חיה

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ח־י־ה (kh-y-h)
7 terms

From Proto-Semitic *ḥay(aw)- (“animal”). Cognate with Arabic حَيَوَان (ḥayawān), Classical Syriac ܚܝܘܬܐ (ḥaywəṯā) and Ugaritic 𐎈𐎆𐎉 (ḥwt).

Pronunciation 1

• (reconstructed Biblical) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjaː/
• (Tiberian) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjɔː/ [ħaɟˈɟɔː]
• (Yemenite) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjɔ/ [ħajˈjɔː]
• (Sephardi) IPA^(key): /χaˈja/ (West), /ħajˈja/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi) IPA^(key): /χaˈjɔ/
• (Modern Israeli) IPA^(key): /χaˈja/

Adjective

חַיָּה • (ḥayá)

1. feminine singular indefinite form of חַי (kháy)

Pronunciation 2

• (reconstructed Biblical) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjaː/
• (Tiberian) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjɔː/ [ħaɟˈɟɔː]
• (Yemenite) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjɔ/ [ħajˈjɔː]
• (Sephardi) IPA^(key): /χaˈja/ (West), /ħajˈja/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi) IPA^(key): /χaˈjɔ/
• (Modern Israeli) IPA^(key): /χaˈja/, /ˈχa.ja/

Noun

חַיָּה • (ḥayá) f (plural indefinite חַיּוֹת, singular construct חיית־ / חַיַּת־, plural construct חַיּוֹת־) [pattern: קַטְלָה]

1. animal (organism other than man)
2. animal (person who behaves wildly)

Synonyms

• בְּהֵמָה (b'hemá)

Derived terms

• גן חיות (gan ḥayót)
• חיית בר (ḥayát bar)
• חיית טרף (ḥayát bar)
• חיית מחמד (ḥayát maḥmád)
• מלך החיות (mélech haḥayót)

Pronunciation 3

• (reconstructed Biblical) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjaː/
• (Tiberian) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjɔː/ [ħaɟˈɟɔː]
• (Yemenite) IPA^(key): /ħajˈjɔ/ [ħajˈjɔː]
• (Sephardi) IPA^(key): /χaˈja/ (West), /ħajˈja/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi) IPA^(key): /χaˈjɔ/
• (Modern Israeli) IPA^(key): /χaˈja/, /ˈχa.ja/

Proper noun

חַיָּה • (ḥáya) f

1. a female given name, Chaya

Verb

חַיָּה • (ḥayá)

1. living, lives: feminine singular present participle and present tense of חַי (kháy).

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew חַיָּה (khayá).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈχaɪ̯ə/

Noun

חיה • (khaye) f, plural חיות (khayes)

1. animal

   Synonym: בעל־חי (balkhay)

Derived terms

• חייִש (khayish)

See also

• בהמה (beheyme)

References

• Steven A. Jacobson (1998), A Guide to the More Common Hebraic Words in Yiddish, 5th edition, Fairbanks, AK: National Yiddish Book Center, →ISBN, page 68