ציפורן

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
צ־פ־ר (ts-p-r)

Inherited from Proto-Semitic *θ̣upr-, *θ̣ipr- (“nail, claw”). Cognate with Akkadian 𒌢 (ṣuprum) and Arabic ظُفْر (ẓufr).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

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Noun

ציפורן / צִפֹּרֶן • (tsipóren) f (plural indefinite ציפורניים / צִפָּרְנַיִם)

1. claw, nail (fingernail or toenail)
   • Tanach, Deuteronomy 21:12, with translation of NASB:

     וַהֲבֵאתָהּ, אֶל־תּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ; וְגִלְּחָה אֶת־רֹאשָׁהּ, וְעָשְׂתָה אֶת־צִפָּרְנֶיהָ.

     vəhavetáh el-toch bētécha; vəgilləḥá et-rōšáh və'asətá et-tzippornéha.

     Then you shall bring her into your home, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.

2. dianthus, carnation
3. (uncountable, countable) clove
4. (biblical) stylus
   • Tanach, Jeremiah 17:1, with translation of NASB:

     חַטַּאת יְהוּדָה, כְּתוּבָה בְּעֵט בַּרְזֶל – בְּצִפֹּרֶן שָׁמִיר; חֲרוּשָׁה עַל־לוּחַ לִבָּם, וּלְקַרְנוֹת מִזְבְּחוֹתֵיכֶם.

     ḥattaʾṯ yəhûḏâ kəṯûḇâ, bəʿēṯ barzel – bəṣippóren šāmîr; ḥărûšâ ʿal-lû́aḥ libbām, ûləqarnôṯ mizbəḥôṯêchem.

     The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus; With a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts And on the horns of their altars.

Alternative forms

• צִפּוֹרֶן

Synonyms

• (nail, claw): טֹפֶר (tófer)

Derived terms

• ציפורן חודרנית / צִפֹּרֶן חוֹדְרָנִית (tsipóren khodranít)
• צִפָּרְנֵי חָתוּל (tzippornḗ ḥatúl, “marigold, Calendula”)

References

• “ציפורן” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language
• H6856 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Further reading

• ציפורן on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he
• ציפורן (פרח) on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he