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אִי

𐤀𐤉

ʼîy

H339 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A region of land, particularly dry land distinct from the sea; often used of coastal territories, islands, or remote lands. Depending on context, refers to landmasses separated by water or the inhabited extremities of the known world, including distant coastlands and islands.

Semantic Range

island, coastland, distant land, remote maritime territory, inhabited region beyond the mainland, extremity of the known world; sometimes specifically an island, but also broader coastal or transmarine regions

Root / Etymology

Root is אָוָה (awah), meaning 'to long for, desire.' אִי is likely derived from the sense of a place 'desired' or suitable for habitation. However, the connection with 'island' or 'coast' may also reflect a semantic development based on geography rather than direct etymology from אָוָה. Some scholars suggest the precise etymological pathway is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, אִי commonly refers to distant lands, islands, or coastlands that lie beyond the immediate inland territories of the Levant. It appears frequently in prophetic literature (notably in Isaiah) to represent the farthest reaches of the inhabited earth as perceived by Israelites, especially lands across the seas, such as the Mediterranean or distant coastlands. The term's semantic range is broader than the English 'island,' often including peninsulas or coasts (e.g., regions bordering large bodies of water). In later periods, the word could denote the distant nations or peoples living at the boundaries of the known world. English translations sometimes narrow its meaning to 'island,' but in biblical context it encompasses all kinds of remote maritime areas. By the post-exilic era, the term could symbolize the universality of Israelite prophetic message, addressed to all nations from the center to the extremities. Comparable Hebrew terms like יַבָּשָׁה (yabbashah, 'dry land') refer more strictly to the contrast between land and water, without the connotations of remoteness or the sea's boundary. The KJV rendering 'isles' often fails to reflect the fuller context of distant coastal peoples.

Translation Consistency

primary "coastland" 35 occurrences

Although אִי can mean island or distant land, the typical Biblical usage refers to coastal or transmarine regions (coastlands/coastlands of the sea). ‘Coastland’ captures both island and coastal territory senses better than ‘island’ alone and matches the majority of noun renderings in the P2 data, while remaining natural and consistent for all forms.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"islands" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָוָה; properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island; country, isle, island.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

אוה (Evi) — to desire, to long, to wish

Root אוה to long for, desire
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H183 אָוָה the ones craving
H184 אָוָה you have craved
H185 אַוָּה craving of
H188 אוֹי Woe!
H189 אֱוִי Evi

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H339-08 אִיִּ֖ים iyim HNcmpa islands distant coastlands distant coastlands 11
H339-04 הָ/אִיִּֽים haiyim HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands 5
H339-06 אִ֑י i HTj of the coast coastland coastland 3
H339-07 אִיֵּ֤י iyey HNcmpc coastlands coastlands of coastlands of 3
H339-03 הָ/אִ֣י hai HTd/Ncmsa islands the coastland the coastland 2
H339-09 לָֽ/אִיִּ֔ים laiyim HRd/Ncmpa into islands to distant coastlands to distant coastlands 2
H339-11 מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י meiyey HR/Ncmpc from islands-of from coastlands of from coastlands of 2
H339-01 בָּ/אִיִּ֥ים baiyim HRd/Ncmpa in the coastlands distant coastlands distant coastlands 1
H339-02 בְּ/אִיֵּ֣י beiyey HR/Ncmpc in the isles of in coastlands of in the coastlands of 1
H339-05 הָֽ/אִיִּ֔ן haiyin HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands 1

Occurrences in Scripture

36 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H339-07 Genesis 10:5 אִיֵּ֤י iyey HNcmpc coastlands coastlands of coastlands of
H339-12 Isaiah 11:11 וּ/מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י umeiyey HC/R/Ncmpc and from islands and from coastlands of and from coastlands of
H339-03 Isaiah 20:6 הָ/אִ֣י hai HTd/Ncmsa the island the coastland the coastland
H339-06 Isaiah 23:2 אִ֑י i HTj of the coast coastland coastland
H339-06 Isaiah 23:6 אִֽי i HTj of the coast coastland coastland
H339-02 Isaiah 24:15 בְּ/אִיֵּ֣י beiyey HR/Ncmpc in the isles of in coastlands of in the coastlands of
H339-08 Isaiah 40:15 אִיִּ֖ים iyim HNcmpa the islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 41:1 אִיִּ֔ים iyim HNcmpa O islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 41:5 אִיִּים֙ iyim HNcmpa islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 42:4 אִיִּ֥ים iyim HNcmpa coastlands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 42:10 אִיִּ֖ים iyim HNcmpa islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-01 Isaiah 42:12 בָּ/אִיִּ֥ים baiyim HRd/Ncmpa in the coastlands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-09 Isaiah 42:15 לָֽ/אִיִּ֔ים laiyim HRd/Ncmpa into islands to distant coastlands to distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 49:1 אִיִּים֙ iyim HNcmpa O coastlands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 51:5 אִיִּ֣ים iyim HNcmpa the islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-09 Isaiah 59:18 לָ/אִיִּ֖ים laiyim HRd/Ncmpa to the coastlands to distant coastlands to distant coastlands
H339-08 Isaiah 60:9 אִיִּ֣ים iyim HNcmpa the coastlands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-04 Isaiah 66:19 הָ/אִיִּ֣ים haiyim HTd/Ncmpa the islands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands
H339-07 Jeremiah 2:10 אִיֵּ֤י iyey HNcmpc islands of coastlands of coastlands of
H339-03 Jeremiah 25:22 הָ/אִ֔י hai HTd/Ncmsa islands the coastland the coastland
H339-13 Jeremiah 31:10 בָ/אִיִּ֖ים vaiyim HRd/Ncmpa in-the-islands distant coastlands in the islands
H339-06 Jeremiah 47:4 אִ֥י i HTj of the coastland coastland coastland
H339-04 Ezekiel 26:15 הָ/אִיִּֽים haiyim HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands
H339-05 Ezekiel 26:18 הָֽ/אִיִּ֔ן haiyin HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands
H339-04 Ezekiel 26:18 הָ/אִיִּ֥ים haiyim HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands
H339-08 Ezekiel 27:3 אִיִּ֖ים iyim HNcmpa islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-11 Ezekiel 27:6 מֵ/אִיֵּ֖י meiyey HR/Ncmpc from islands-of from coastlands of from coastlands of
H339-11 Ezekiel 27:7 מֵ/אִיֵּ֥י meiyey HR/Ncmpc from the coasts of from coastlands of from coastlands of
H339-08 Ezekiel 27:15 אִיִּ֥ים iyim HNcmpa coastlands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-04 Ezekiel 27:35 הָ/אִיִּ֔ים haiyim HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands
H339-04 Ezekiel 39:6 הָ/אִיִּ֖ים haiyim HTd/Ncmpa the coastlands the distant coastlands the distant coastlands
H339-07 Zephaniah 2:11 אִיֵּ֥י iyey HNcmpc isles coastlands of coastlands of
H339-15 Psalms 72:10 וְ֭/אִיִּים veiyim HC/Ncmpa and islands and remote coastlands and remote coastlands
H339-08 Psalms 97:1 אִיִּ֥ים iyim HNcmpa islands distant coastlands distant coastlands
H339-14 Esther 10:1 וְ/אִיֵּ֥י veiyey HC/Ncmpc and islands and distant coastlands of and distant coastlands of
H339-10 Daniel 11:18 לְ/אִיִּ֖ים leiyim HR/Ncmpa to islands distant coastlands to distant coastlands
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