aleph
[ ah-lif; Hebrew ah-lef ]
/ ˈɑ lɪf; Hebrew ˈɑ lɛf /
|
noun
the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
the glottal stop consonant or, alternatively, long vowel represented by this letter.
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Meet The Animal That Inspired The Letter AThere is quite a bit of mystery surrounding the letter A. From its prestigious first place position to its interesting shape, tracing the first letter of the English alphabet uncovers a history that begins with, of all things, an ox. Where does the letter A come from? The letter A is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph—a western Semitic word referring to the aforementioned beast of burden. Aleph …
Nearby words
- alemán, mateo,
- alemán, miguel,
- alene,
- alençon,
- alençon lace,
- aleph-bet,
- aleph-null,
- alepoudelis, odysseus,
- aleppo,
- aleppo boil
Origin of aleph
1250–1300; Middle English < Hebrew āleph, akin to eleph ox
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for aleph
Daneri is using the Aleph to write a terrible poem that minutely and pointlessly describes everything on earth.
The first begins with Aleph, the second with Beth, and so on, the second verse of each pair not being counted in the scheme.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. MaclarenEach short clause begins with Aleph; each makes the same fervid resolve.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. MaclarenCommonly referred to under the symbol , the Hebrew letter, Aleph.
Lectures on Bible Revision|Samuel Newth
aleph
/ (ˈɑːlɪf, Hebrew ˈaːlɛf) /
noun
the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet (א) articulated as a glottal stop and transliterated with a superior comma (`)
Word Origin for aleph
Hebrew: ox
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
aleph
Hebrew and Phoenician letter, c.1300, from Semitic languages, pausal form of eleph "ox" (the character might have developed from a hieroglyph of an ox's head); also see alphabet.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper