צל

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
צ־ל־ל (ts-l-l)

From Proto-Semitic *ṯ̣ill- (“shadow”). Cognate with Akkadian 𒄑𒈪 (ṣillum, “shadow”) and Arabic ظِلّ (ẓill).

Pronunciation

• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈsˤeːl/, [ˈsˤeː.el]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈsˤel/, [ˈsˤeːl]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /sˤel/ (East), /t͡sel/ (West)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /t͡sejl/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /t͡sel/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -el

Noun

צֵל • (tsél) m (plural indefinite צְלָלִים, singular construct צֵל־, plural construct צִלְלֵי־) [pattern: קֵטֶל]

1. A shadow.
   • Tanach, Psalms 144:4, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אָדָם לַהֶבֶל דָּמָה יָמָיו כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר׃

     adám la-hével damá yamáv k-tsel 'ovér

     Man is like unto a breath; His days are as a shadow that passeth away.

2. Shade, a shaded area.

   בצל ― batsél ― in the shade

   • Tanach, Psalms 91:1, with Young's Literal Translation:

     יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן בְּצֵל שַׁדַּי יִתְלוֹנָן׃

     yoshév b-séter 'elyón b-tsel shadái yitlonan

     He who is dwelling In the secret place of the Most High, in the shade of the Mighty lodgeth habitually.

Declension

Declension of צֵל

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	צֵל	first	צִלִּי		צִלֵּנוּ
	definite	הַצֵּל	second	צִלְּךָ	צִלֵּךְ	צִלְּכֶם	צִלְּכֶן
	construct	צֵל־	third	צִלּוֹ	צִלָּהּ	צִלָּם	צִלָּן
plural	indefinite	צְלָלִים	first	צלליי / צְלָלַי		צְלָלֵינוּ
	definite	הַצְּלָלִים	second	צְלָלֶיךָ	צללייך / צְלָלַיִךְ	צִלְלֵיכֶם	צִלְלֵיכֶן
	construct	צִלְלֵי־	third	צְלָלָיו	צְלָלֶיהָ	צִלְלֵיהֶם	צִלְלֵיהֶן

Derived terms

• צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmávet)

References

• H6738 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible