְחָתוֹ | שִׁפְחָתָהּ | שִׁפְחָתָם | שִׁפְחָתָן | |
| plural | indefinite | שְׁפָחוֺת | first | שפחותיי / שִׁפְחוֹתַי | שִׁפְחוֹתֵינוּ | ||
| definite | הַשְּׁפָחוֺת | second | שִׁפְחוֹתֶיךָ | שפחותייך / שִׁפְחוֹתַיִךְ | שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶם | שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶן | |
| construct | שִׁפְחוֹת־ | third | שִׁפְחוֹתָיו | שִׁפְחוֹתֶיהָ | שִׁפְחוֹתָם | שִׁפְחוֹתָן | |