אלף

From Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- (“thousand; cattle”). Cognate with Arabic ألف (ʔalf).

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔalpʰ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔɛlɛf/, [ˈʔɛːlɛf]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔalaf/, [ˈʔæːlæf]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ(ʔ)elef/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈɛlɛf/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ(ʔ)elef/

אֶלֶף • (élef) m or f (dual אלפיים / אַלְפַּיִם, plural אֲלָפִים, Biblical Hebrew pausal form אָלֶף) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. thousand, one thousand
   • Tanach, Exodus 12:37, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵרַעְמְסֵס סֻכֹּתָה כְּשֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף רַגְלִי הַגְּבָרִים לְבַד מִטָּף׃

     vayis'ú v'né yisra'él mera'msés sukóta k'shésh me'ót élef raglí hagvarím l'vád mitáf

     And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children.

אֶלֶף • (élef) m (plural indefinite אֲלָפִים, singular construct אֶלֶף־, plural construct אַלְפֵי־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. millennium
2. thousandship, a part of thousand of a tribe

   Synonym: מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpakhá)

   • Tanach, Numbers 1:16, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אֵלֶּה קְרוּאֵי (קריאי) הָעֵדָה נְשִׂיאֵי מַטּוֹת אֲבוֹתָם רָאשֵׁי אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם׃

     éle kru'é ha'edá n'si'é matót avotám rashé alfé yisra'él hem.

     These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel.

3. (chiefly in the plural) head of cattle, animal living in company
   • Tanach, Proverbs 14:04, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     בְּאֵין אֲלָפִים אֵבוּס בָּר וְרָב־תְּבוּאוֹת בְּכֹחַ שׁוֹר׃

     b'én alafím evús bar v'rav tvu'ót b'khóakh shor.

     Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; But much increase is by the strength of the ox.

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔalpʰ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔɔːlɛf/, [ˈʔɔːlɛf]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʔɔlaf/, [ˈʔɔːlæf]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ(ʔ)ɒlef/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈɔlɛf/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈ(ʔ)alef/

• Audio:

  (file)

אָלֶף • (álef) f

1. alternative spelling of אל״ף

• אָלֶפְבֵּית (alefbet)

אִלֵּף • (iléf) (pi'el construction, passive counterpart אֻלַּף)

1. defective spelling of אילף

From Hebrew אלף.

אלף • (elef)

1. thousand (pl. אַלפֿים)

Unpointed form of אַלף.

אלף • (alef)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of אַלף (alef).

• Steven A. Jacobson (1998) A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, 5th edition, Fairbanks, AK: National Yiddish Book Center, →ISBN, page 23