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יוֹנָה

𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤄

Yonah

H3124 noun

SILEX Entry

Root יון to be soft, to be gentle (uncertain); dove (as a noun)

Definition

Proper name, masculine: Yonah. Refers to the individual prophet called Yonah, son of Amittai, known from the narrative in the Book of Jonah. As a common noun, yonah means 'dove,' a bird common in the region, but as a proper noun it is used specifically as a personal name.

Semantic Range

personal name (male proper noun: 'Yonah/Jonah'); as a noun: dove (the bird); as a symbol: innocence, peace (by extension in later texts)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root יון (y-w-n), though its root connection is uncertain; more commonly associated with יוֹנָה (yonah), meaning 'dove.' The name Yonah thus directly parallels the noun for the bird, but used as a personal name. The exact formation is a direct nominal transfer from the animal noun to given name.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the biblical corpus, Yonah occurs as the name of the prophet featured in the narrative bearing his name (Book of Jonah), who is identified as 'son of Amittai' and as a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel in the monarchic period. The use of animal names as personal names is relatively common in ancient Semitic cultures, and 'Yonah' follows the same pattern (e.g., Deborah = 'bee'). In later Jewish tradition, the name Yonah continues in usage, but in biblical texts it does not refer to adherents of Judaism per se, but specifically to the Israelite prophet. Standard English translations often render the name as 'Jonah,' which obscures the connection to the common noun 'dove.' The KJV and most later translations use 'Jonah'; note that 'Jew' is not an accurate designation for this figure, as he is an Israelite from the northern kingdom, not a Judean or practitioner of post-exilic Judaism. The underlying word יוֹנָה as a common noun ('dove') appears in various contexts, commonly as a symbol of peace, innocence, or as a sacrificial bird, but as a proper noun it functions solely as a personal name in narrative contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

xlit Yônâh corrected to Yôwnâh; the same as יוֹנָה; Jonah, an Israelite; Jonah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

יון (y-w-n) — softness, gentleness; dove

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3120 יָוָן and Yavan
H3121 יָוֵן miry mud
H3125 יְוָנִי the Yavanites

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3124-03 יוֹנָ֤ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah 17
H3124-02 וְ/יוֹנָ֗ה veyonah HC/Np But Jonah and Yonah 1
H3124-01 לְ/יוֹנָ֗ה leyonah HR/Np Jonah to Yonah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3124-03 2 Kings 14:25 יוֹנָ֤ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 1:1 יוֹנָ֥ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 1:3 יוֹנָה֙ yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-02 Jonah 1:5 וְ/יוֹנָ֗ה veyonah HC/Np But Jonah and Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 1:7 יוֹנָֽה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 1:15 יוֹנָ֔ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 2:1 יוֹנָ֑ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 2:1 יוֹנָה֙ yonah-2 HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 2:2 יוֹנָ֔ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
H3124-03 Jonah 2:11 יוֹנָ֖ה yonah HNp Jonah Yonah
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