אִנּוּן
𐤀𐤍𐤅𐤍
ʼinnûwn
H581 pronoun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A third-person plural pronoun in Aramaic, meaning 'they,' used for groups of people or sometimes, by extension, for groups of things, to indicate reference to the previously mentioned or understood subject. Functions as a subject, predicate, or independent pronoun depending on syntactic context. Feminine form אִנֵּין serves the same function but refers to feminine subjects.
Semantic Range
they (masculine plural), those, these, them; are (when used idiomatically as predicate pronoun); feminine אִנֵּין: they (feminine plural)
Root / Etymology
From the Aramaic pronominal system, derived from a root meaning 'these, those, they.' Cognate with other Northwest Semitic third-person pronouns. Not derived from a recognized Hebrew root; it belongs to the Aramaic branch of Northwest Semitic languages.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אִנּוּן is found primarily in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel and Ezra) and is used as the standard third-person plural pronoun ('they'). The form אִנֵּין is used for feminine plural antecedents. Both forms operate strictly within the grammar of Imperial Aramaic, distinct from the Common Hebrew pronoun הֵם or Hebrew feminine הֵנָּה. In later Jewish Aramaic dialects and the Targums, similar forms persist, reflecting the continuity of pronoun paradigms. English translations often supply 'they,' 'these,' or sometimes use periphrastic expressions to render different nuances, but do not distinguish the gendered forms as explicitly as the Aramaic pronoun system does. There is no analogous form in Hebrew outside of Aramaic loanwords or quotations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) or (feminine) אִנִּיןlemma אֵנִּין first vowel, corrected to אִנִּין; (Aramaic), corresponding to הֵם; they; [idiom] are, them, these.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אנן (ʾ-n-n) — existence, being, these, those
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H596 | אָנַן | the ones lamenting themselves |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H581-02 |
אִנּ֗וּן | inun | APdxmp |
are | they | 3 |
H581-01 |
אִנִּ֖ין | inin | APp3fp |
are | they | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H581-02 |
Daniel 2:44 | אִנּ֗וּן | inun | APdxmp |
those | they |
H581-02 |
Daniel 6:25 | אִנּ֖וּן | inun | APp3mp |
them | they |
H581-01 |
Daniel 7:17 | אִנִּ֖ין | inin | APp3fp |
are | they |
H581-02 |
Ezra 5:4 | אִנּוּן֙ | inun | ATa |
are | they |