אִי
𐤀𐤉
ʼîy
H338 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A solitary or desert-dwelling animal, typically referencing a wild creature that inhabits desolate, uninhabited, or ruined places. The term is most commonly used in poetic or prophetic texts describing places of devastation, and by extension, symbolizes the desolation or abandonment of a formerly inhabited area.
Semantic Range
howling creature, solitary animal, wild beast of the ruins, animal inhabiting desolate places, expression of desolation
Root / Etymology
Root: אוי or possibly אי. The word is likely related to the root meaning 'to howl, lament' (אוה/אוי), indicating a sound associated with mourning or desolation. The noun form אִי (ʼîy) seems to have evolved to refer to a creature characterized by howling, or more broadly, any animal that signals or inhabits deserted places. Some lexicographers posit a derivation from a root meaning 'island' or 'coastland' (אי, H339), but context makes animalistic reference more likely in prophetic and poetic uses.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אִי appears rarely and exclusively in poetic or prophetic passages describing judgment, devastation, or abandonment. For example, it occurs in Isaiah and Jeremiah in the context of oracles against nations or cities, listing animals that will dwell in ruined places. English translations vary; some render it as 'wild beasts,' 'howling creatures,' or more specifically as 'jackals' based on context, but the term is less specific than modern zoological classifications. The word highlights the transformation of civilized or inhabited locations into desolate places marked by the presence of such cryptic and ominous animals. While later Jewish and Christian traditions provide various identifications ('island creatures,' 'howlers,' etc.), these reflect linguistic and cultural developments well after the biblical period. It should not be confused with אִי (H339) meaning 'island/isle/coastland,' though the terms are graphically identical.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably identical with אִי (through the idea of a doleful sound); a howler (used only in the plural), i.e. any solitary wild creature; wild beast of the islands.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אוי (ʾ-w-y) — to howl, to lament, to utter a doleful sound
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H338-01 |
אִיִּים֙ | iyim | HNcmpa |
hyenas | howling desert-creatures | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H338-01 |
Isaiah 13:22 | אִיִּים֙ | iyim | HNcmpa |
hyenas | howling desert-creatures |
H338-01 |
Isaiah 34:14 | אִיִּ֔ים | iyim | HNcmpa |
hyenas | howling desert-creatures |
H338-01 |
Jeremiah 50:39 | אִיִּ֔ים | iyim | HNcmpa |
hyenas | howling desert-creatures |