כוונה

From the root כ־ו־ן (k-w-n).

כוונה / כַּוָּנָה • (kavaná) f (plural indefinite כוונות / כַּוָּנוֹת, singular construct כוונת / כַּוָּנַת־)

1. intent, intention
2. meaning
3. (Judaism) kavanah

• Like other words that start with ב,‎ ג,‎ ד,‎ כ,‎ פ,‎ or ת, this term's initial letter takes a dagesh lene. In older texts, that dagesh is usually dropped when the word is preceded, in the same phrase, by a word ending in a mater lectionis; in modern texts, the dagesh is usually preserved even in such a case. Likewise, in older texts, the dagesh is always dropped when the word is prefixed by an indefinite ב־‏,‎ כ־‏,‎ or ל־‏, or by ו־‏; in modern speech, the dagesh is often preserved in such a case. (After the definite ב־‏,‎ כ־‏,‎ and ל־‏, and after the prefixes ה־‏,‎ מ־‏,‎ and ש־‏, there is a dagesh forte, as described in the usage notes for those prefixes.)

• בְּכַוָּנָה / בכוונה (b'khavaná)
• הדרך לגיהנום רצופה כוונות טובות (hadérekh lagehenóm r'tzufáh kavanót tovót)

• → English: kavanah