תַּלְתַּל
𐤕𐤋𐤕𐤋
taltal
H8534 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A trailing or drooping bough, branch, or tuft, typically pendulous or hanging in form; sometimes used for a bushy cluster of branches or foliage. The term highlights the physical appearance of certain plant parts — especially their pendulous or bushy nature — rather than strictly identifying a botanical species.
Semantic Range
hang, dangle, trail, droop, bushy tuft, trailing bough, luxuriant lock
Root / Etymology
From the root תָּלַל (tlal), meaning 'to hang,' 'to suspend,' or 'to dangle.' The word תַּלְתַּל is a reduplicated form, intensifying the sense of hanging or dangling, and applies specifically to something that hangs with a bushy or trailing shape, i.e., a pendulous tuft or spray.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, תַּלְתַּל appears rarely (notably in the Song of Songs 5:11, where it describes locks of hair as 'bushy' or pendulous). The imagery draws on the physical characteristics of drooping branches or tufts, emphasizing luxuriance and beauty rather than technical botanical classification. The term's visual quality made it suitable for poetic metaphor, notably to describe a lover’s hair as lush and trailing. It should not be confused with terms for stately or upright trees (such as אֵרֶז for 'cedar'). In traditional translations, the term is often rendered as 'bushy,' 'wavy,' or 'locks,' but such renderings can obscure its original, vivid botanical imagery. The word is not common in later Hebrew and did not develop major semantic shifts beyond its limited biblical usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
by reduplication, from תָּלַל through the idea of vibration; a trailing bough (as pendulous); bushy.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
תלל (t-l-l) — hang, suspend, dangle
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8436 | תּוּלוֹן | And Suspension-One |
| H8510 | תֵּל | to mound-of-ruins |
| H8524 | תָּלַל | mound-raised |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8534-01 |
תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים | taletalim | HNcfpa |
wavy | pendulous tufts | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8534-01 |
Song of Songs 5:11 | תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים | taletalim | HNcfpa |
wavy | pendulous tufts |