מניין

Hebrew

Root
מ־נ־ה (m-n-h)

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew, Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /minˈjan/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /min.jɔn/, [ˈmin.jən]
• (Tiberian Hebrew, Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /minˈjɔn/

Etymology 1

Noun

מניין / מִנְיָן • (minyán) m (plural indefinite מניינים / מִנְיָנִים, singular construct מניין / מִנְיַן־, plural construct מנייני / מִנְיְנֵי־)

1. (obsolete) A number, an amount, a quantity. [since Talmudic Hebrew]
2. Counting, numbering. [since Talmudic Hebrew]

   מניין ההרוגים ― minyán-haharugím ― the death toll

3. (Judaism) minyan (the minimum number of ten (male) adult Jews required for a communal religious service) [since Medieval Hebrew]
4. A quorum: the minimum number of participants in an assembly for binding decisions to be made. [since Modern Hebrew]
5. (מִנְיַן־, minyán-) singular construct state form of מניין / מִנְיָן‎.

Usage notes

• In addition to the regular plural forms מניינים / מִנְיָנִים (minyaním) and מנייני / מִנְיְנֵי־ (miny'néi-) given above, the irregular forms מניינות / מִנְיָנוֹת (minyanót) and מניינות / מִנְיְנוֹת־ (miny'nót-) are attested as well.

Derived terms

• למניינם (ləminyanám, “CE”)

Descendants

• → Dutch: minjan
• → English: minyan
• → Malayalam: മിനിയാൻ (miniyāṉ)
  • ⇒ Malayalam: മിനിയാൻകൂട്ടല് (miniyāṉkūṭṭalŭ)
• → Yiddish: מנין (minyen)
  • → Dutch: minje
  • → English: minyen

Etymology 2

Progressive assimilation of earlier *מִן אַיִן (*min ʾáyin). Compare מֵאַיִן (mēʾáyin), with the more usual regressive assimilation (followed by degemination and compensatory lengthening). Cognate with Arabic مِنْ أَيْنَ (min ʔayna).

Adverb

מִנַּיִן • (mináyin)

1. from where, whence

   מִנַּיִן בָּאתָ?

   mináyin báta?

   Where did you come from? (to a man)

2. on what basis, how, due to what

Synonyms

• מֵאַיִן (me'áyin)
• מֵאֵיפֹה (me'éifo) (colloquial)

Antonyms

• לְאָן (l'án)

References

• “מִנְיָן, מניין” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 2 of 3 (ל to צ), →ISBN, page 714.