מלח

Aramaic

Verb

מַלַח or מְלַח • (mālaḥ or mlaḥ)

1. to salt
2. to steer, to guide, to sail

Noun

מֶלַח or מְלַח • (melaḥ or məlaḥ) m

1. absolute state of מִלְחָא (milḥā, “salt”)

Hebrew

Etymology 1

מֶלַח

Root
מ־ל־ח (m-l-kh)

From Proto-West Semitic *milḥ-. Compare Aramaic מִלְחָא (milḥā), Classical Syriac ܡܠܚܐ (milḥā), Arabic مِلْح (milḥ), Maltese melħ.

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /malħ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛ.laħ/, [ˈmɛː.laħ]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈma.laħ/, [ˈmæː.læħ]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈme.laχ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

מֶלַח • (mélaḥ) m (plural indefinite מְלָחִים) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. salt, the common substance used as a condiment
   • Tanach, Leviticus 2:13, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְכׇל־קׇרְבַּן מִנְחָתְךָ בַּמֶּלַח תִּמְלָח וְלֹא תַשְׁבִּית מֶלַח בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעַל מִנְחָתֶךָ עַל כׇּל־קׇרְבָּנְךָ תַּקְרִיב מֶלַח׃

     v-khol qorbán minḥat-khá ba-mélaḥ timláḥ v-lo tashbít mélaḥ brit elohékha me-al minḥatékha 'al kol qorban-khá taqrív mélaḥ

     And every meal-offering of thine shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meal-offering; with all thy offerings thou shalt offer salt.

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Middot 5:3:

     לִשְׁכַּת הַמֶּלַח, שָׁם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִים מֶלַח לַקָּרְבָּן

     lishkát ha-mélaḥ, sham hayú notním mélaḥ la-qorbán.

     The Chamber of Salt, there they would put the salt for the offering.

2. (figurative, biblical) permanence, continuity
   • Tanach, 2 Chronicles 13:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     הֲלֹא לָכֶם לָדַעַת כִּי יְהֹוָה  אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָתַן מַמְלָכָה לְדָוִיד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעוֹלָם לוֹ וּלְבָנָיו בְּרִית מֶלַח׃

     haló lakhém la-dá'at ki Adonái Elohéi Yisraél natán mamlakhá l-Davíd 'al Yisraél l'olám lo ul-vanáv brit mélaḥ

     Ought ye not to know that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Derived terms

• מלחייה / מִלְחִיָּה (milkhiyá)
• מֶלַח יָם (mélakh yam)
• מֶלַח לִימוֹן (mélakh limón)
• מלח סדומית (“Salt of Sodom”)
• יַם הַמֶּלַח (Yam HaMélakh)

Etymology 2

מַלָּחִים

Root
מ־ל־ח (m-l-kh)

From Akkadian 𒈣𒁻 (malāḫum, “shipman, sailor”), from Sumerian 𒈣𒁻 (ma₂-laḫ₄ /⁠malaḫ⁠/, “shipman, sailor”). Cognate with Arabic مَلَّاح (mallāḥ).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /malˈlaːħ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /malˈlɔːħ/, [malˈlɔː.ɔħ]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /malˈlɔħ/, [mælˈlɔːħ]
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /maˈlaχ/

Noun

מַלָּח • (mallā́ḥ) m (plural indefinite מַלָּחִים) [pattern: קַטָּל]

1. sailor, mariner

   Synonyms: יוֹרֵד יָם (yōrēḏ yām), סַפָּן (sapán), יַמָּאִי (yama'í)

   • Tanach, Ezekiel 27:29, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְיָרְדוּ מֵאֳנִיּוֹתֵיהֶם כֹּל תֹּפְשֵׂי מָשׁוֹט מַלָּחִים כֹּל חֹבְלֵי הַיָּם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ יַעֲמֹדוּ׃

     v-yardú me-oniyotehém kol tofséi mashót mallaḥím kol ḥovléi ha-yam el ha-áretz ya'amódu.

     And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land.

   • Tanach, Jonah 1:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַיִּירְאוּ הַמַּלָּחִים וַיִּזְעֲקוּ אִישׁ אֶל־אֱלֹהָיו וַיָּטִלוּ אֶת־הַכֵּלִים אֲשֶׁר בָּאֳנִיָּה אֶל־הַיָּם לְהָקֵל מֵעֲלֵיהֶם

     Va-yir'ú ha-mallaḥím va-yiz'aqú ish el eloháv va-yaṭílu et ha-kelím ashér ba-oniyá el ha-yam l-haqél me-'aleihém

     And the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it unto them.

References

• “מלח” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• מלח on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Anagrams

• חלם
• לחם
• חמל