אתון

Aramaic

Pronoun

אַתּוּן • (ʾattūn) m pl

1. masculine plural of אַתְּ (ʾatt)

Hebrew

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʔatān-. Cognate with Aramaic אֲתָנָא (ʾăṯānā), אַתָּנָא (ʾattānā), Arabic أَتَان (ʔatān).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈtʰoːn/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔɔːˈθoːn/, [ʔɔˑˈθoː.on]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔɔˈθøn/, [ʔɔːˈθøːn]
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)ɒˈton/
• (Iraqi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈθon/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)aˈton/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ɔˈsojn/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʔ)aˈton/

Noun

אָתוֹן • (atón) f (plural indefinite אֲתוֹנוֹת, singular construct אֲתוֹן־, masculine counterpart חֲמוֹר)

1. jenny (a female donkey)
   • Tanach, Numbers 22:23, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת־מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה נִצָּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ וַתֵּט הָאָתוֹן מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ וַתֵּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיַּךְ בִּלְעָם אֶת־הָאָתוֹן לְהַטֹּתָהּ הַדָּרֶךְ׃

     vatére ha'atón et mal'ákh YHVH nitsáv badérekh v'kharbó shlufá b'yadó vatét ha'atón min hadérekh vatélekh basadé vayákh bil'ám et ha'atón l'hatotáh hadárekh.

     And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

   • a. 425 C.E., Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzi'a 5:4:

     הַשָּׁם בְּהֵמָה מֵחֲבֵירוֹ, עַד כַּמָּה חַייָב בָּאַחֵרָיוּתָהּ? סוּמָכוֹס אוֹמֵר: הַגּוֹדָרוֹת שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, בָּאֲתוֹנוֹת עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה חֹדֶשׁ.

     hasam b'hemá mekhaveró, ad káma khayáv ba'akharayutáh? súmakhos omér: hagodarót shném asár khódesh, ba'atonót esrím v'arba'á khódesh.

     If someone has an animal placed with them from their fellow, how long are they liable for its responsibility? Symmachus says: for folded livestock twelve months, for she-asses twenty-four months.

Etymology 2

From Egyptian jtn.

Proper noun

אָתוֹן • (atón)

1. Aten