H4325 מַיִם mayim → Root
15 languagesRoot of the מים mayim family (1 member).
Primary meaning: water, the substance essential for life in liquid form. Used for natural bodies of water—such as rivers, springs, seas, rain—materials in or with water, or as an element in rituals. Secondarily, may serve as a metonym for abundance, chaos, or danger (e.g., 'waters' of the deep, flood, or destruction), and occasionally for bodily fluids in specific contexts (semen, urine). The term may stand for any potable or environmental water, from dew to ocean; its figurative usage points to aspects of fertility, life, and chaos.
Etymology
From the root מ-י-ם, though the root is rarely attested as a verb in Biblical Hebrew. The form is formally dual, reflecting the pair or expansiveness of water masses, but the word functions as a singular collective noun. It is used both in the absolute and construct states. The relation to other Semitic cognates (Akkadian 'mû', Ugaritic 'my') suggests a very ancient Semitic root denoting water in general.
Reflexes · not yet grouped by proto-form
| Language | Word | Meaning | Segmentation | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bemba | Amenshi | water | ||
| Chichewa | madzi | water | ||
| Kikuyu | Mae | water | ||
| Kikuyu | mai | water | ||
| Kirundi | Amazi | water | ||
| Kongo | mési | water | ||
| Lingala | Mayi | water | ||
| Lozi | Mezi | Water | Mezi | |
| Luganda | amazzi | water | ||
| Oshiwambo | omeya/omeva | water | ||
| Sukuma | maji | water | ||
| Swahili | Mayi | water | ||
| Tonga | amanzi | water | ||
| Tshiluba | maayi | water | ||
| Zulu | Amanzi | water |