H3790 כְּתַב kᵉthab → ← H3789 כָּתַב kâthab
3 languagesInscription, written document, written text. כְּתַב in Aramaic refers primarily to the act or product of writing, especially in formal, official, or legal contexts. It denotes something that is written, whether as a record, inscription, or written communication, rather than the act of writing itself. The semantic range includes anything written—letters, edicts, legal documents, decrees, inscriptions, or records.
Etymology
The word כְּתַב derives from the root כתב, which fundamentally means 'to write.' As a noun form in Aramaic, כְּתַב refers to the product resulting from the act of writing.
Reflexes · not yet grouped by proto-form
| Language | Word | Meaning | Segmentation | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kikongo | kataba | to write (archaic, also used in texts or ceremonial contexts; modern form is 'kanga' in Congo, but 'kataba' is attested in missionaries' and early colonial records) | katab- | |
| Kimbundu | kutaba | to write (archaic, pre-colonial/missionary period) | -tab- | |
| Lingala | kotába | to write (archaic, found in some dialectal and literary Lingala; modern is 'kokoma') | -tab- |