H4294 מַטֶּה maṭṭeh → Derivative
1 languageDerivative of root נטה — canonical: H5186 נָטָה (7 family members).
A staff, rod, or branch, typically of wood, often used as a physical implement for support, authority, correction, or symbolic representation. By metonymy, it also designates a division or subdivision of the Israelite tribes, i.e., a clan or tribal group (particularly in census and land allocation contexts).
Etymology
The noun מַטֶּה derives from the root נָטָה (natah), meaning 'to stretch out, extend, incline.' The original semantic sense relates to something that is stretched out—hence, a staff or rod. From this physical sense developed several figurative extensions: authority (a ruler's scepter), lineage (an extended branch representing a tribe), and support (a staff for walking).
| Language | Word | Meaning | Segmentation | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akan Twi | mat-taw' | a branch |