עַלְמִי
𐤏𐤋𐤌𐤉
ʻAlmîy
H5962 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A demonym indicating a person from עֵילָם (Elam), i.e., an inhabitant or native of the land of Elam, a region east of Babylonia. In Aramaic biblical usage, it identifies ethnic or geographic origin rather than a social or tribal affiliation. The term has a specific referential use in contexts describing officials or groups from various regions under imperial administration, such as in Ezra and Daniel.
Semantic Range
an Elamite person, inhabitant of Elam; member of one of the subject-peoples of the Achaemenid empire; a demonym for Elam
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root עֵילָם (Elam), a toponym for the region of Elam. The word עַלְמִי is a patrial form (denoting origin) in Aramaic, patterned after a common method of forming demonyms by affixing -י (often contracted) to a place name. Root meaning refers to 'Elam'; lexical meaning is 'person belonging to, or originating from, Elam.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term עַלְמִי appears only in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, primarily in Ezra 4:9, within official correspondence listing various peoples under Persian imperial administration. Its function is not ethnic distinction within the Israelite or Judahite context, but rather as an imperial-era demonym. The underlying region, Elam, was known in the ancient Near East as a distinct polity, frequently interacting with Mesopotamian powers. English translations often render the word 'Elamite,' but this may obscure its strictly geographic/ethnic reference in the biblical context. The word does not establish religious or political affiliation—only place of origin.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) patrial from a name corresponding to עֵילָם contracted; an Elamite or inhabitant of Elam; Elamite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עלם (ʿ-l-m) — concealment, hiddenness; Elam (toponym)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3281 | יַעְלָם | Yaʿlam |
| H492 | אַלְמֹנִי | anonymous one |
| H5769 | עוֹלָם | for the hidden age |
| H5867 | עֵילָם | in Elam |
| H5934 | עָלוּם | your youthful years |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5962-01 |
עֵלְמָיֵֽ/א | elemaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the Elamites | the Elamites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5962-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | עֵלְמָיֵֽ/א | elemaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the Elamites | the Elamites |