רגל

See also: רגׄל

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
ר־ג־ל (r-g-l)

From Proto-Semitic *rigl-.

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /riɡl/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈrɛ.ʁɛl/, [ˈʀɛː.ʁɛl]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈra.ʁal/, [ˈræː.ʁæl]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.ɢel/, [ˈre.ʁel]
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.ʁel/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.ʁel/ (East), /ˈre.ɡel/ (West)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʁ̞e.ɡel/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʁ̞e.ɡel/

Noun

רֶגֶל • (régel) f (dual indefinite רגליים / רַגְלַיִם, plural indefinite רְגָלִים) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. foot, leg
   • Tanach, Ezekiel 1:07, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְרַגְלֵיהֶם רֶגֶל יְשָׁרָה וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל וְנֹצְצִים כְּעֵין נְחֹשֶׁת קָלָל׃

     V-ragleihém régel yshará, v-khaf ragleihém k-khaf régel ʿégel, v-notstim k-ʿein nḥóshet qalal.

     And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Bava Kamma 2:1:

     הַתַּרְנְגוֹלִים מוּעָדִין לְהַלֵּךְ כְּדַרְכָּן וּלְשַׁבֵּר. הָיָה דְלִיל קָשׁוּר בְּרַגְלָיו, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה מְהַדֵּס וּמְשַׁבֵּר אֶת הַכֵּלִים, מְשַׁלֵּם חֲצִי נֶזֶק:

     Ha-tarn'golím muʿadín l'halekh k-darkán ul-shabér. Hayá d'líl qashúr b-ragláv, o she-hayá m'hadés um-shabér et ha-kelim, m'shalém ḥatsi nézek.

     Chickens are considered forewarned when walking in their manner and breaking things. If there was a string tied to its legs, or if it is hopping around and breaks the vessels, pay half the damages.

2. leg (as of a table or chair)
   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 32a:

     וּמָה כִּסֵּא שֶׁל שָׁלֹשׁ רַגְלַיִם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲמוֹד לְפָנֶיךָ בִּשְׁעַת כַּעְסֶךְ; כִּסֵּא שֶׁל רֶגֶל אֶחָד — עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה!

     U-mah kissé shalósh ragláyim einó yakhól laʿamód l'fanékha bi-shʿat kaʿsékha; kissé shel régel eḥád — al aḥát kammá v-khammá!

     And if a chair of three legs cannot stand before You at the time of Your rage, a chair of one leg — all the more so!

3. foot (unit of length)
4. (Biblical Hebrew, chiefly) time, instance, occurrence
   • Tanach, Numbers 22:28, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּפְתַּח יְהֹוָה אֶת־פִּי הָאָתוֹן וַתֹּאמֶר לְבִלְעָם מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לְךָ כִּי הִכִּיתַנִי זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים׃

     Va-yiftáḥ Adonái et pi ha-atón. va-tómer l-Vilʿam: Meh ʿasíti l'kha ki hikitáni zeh shalósh r'galím?

     And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam: ‘What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?’

   • Tanach, Exodus 23:14, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים תָּחֹג לִי בַּשָּׁנָה׃

     Shalósh r'galím taḥóg li ba-shaná.

     Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me in the year.

5. (Rabbinic Hebrew) pilgrimage, festival
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Shekalim 7:4:

     רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, הָרָאוּי לִפְסָחִים, פְּסָחִים קֹדֶם לָרֶגֶל שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם:

     Rábbi Yehudá omér: ha-ra'úy li-fsaḥím, p'saḥim qódem la-régel shloshím yom.

     Rabbi Yehuda says: what is fit for a paschal offering is considered a paschal offering up to thirty days before the pilgrimage.

   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 4b:

     כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָבְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה רְגָלִים עוֹבֵר בְּבַל תְּאַחֵר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר שְׁלֹשָׁה רְגָלִים כְּסִדְרָן וְחַג הַמַּצּוֹת תְּחִלָּה

     Keiván she-ʿavrú ʿaleihén shloshá r'galim ʿovér b-val t'aḥer. Rábbi Shimʿóm omer: shloshá r'galim k-sidrán, v-ḥag ha-matsót t'ḥilá.

     One three pilgrimage festivals have passed by, he is transgressing the prohibition on delaying. Rabbi Shimon says: three pilgrimage festivals by their order, and the feast of unleavend bread is first.

6. spy, informant

Usage notes

• The plural form רְגָלִים is used only for the meaning of "instance, occurrence", and survived in Modern Hebrew only in certain idioms. For the meaning "leg", the dual form serves as the plural form too in both Modern and Biblical Hebrew (according to the traditional Tiberian vocalization).
• Each of the words רגל and פעם, which are synonymous in Biblical Hebrew, has acquired its own distinct meaning in Modern Hebrew. While רגל is used today only in the meaning of "leg", פעם is used only in the meaning of "instance, occurrence".
• The usage as "pilgrimage" or "festival" derives from a punning combination of the Biblical usage as "occurrence" and the standard usage as "leg" — interpreted as "a leg-occurrence" or a pilgrimage on foot.

Declension

Declension of רֶגֶל

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	רֶגֶל	first	רַגְלִי		רַגְלֵנוּ
	definite	הָרֶגֶל	second	רַגְלְךָ	רַגְלֵךְ	רַגְלְכֶם	רַגְלְכֶן
	construct	רֶגֶל־	third	רַגְלוֹ	רַגְלָהּ	רַגְלָם	רַגְלָן
dual	indefinite	רַגְלַיִם	first	רגליי / רַגְלַי		רַגְלֵינוּ
	definite	הָרַגְלַיִם	second	רַגְלֶיךָ	רגלייך / רַגְלַיִךְ	רַגְלֵיכֶם	רַגְלֵיכֶן
	construct	רַגְלֵי־	third	רַגְלָיו	רַגְלֶיהָ	רַגְלֵיהֶם	רַגְלֵיהֶן

Derived terms

• הולך רגל
• כדור רגל
• כדורגל m (kadurégel)
• כף רגל
• מי רגליים / מֵי רַגְלַיִם (mé ragláyim)
• מרבה רגליים
• על רגל אחת
• עלייה לרגל / עֲלִיָּה לְרֶגֶל (aliyá l'régel)
• פשיטת רגל
• פָּשַׁט אֶת הָרֶגֶל (pashát ét harégel)
• קל רגליים / קַל רַגְלַיִם (qal ragláyim)
• רגליים לדבר (ragláyim ladavár)
• שלוש רגלים

See also

• אצבע f (étsba)
• יד f

References

• H7272 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

Verb

רִגֵּל • (rigél) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of ריגל