ישראלי

Hebrew

Etymology

From ישראל (yisra'él) +‎ ־י (-i).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(j)is.ʀe.(ʔ)e.ˈli/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /jis.rə.ʔeː.ˈli/

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Adjective

יִשְׂרְאֵלִי • (yisr'elí, yiśrəʾēlî) (feminine יִשְׂרְאֵלִית, masculine plural יִשְׂרְאֵלִים or יִשְׂרְאֵלִיִּים, feminine plural יִשְׂרְאֵלִיּוֹת)

1. Israeli: of or pertaining to the State of Israel.
2. Israelian, Israelitish, of or pertaining to the historical Land of Israel
   • Leviticus 24:10:

     וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן־אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית וְהוּא בֶּן־אִישׁ מִצְרִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי׃

     vayetsé bén-ishá yisr'elít v'hú bén-ísh mitsrí b'tókh b'néi yisra'él vayinatsú bamakhané bén hayisr'elít v'ísh hayisr'elí.

     And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father [was] an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish [woman] and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; […]

3. (proscribed) Israelite: of, pertaining to, or being the descendants of Jacob.

Usage notes

• Since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 the term בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (b'né yisra'él, literally “Children of Israel”) has become the more or less exclusive term when referring to Israelites (i.e. Jews and Samaritans), as the term יִשְׂרְאֵלִי has become a supra-ethnic demonym for all inhabitants of Israel.

Noun

יִשְׂרְאֵלִי • (yisr'elí, yiśrəʾēlî) m (plural indefinite יִשְׂרְאֵלִים, feminine counterpart יִשְׂרְאֵלִית)

1. A (male) Israeli (a person from Israel or of Israeli descent)
2. (proscribed) A (male) Israelite: a (male) Israelite person.