אָנַן
𐤀𐤍𐤍
ʼânan
H596 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A verb meaning to mourn or express grief, most commonly through vocal lament or complaint. Its primary lexical meaning involves the actions and sounds associated with mourning, typically in response to loss, suffering, or misfortune. The semantic range extends to making lamentations, uttering wailing cries, or expressing oneself in a mournful, plaintive manner.
Semantic Range
to mourn, to lament, to wail, to express grief vocally, to utter plaintive cries, to recite laments, to complain in the sense of sorrowful utterance
Root / Etymology
Root: אָנַן (ʼ-n-n). The root is related to expressions of grief and mourning, reflected in the fundamental sense of producing mournful sounds or laments. The verbal form conveys the act of making such utterances, while nouns derived from the same root (e.g., אָנִי, אָנָה) often relate to wailing, lamentation, or affliction. There is some scholarly debate regarding the precise development of the root but it is generally anchored in verbal expressions of pain or grief.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, אָנַן is most often used in poetic or lament contexts, especially in relation to mourning rituals or the expression of sorrow by individuals or groups. Its use is concentrated in poetic literature (e.g., Lamentations, prophetic books) and is more rare in narrative sections. The act referred to can be individual or communal and involves audible expressions of pain. The verb is distinct from other roots for mourning such as אבל (H56, to mourn in a ritualized way) or קונן (to chant a dirge). English translations often gloss this word as 'mourn,' 'lament,' or 'complain,' though the full sense can include the ritualized or customary wailing practiced in ancient Near Eastern mourning rites, which is broader than simple vocal complaint or dissatisfaction. The semantic overlap with complaining is limited and contextually driven; the default connotation is grief-driven lament rather than grievance or protest. Usage in later Hebrew is limited, suggesting it was more prevalent in earlier poetic and liturgical tradition.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to mourn, i.e. complain; complain.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אנן (ʾ-n-n) — to mourn, to lament, to wail
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H581 | אִנּוּן | they |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H596-02 |
יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙ | yiteonen | HVri3ms |
should complain | he will lament himself | 1 |
H596-01 |
כְּ/מִתְאֹ֣נְנִ֔ים | kemiteonenim | HR/Vrrmpa |
as complainants | the ones lamenting themselves | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H596-01 |
Numbers 11:1 | כְּ/מִתְאֹ֣נְנִ֔ים | kemiteonenim | HR/Vrrmpa |
as complainants | the ones lamenting themselves |
H596-02 |
Lamentations 3:39 | יִּתְאוֹנֵן֙ | yiteonen | HVri3ms |
should complain | he will lament himself |