H2471 חַלָּה challâh → Derivative
3 languagesDerivative of root חלל — canonical: H2490 חָלַל (7 family members).
A round, flat bread-cake, often prepared from fine flour and sometimes mixed with oil or honey, typically used in cultic offerings or as an item of food. In biblical usage, חַלָּה refers to a specific type of bread-cake, distinct from other bread forms, brought as part of ritual sacrifice or for special festivals. The term can also generically refer to a baked food portion, especially one intentionally separated, dedicated, or set aside.
Etymology
From the root חָלַל (chalal), which fundamentally means 'to pierce, perforate, or make hollow.' The nominal form חַלָּה derives from the idea of something that is perforated, perhaps referencing the cake's shape, texture, or preparation (i.e., scored or marked). The precise development from root to culinary item is debated, but the common interpretation is that these cakes were marked or shaped in a particular way.