ταλιθά
talithá
G5008 Aramaic loanword
SILEX Entry
Definition
A young girl; specifically a young female child. Used in a direct address to identify or call to a female child, especially in contexts of compassion or concern. The core sense is a girl of tender years, often of prepubescent age, but contextually can indicate a child in need of care or attention.
Semantic Range
girl, young female child, maiden, little girl, term of endearment addressed to a child
Root / Etymology
From Aramaic טַלְיָתָא (talyāθā), meaning 'girl' or 'young maiden.' This is a feminine form corresponding to טַלְיָא (talyā), 'boy' or 'child.' The term is a borrowing from Aramaic and is not originally Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ταλιθά is a transliteration of an Aramaic term encountered in Mark 5:41, where Jesus addresses a deceased girl with the phrase "ταλιθὰ κουμ" (transliterating Aramaic טַלְיְתָא קוּמִי, 'Little girl, arise'). This word appears only as a direct quotation of a Semitic term in the New Testament and is not used as a standard Greek lexical item elsewhere. Its function is as a culturally specific address, and, as a loanword, it carries with it the social and familial nuances of Near Eastern languages regarding girls and children. Traditional translations often render 'Talitha' as 'little girl' or 'maiden,' but the original term carries a sense of youth and endearment as well. Not a standard Greek term; its occurrence is limited to cited speech.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Chaldee origin (compare טָלֶה); the fresh, i.e. young girl; talitha (O maiden):--talitha.
Root Family
ταλιθά (talitha) — girl, young maiden, female child
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5008-01 |
ταλιθὰ | talitha | TF |
Talitha | little girl | Talitha | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G5008-01 |
Mark 5:41 | ταλιθὰ | talitha | TF |
Talitha | little girl | Talitha |