חלילה

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Hebrew

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]
Root
ח־ל־ל (kh-l-l)

Related to חילל / חִלֵּל (khilél, to desecrate, defile). Probably related to Arabic خَلّ (ḵall); possibly also cognate to Arabic حَلَّلَ (ḥallala, to allow, literally to declare profane).

Interjection

[edit]

חָלִילָה (khalíla)

  1. far be it, it is forbidden, it would be a desecration
    • Tanach, 1 Kings 21:3, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      וַיֹּאמֶר נָבוֹת אֶל־אַחְאָב חָלִילָה לִּי מֵיְהוָה מִתִּתִּי אֶת־נַחֲלַת אֲבֹתַי לָךְ׃
      vayómer navót 'el-'akh'áv khalíla lí meYHVH mitití 'et-nakhalát 'avotái lákh.
      wayyṓmer nāḇōṯ ʾel-ʾaḥʾāḇ ḥālī́lā llī mēYHWH mittittī ʾeṯ-naḥălaṯ ʾăḇōṯay lāḵ.
      And Naboth said to Ahab: ‘The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.’
  2. God forbid, heaven forbid

Derived terms

[edit]

Yiddish

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Hebrew חָלִילָה.

Interjection

[edit]

חלילה (kholile)

  1. God forbid, heaven forbid
    • Itzik Manger (1901-1969), Oyfn veg shteyt a boym:
      זאָגט די מאַמע: ניטע קינד, און זי וויינט מיט טרערן, קענסט חלילה אויפֿן בוים מיר פֿאַרפֿרוירן ווערן
      zogt di mame: nite kind, un zi veynt mit trern, kenst kholile oyfn boym mir farfroyrn vern
      The mother says, “Don’t, my child”, crying with tears, “we could, God forbid, be frozen on the tree”.