חנית

Hebrew

Etymology

From the root חָנָה (ḥānā, incline to, to bend down, verge toward) with the feminine suffix ־ִית. Cognate of Classical Syriac ܚܢܐ (ḥənā) also meaning specifically “to aim”. Compare also Egyptian ḥnyt (spear).

Pronunciation

  • (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA(key): /χaˈnit/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

חֲנִית • (khanítf (plural indefinite חֲנִיתוֹת or חֲנִיתִים)

  1. a spear, a javelin
    • Tanach, Isaiah 2:4, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וְשָׁפַט בֵּין הַגּוֹיִם וְהוֹכִיחַ לְעַמִּים רַבִּים וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתֽוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת לֹא־יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל־גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא־יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָֽה׃
      And He shall judge between the nations, / And shall decide for many peoples; / And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, / And their spears into pruninghooks; / Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, / Neither shall they learn war any more.
    • Tanach, 2 Chronicles 23:9, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וַיִּתֵּן יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן לְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת אֶת־הַֽחֲנִיתִים וְאֶת־הַמָּגִנּוֹת וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָטִים אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד אֲשֶׁר בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
      And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.

Declension

Declension of חֲנִית
isolated forms with possessive pronouns
Number: State: form Person: singular plural
m f m f
singular indefinite חֲנִית first חֲנִיתִי חֲנִיתֵנוּ
definite הַחֲנִית second חֲנִיתְךָ חֲנִיתֵךְ חֲנִיתְכֶם חֲנִיתְכֶן
construct חֲנִית־ third חֲנִיתוֹ חֲנִיתָהּ חֲנִיתָם חֲנִיתָן
plural indefinite חֲנִיתוֹת first חניתותיי / חֲנִיתוֹתַי חֲנִיתוֹתֵינוּ
definite הַחֲנִיתוֹת second חֲנִיתוֹתֶיךָ חניתותייך / חֲנִיתוֹתַיִךְ חֲנִיתוֹתֵיכֶם חֲנִיתוֹתֵיכֶן
construct חֲנִיתוֹת־ third חֲנִיתוֹתָיו חֲנִיתוֹתֶיהָ חֲנִיתוֹתָם חֲנִיתוֹתָן
plural indefinite חֲנִיתִים first חניתיי / חֲנִיתַי חֲנִיתֵינוּ
definite הַחֲנִיתִים second חֲנִיתֶיךָ חניתייך / חֲנִיתַיִךְ חֲנִיתֵיכֶם חֲנִיתֵיכֶן
construct חֲנִיתֵי־ third חֲנִיתָיו חֲנִיתֶיהָ חֲנִיתֵיהֶם חֲנִיתֵיהֶן

See also

References

  • Noonan, B. J. (2019). Non-Semitic loanwords in the Hebrew Bible: A lexicon of language contact (Vol. 14). Penn State Press. 329.
  • Hoch, James E. (1994) Semitic Words in Egyptian Texts of the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period, Princeton: Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 229