חמור

Hebrew

חמור

Etymology 1

Root
ח־מ־ר (kh-m-r)
6 terms

From Proto-Semitic *ḥimār- (“donkey”). Cognate with Arabic حِمَار (ḥimār). Called after their reddish-brown to gray color, which it shares with clay, whose Hebrew equivalent חֹמֶר (khómer) originates from the same root. For a similar etymology, cf. Spanish burro (“donkey”) from Latin burrus (“red, reddish-brown”).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħəˈmoːr/, [ħăˈmoːr]
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħəˈmor/, [ħaˈmoːʀ]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈmoʁ/

Noun

חֲמוֹר • (khamór) m (plural indefinite חֲמוֹרִים, singular construct חֲמוֹר־, plural construct חֲמוֹרֵי־, feminine counterpart אָתוֹן) [pattern: קְטוֹל]

1. donkey (a domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar to a horse)
   • Tanach, Exodus 4:20, with Young's Literal Translation:

     וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם עַל־הַחֲמֹר

     yayikách moshé et-ishtó v'et-banáv vayarkivém al-hachamór

     and Moses taketh his wife, and his sons, and causeth them to ride on the ass

   • Tanach, Deuteronomy 22:10, with translation of the King James Version:

     לֹא־תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר־וּבַחֲמֹר יַחְדָּו

     lo-tacharósh b'shor-uvachamór yachdáv

     Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Bechorot 1:2:

     פָּרָה שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין חֲמוֹר, וַחֲמוֹר שֶׁיָּלְדָה כְּמִין סוּס, פָּטוּר מִן הַבְּכוֹרָה

     Paráh she-yaldáh k-min ḥamór, va-ḥamór she-yaldah k-min sus, patur min ha-b'khorah.

     A cow that births what looks like a donkey, or a donkey that births what looks like a horse, these are exempt from the firstborn offering.

2. jackass (foolish person)
3. sawhorse

Declension

Declension of חֲמוֹר

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	חֲמוֹר	first	חֲמוֹרִי		חֲמוֹרֵנוּ
	definite	הַחֲמוֹר	second	חֲמוֹרְךָ	חֲמוֹרֵךְ	יֲמוֹרְכֶם	יֲמוֹרְכֶן
	construct	יֲמוֹר־	third	חֲמוֹרוֹ	חֲמוֹרָהּ	חֲמוֹרָם	חֲמוֹרָן
plural	indefinite	חֲמוֹרִים	first	חמוריי / חֲמוֹרַי		חֲמוֹרֵינוּ
	definite	הַחֲמוֹרִים	second	חֲמוֹרֶיךָ	חמורייך / חֲמוֹרַיִךְ	חֲמוֹרֵיכֶם	חֲמוֹרֵיכֶן
	construct	חֲמוֹרֵי־	third	חֲמוֹרָיו	חֲמוֹרֶיהָ	חֲמוֹרֵיהֶם	חֲמוֹרֵיהֶן

Derived terms

• חֲמוֹר נוֹשֵׂא סְפָרִים (khamór nosé sfarím)

Alternative forms

• (Biblical Hebrew) חֲמֹר

Hyponyms

• פֶּרֶא (“wild-ass”)

References

• H2543 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Klein, Ernest (1987) “חֲמוֹר”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎^[1], Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 221b
• Jastrow, Marcus (1903) A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, London, New York: Luzac & Co., G.P. Putnam's Sons, page 476a
• “חמור” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Root
ח־מ־ר (kh-m-r)
6 terms

Adjective

חָמוּר • (khamur) (feminine חֲמוּרָה, masculine plural חֲמוּרִים, feminine plural חֲמוּרוֹת)

1. severe, grave, serious, critical, drastic.

References

• “חמור” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• חמור on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew חמור.

Noun

חמור • (khamer) m, plural חמורים (khamoyrim)

1. (derogatory) donkey, jackass, fool