קדם

See also: ק־ד־ם

Aramaic

Alternative forms

• ܩܕܡ
• 𐡒𐡃𐡌 (qdm)

Etymology

From the root Proto-Semitic *q-d-m (“to precede, come before”). Compare Arabic قَدَمَ (qadama), Hebrew קדם and Classical Syriac ܩܕܡ.

Verb

קדם • (qəḏam)

1. to precede, to come before

Derived terms

• קדומים

Preposition

קֳדָם • (qŏḏām)

1. before, in front of

Antonyms

• בתר

References

• “qdm”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• 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
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Hebrew

Root
ק־ד־ם (q-d-m)

Etymology

From the root Proto-Semitic *q-d-m (“to precede, come before”). Compare Arabic قَدَمَ (qadama) and Classical Syriac ܩܕܡ.

Pronunciation

• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈqɛ.ðɛm/ (Noun)
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /qɔ.ˈðam/ (Verb 1)
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /qă.ðam/ (Prefix)
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /qid.ˈdem/ (Verb 2)
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈqo.ðɛm/ (Preposition)

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

קֶדֶם • (kédem) m [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. front
2. (Biblical Hebrew) east (the direction of the earth's rotation, specifically 90°)
   • Tanach, Genesis 12:8, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה מִקֶּדֶם לְבֵית־אֵל וַיֵּט אָהֳלֹה בֵּית־אֵל מִיָּם וְהָעַי מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּבֶן־שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה וַיִּקְרָא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה׃

     vaya'ték mishám hahára mikédem l'veit-'él vayét 'oholó beit-'él miyám v'ha'áy mikédem vayiven-shám mizbéakh laYHVH vayikrá b'shém YHVH.
     wayyaʿtēq miššām hāhā́rā miqqéḏem ləḇēṯ-ʾēl wayyēṭ ʾohŏlō bēṯ-ʾēl miyyām wəhāʿay miqqéḏem wayyiḇen-šām mizbḗaḥ laYHWH wayyiqrā bəšēm YHWH.

     And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east; and he builded there an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

3. ancient times
   • Tanach, Lamentations 5:21, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהוָה אֵלֶיךָ ונשוב (וְנָשׁוּבָה) חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם׃

     hashivénu YHVH 'elékha v'nashúva khadésh yaméinu k'kédem.
     hăšīḇḗnū YHWH ʾēléḵā wənāšū́ḇā ḥaddēš yāmḗnū kəqéḏem.

     Turn Thou us unto Thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

Declension

Declension of קֶדֶם

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	קֶדֶם	first	קִדְמִי		קִדְמֵנוּ
	definite	הַקֶּדֶם	second	קִדְמְךָ	קִדְמֵךְ	קִדְמְכֶם	קִדְמְכֶן
	construct	קֶדֶם־	third	קִדְמוֹ	קִדְמָהּ	קִדְמָם	קִדְמָן
plural	indefinite	קְדָמִים	first	קדמיי / קְדָמַי		קְדָמֵינוּ
	definite	הַקְּדָמִים	second	קְדָמֶיךָ	קדמייך / קְדָמַיִךְ	קְדָמֵיכֶם	קְדָמֵיכֶן
	construct	קְדָמֵי־	third	קְדָמָיו	קְדָמֶיהָ	קְדָמֵיהֶם	קְדָמֵיהֶן

Synonyms

• (compass point) מזרח

Antonyms

• (compass point) יָם (yám) (archaic)
• (compass point) מערב (ma'aráv)

Derived terms

• קִדְמִי (kidmí)

References

• H6924 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Verb

קָדַם • (kadám) (pa'al construction)

1. to precede, to come before

Conjugation

Conjugation of קָדַם (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לקדום / לִקְדֹּם action noun: קְדִימָה passive participle: קָדוּם
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	קָדַמְתִּי		קָדַמְנוּ
	second	קָדַמְתָּ	קָדַמְתְּ	קְדַמְתֶּם1	קְדַמְתֶּן1
	third	קָדַם	קָדְמָה	קָדְמוּ
present		קוֹדֵם	קוֹדֶמֶת	קוֹדְמִים	קוֹדְמוֹת
future	first	אֶקְדַּם		נִקְדַּם
	second	תִּקְדַּם	תִּקְדְּמִי	תִּקְדְּמוּ	תִּקְדַּמְנָה2
	third	יִקְדַּם	תִּקְדַּם	יִקְדְּמוּ	תִּקְדַּמְנָה2
imperative		קְדַם	קִדְמִי	קִדְמוּ	קְדַמְנָה2
notes		Pronounced קָדַמְתֶּם and קָדַמְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Prefix

קְדַם־ • (kdám-)

1. pre-

Verb

קִדֵּם • (kidém) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of קידם.

Preposition

קֹדֶם • (kódem)

1. defective spelling of קודם.