עולם

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ע־ל־ם (ʿ-l-m)
8 terms

Cognate with Aramaic עָלְמָא (ʿāləmā), Arabic عَالَم (ʕālam), Amharic ዓለም (ʿaläm).

Pronunciation

(Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕoːˈlaːm/
(Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕoˈlɔm/ [ʕoːˈlɔːm]
(Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʕøˈlɔm/ [ʕøːˈlɔːm], [ʕeːˈlɔːm]
(Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ŋoˈlam/ (West), /ʕoˈlam/ (East)
(Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /oːˈlɔm/, /ojˈlɔm/
(Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)oˈlam/
Rhymes: -am

Noun

עוֹלָם • ('olám) m (plural indefinite עוֹלָמִים or עוֹלָמוֹת, singular construct עוֹלַם־, plural construct עוֹלְמֵי־) [pattern: קוֹטָל]

(The) world: (the) Earth, (the) globe.
(The) world: the states and nations of the world.
A world: an area, a field of study.
Ever, eternity.
A world: the entirety of a person's life and experience.

Usage notes

The plural is generally עוֹלָמִים (olamím, “eternity”) when referring to time and עוֹלָמוֹת (olamót, “worlds”) when referring to place (a meaning originating from Mishnaic Hebrew).^[1]^[2]

Declension

Declension of **עוֹלָם**
	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
Number:	State:	form	Person:	m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	עוֹלָם	first	עוֹלָמִי		עוֹלָמֵנוּ
	definite	הָעוֹלָם	second	עוֹלָמְךָ	עוֹלָמֵךְ	עוֹלַמְכֶם	עוֹלַמְכֶן
	construct	עוֹלַם־	third	עוֹלָמוֹ	עוֹלָמָהּ	עוֹלָמָם	עוֹלָמָן
plural	indefinite	עוֹלָמִים	first	עולמיי / עוֹלָמַי		עוֹלָמֵינוּ
	definite	הָעוֹלָמִים	second	עוֹלָמֶיךָ	עולמייך / עוֹלָמַיִךְ	עוֹלְמֵיכֶם	עוֹלְמֵיכֶן
	construct	עוֹלְמֵי־	third	עוֹלָמָיו	עוֹלָמֶיהָ	עוֹלְמֵיהֶם	עוֹלְמֵיהֶן

Derived terms

References

^ Shamma Friedman (2014 October 7) “הריבוי ״עולמים״/״עולמות״ [The pluralization of olamím/olamót]”, in Academy of the Hebrew Language‎^[1]‎^[2]
^ “אם עולם הוא זכר (לדוגמה: עולם חדש) – אז למה ברבים ׳עולמות׳ – ולא ׳עולמים׳? [If olám is masculine (for example: olám khadásh) – then why, in the plural, is it olamót – and not olamím?]”, in Instagram‎^[3], 2022 April 10

References

H5769 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew עוֹלָם (olám).

Noun

עולם • (oylem) m, plural עולמס (oylems)

Derived terms

דער ברײַטער עולם (der brayter oylem)

Noun

עולם • (oylem) m, plural עולמות (oylemes/oylomes)

world
(in the plural) the heavens, metaphysical spheres

Derived terms

אויף עולמות (oyf oylemes/oylomes)
בית־עולם (beys oylem)
עולם הבא (oylem habe)
עולם הזה (oylem haze)

[1] Shamma Friedman (2014 October 7) “הריבוי ״עולמים״/״עולמות״ [The pluralization of olamím/olamót]”, in Academy of the Hebrew Language‎^[1]‎^[2]

[2] “אם עולם הוא זכר (לדוגמה: עולם חדש) – אז למה ברבים ׳עולמות׳ – ולא ׳עולמים׳? [If olám is masculine (for example: olám khadásh) – then why, in the plural, is it olamót – and not olamím?]”, in Instagram‎^[3], 2022 April 10

[1]

[2]