אלפא

Aramaic

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /ʔɛlpɑʔ/

Noun

אלפא • (transliteration needed) f (plural אלפא)

1. ship, boat, galley

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /ʔalpɑʔ/

Noun

אלפא • (transliteration needed) f (uncountable)

1. Greek letter Α

Numeral

אלפא • (transliteration needed) m (plural אלפיא, and אלפא)

1. thousand

Hebrew

Pronunciation

• Audio:

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Noun

אַלְפָא • (álfa) f

1. alpha (the name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α,  α), followed by beta)
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Shekalim 3:2:

     רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, יְוָנִית כָּתוּב בָּהֶן — אַלְפָ״א בֵּיתָ״א גַמְלָ״א

     Rabbi Yishma'el omer, y'vanit katuv ba-hen — alfa, beta, gamla.

     Rabbi Ishmael says, Greek was written on them — alpha, beta, gamma.

2. (Mishnaic Hebrew) primary, first
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Menachot 8:3:

     תְּקוֹעָה אַלְפָא לַשֶּׁמֶן. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, שְׁנִיָּה לָהּ רֶגֶב בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן.

     T'qo'ah alfa la-shémen. Ábba Sha'ul omer, shniyyah lah Régev b-'éver ha-Yarden.

     Tekoa is first for oil. Abba Shaul says, secondary to it is Regeb in the Transjordan.

Derived terms

• זכר אלפא (zachár álfa)

Lishana Deni

Etymology

From Aramaic אַלְפָּא (ʾalpā).

Numeral

אלפא (ʾalpa) (plural אלפיה (ʾalpe) or אלפאהיה (ʾalpāhe) or אלפאייה (ʾalpāye))

1. thousand

Usage notes

• The plural אלפיה (ʾalpe) is used in combination with other numerals, as in ארבא אלפיה (ʾarba ʾalpe, “four thousand”). The other plurals are used otherwise.