דלת

See also: דל״ת

Hebrew

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /dalt/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈde.let/

• Audio:

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Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *dalt- (“door”), cognate with Akkadian 𒄑𒅅 (daltum), Ugaritic 𐎄𐎍𐎚 (dlt /⁠daltu⁠/), and Aramaic דַּלְתָּא. The /t/, which originally marked it as a feminine, has been reinterpreted as the third root consonant and the noun has taken the form of a segolate.

Noun

דֶּלֶת • (délet) f (dual indefinite דלתיים / דְּלָתַיִם, plural indefinite דְּלָתוֹת, singular construct דֶּלֶת־, plural construct דַּלְתוֹת־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. door (portal of entry)
   • Tanach, Ezekiel 41:24, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּשְׁתַּיִם דְּלָתוֹת לַדְּלָתוֹת שְׁתַּיִם מוּסַבּוֹת דְּלָתוֹת שְׁתַּיִם לְדֶלֶת אֶחָת וּשְׁתֵּי דְלָתוֹת לָאַחֶרֶת׃

     U-shtáyim dlatót la-dlatót shtáyim musabot dlatót shtáyim l-délet eḥat u-shtéy dlatót la-aḥéret.

     And the doors had two leaves [apiece], two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other.

   • Tanach, Job 38:8, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵא׃

     Va-yásekh bi-dlatáyim yam; b-giḥo me-réḥem yetsé

     Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it broke forth, and issued out of the womb

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Bava Metzi'a 8:7:

     הַמַּשְׂכִּיר בַּיִת לַחֲבֵרוֹ, הַמַּשְׂכִּיר חַיָּב בַּדֶּלֶת, בַּנֶּגֶר, וּבְמַנְעוּל, וּבְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה אֻמָּן.

     Ha-maskír báyit la-ḥaveró, ha-maskír ḥayyáv ba-délet, ba-néger, uva-man'úl, uv-khol davár she-ma'asé ummán.

     One who rents a house to his fellow, the landlord is obligated to provide the door, the bolt, and the lock, and any item which is made by a craftsman.

   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 84b:

     רָאָה שֶׁנִּנְעֲלָה דֶּלֶת בִּפְנֵי תִּינוֹק — שׁוֹבְרָהּ וּמוֹצִיאוֹ

     Ra'á she-nin'alá délet bifnéi tinóq, shovráh u-motsi-ó.

     One who sees a door stuck closed in front of a child, breaks it and takes him out.

Usage notes

• The dual form דלתיים / דְּלָתַיִם is sometimes used with the meaning double doors.

Declension

Declension of דֶּלֶת

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	דֶּלֶת	first	דַּלְתִּי		דַּלְתֵּנוּ
	definite	הַדֶּלֶת	second	דַּלְתְּךָ	דַּלְתֵּךְ	דַּלְתְּכֶם	דַּלְתְּכֶן
	construct	דֶּלֶת־	third	דַּלְתּוֹ	דַּלְתָּהּ	דַּלְתָּם	דַּלְתָּן
dual	indefinite	דלתיים / דְּלָתַיִם	first	דלתיי / דְּלָתַי		דְּלָתֵינוּ
	definite	הדלתיים / הַדְּלָתַיִם	second	דְּלָתֶיךָ	דלתייך / דְּלָתַיִךְ	דַּלְתֵיכֶם	דַּלְתֵיכֶן
	construct	דַּלְתֵי־	third	דְּלָתָיו	דְּלָתֶיהָ	דַּלְתֵיהֶם	דַּלְתֵיהֶן
plural	indefinite	דְּלָתוֹת	first	דלתותיי / דַּלְתוֹתַי		דַּלְתוֹתֵינוּ
	definite	הַדְּלָתוֹת	second	דַּלְתוֹתֶיךָ	דלתותייך / דַּלְתוֹתַיִךְ	דַּלְתוֹתֵיכֶם	דַּלְתוֹתֵיכֶן
	construct	דַּלְתוֹת־	third	דַּלְתוֹתָיו	דַּלְתוֹתֶיהָ	דַּלְתוֹתָם	דַּלְתוֹתָן

References

• H1817 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

Noun

דָּלֶת • (dalet) f

1. Alternative spelling of דל״ת