ח־ל־ש

Hebrew

Etymology

Related to Aramaic [script needed] (ḥlš, “to be weak”),[1] and possibly also Aramaic [script needed] (qlš),[2] which is associated with meanings "thin", "reduce".

Sense 2 is from a rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 14:12 as saying "cast lots over the nations" instead of the more common "weaken the nations".

Sense 3 is from an interpretation of the previous verse, as well as Exodus 17:13.

Root

ח־ל־שׁ • (ḥ-l-š)

  1. Related to weakness.
  2. (post-Biblical) Related to lots, sortition.
  3. (post-Biblical) Related to control, governance.

Derived terms
Hebrew terms belonging to the root ח־ל־שׁ‎ (0 c, 5 e)

References
  1. “ḥlš2”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
  2. “qlš”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

Further reading
  • “ח־ל־שׁ” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language
  • “ח־ל־ש”, in Hebrew dictionary and conjugation tables, Pealim.com
  • Klein, Ernest (1987) “חלשׁ”, in A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language for Readers of English‎, Jerusalem: Carta, →ISBN, page 220c
  • A. Murtonen (1989) “XLʃ”, in Hebrew in Its West Semitic Setting, Part I, Section Bb, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 184
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