ayin

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A child points to the letter ayin on a colorful alphabet chart.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet: "Ayin" is a consonant in the Hebrew writing system, representing a specific sound. It is written as ע in its standard form.

Usage

• "Ayin" is used exclusively as a noun to refer to the specific letter within the Hebrew alphabet sequence. It is a proper noun when naming the letter itself.
• It is used in contexts discussing linguistics, alphabets, Semitic languages, or Hebrew script.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The letter ayin can be challenging for new learners of Hebrew to pronounce.
  • In the word "עיר" (city), the first character is an ayin.

Advanced Usage

• Phonetic Value: In historical and linguistic contexts, the "ayin" represented a voiced pharyngeal fricative sound [ʕ], which is not found in standard English. In Modern Hebrew, its pronunciation varies and is often silent or merged with other sounds.
• Numerical Value: In the Hebrew system of gematria (alphabetic numerology), "ayin" has a numerical value of 70.

Variants and Related Words

• Ayin Hara (noun phrase): A concept in Jewish folklore meaning "the evil eye." This is a compound phrase where "ayin" means "eye," showcasing a different, homographic Hebrew word (עַיִן) with the same spelling.
  • Some believe in the power of an ayin hara.

Synonyms

• 16th letter: A descriptive synonym specifying its position.
  • The 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is called ayin.

Notes on Different Meanings

• It is critical to distinguish this "ayin" (the letter ע) from the identically spelled Hebrew word "ayin" (עַיִן) meaning "eye" or "spring (of water)." They are separate lexical entries with different origins and meanings, though they share the same written form in the Hebrew script. This entry is solely for the letter of the alphabet.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet