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תוכי

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Hebrew

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תוכיA parrot.

Etymology

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Unknown. If meaning "peacock", then it shares an origin with Ancient Greek ταώς (taṓs), sometimes claimed to be from Tamil தோகை (tōkai, tail (of a peacock)).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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תוכי / תֻּכִּי (túkim (plural indefinite תוכים / תֻּכִּים or תֻּכִּיִּים, singular construct תוכי / תֻּכִּי־, plural construct תוכי / תֻּכֵּי־ or תֻּכִּיֵּי־)

  1. (Biblical Hebrew, hapax, in the plural) The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
    1. peacocks
    2. monkeys, baboon
    • Tanach, 1 Kings 10:22, with translation of the King James Version:
      כִּי אֳנִי תַרְשִׁישׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיָּם, עִם אֳנִי חִירָם; אַחַת לְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים תָּבוֹא אֳנִי תַרְשִׁישׁ, נֹשְׂאֵת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף, שֶׁנְהַבִּים וְקֹפִים וְתֻכִּיִּים
      ki oní tarshísh lamélech bayám, 'im oní ḥirám; aḥát ləshalósh shaním tavó oní tarshísh, nosét zaháv vachésef, shinhabím vəqofím vətukiyím
      For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
  2. (Modern Israeli Hebrew) parrot (a kind of bird, many species of which are colorful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae)
  3. (Modern Israeli Hebrew, figuratively) A parroter; a person who repeats the words or ideas of others.

Usage notes

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  • The plural and plural construct forms in Biblical Hebrew are תֻּכִּיִּים and תֻּכִּיֵּי, respectively. The modern forms are listed above.

Derived terms

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References

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