Mayim
/ˈma.jim/noun
The Hebrew word for water.
Did you know?Hebrew *mayim* is a plural-form word used for a singular substance, a grammatical quirk that has fascinated scholars for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*māy-
“water”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מַיִם (mayim)
“water”
Second Temple / Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
מַיִם (mayim)
“water; often in ritual and poetic contexts”
Modern English
English
mayim
“a transliterated Hebrew word for water, especially in religious or cultural contexts”