הָ/עַ֔י
𐤄/𐤏𐤉
Ay
Ai
A proper noun designating a specific ancient city or settlement in the central hill country of Canaan, northeast of Bethel. Used as a place name throughout the Hebrew Bible, it most commonly refers to the site attacked and eventually captured by the Israelites following their entry into Canaan (see Joshua 7–8). In later biblical books, variant forms are used, indicating either the same site or a closely associated locality. As a name, it does not carry descriptive or generic meanings outside this toponymic context.
Joshua 10:2 · Word #14
Lexicon H5857
| Lemma | עַי |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤏𐤉 |
| Transliteration | Ay |
| Strong's | H5857 |
| Definition | A proper noun designating a specific ancient city or settlement in the central hill country of Canaan, northeast of Bethel. Used as a place name throughout the Hebrew Bible, it most commonly refers to the site attacked and eventually captured by the Israelites following their entry into Canaan (see Joshua 7–8). In later biblical books, variant forms are used, indicating either the same site or a closely associated locality. As a name, it does not carry descriptive or generic meanings outside this toponymic context. |
Morphology HTd/Np
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | p — Proper Name — Proper name |
Common Translation
| Phrase | Ai |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5857-04
the Ruin-City
| Morphological Notes | Proper noun, place name; feminine in form; with prefixed definite article (הָ). |
| Rendering Rationale | The lemma עַי is a proper name derived from the root meaning "ruin" or "heap." The definite article הָ requires "the," and "Ruin-City" preserves the toponymic function while reflecting the root sense of desolation. |
View full lexicon entry for H5857 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
the Ay
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Proper noun transliterated from Hebrew. P1 meaning: Ruin-Heap (Ai) |
AI-generated (generate_p2_names)