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סְנַפִּיר

𐤎𐤍𐤐𐤉𐤓

çᵉnappîyr

H5579 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (root not attested; lexical meaning is 'fin')

Definition

A limb-like, flattened organ projecting from the body of a fish or other aquatic animal, used for balancing, steering, and propulsion in water. In the Hebrew Bible, typically found in lists of permitted and forbidden aquatic animals, signifying the specific physical feature that, along with scales, distinguishes ritually acceptable (kosher) fish.

Semantic Range

fin (of a fish or aquatic animal), paired fins, technical feature defining kosher fish in ritual law

Root / Etymology

uncertain. The word סְנַפִּיר (sǝnappîr) does not appear to relate clearly to any attested Hebrew root. Its morphological structure does not match known semitic roots, and cognates in other Semitic languages are lacking, suggesting the term may be of foreign or onomatopoeic origin, denoting the characteristic spreading or fluttering form of a fin.

Historical & Contextual Notes

סְנַפִּיר occurs only in Leviticus 11:9-12 and Deuteronomy 14:9-10, always in the plural or as a collective, denoting the paired fins of aquatic animals. In its original context, it functions specifically as a criterion for distinguishing ritually acceptable aquatic species in the Israelite dietary system, together with the term קשקשת (qaskeset, 'scale'). The term remains constant across Israelite history, as later rabbinic sources continue its use in legal discourse. English 'fin' is an accurate rendering for the technical biological sense, but English translations lose the word's restricted halakhic role in Israelite dietary law. Unlike some Hebrew zoological terms, סְנַפִּיר never broadens metaphorically and retains its technical sense throughout biblical literature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; a fin (collectively); fins.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סנפר (s-n-p-r (uncertain)) — fin, aquatic limb, balancing appendage

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5579-01 סְנַפִּ֨יר senapir HNcmsa fins fin 5

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5579-01 Leviticus 11:9 סְנַפִּ֨יר senapir HNcmsa fins fin
H5579-01 Leviticus 11:10 סְנַפִּ֣יר senapir HNcmsa fins fin
H5579-01 Leviticus 11:12 סְנַפִּ֥יר senapir HNcmsa fins fin
H5579-01 Deuteronomy 14:9 סְנַפִּ֥יר senapir HNcmsa fins fin
H5579-01 Deuteronomy 14:10 סְנַפִּ֥יר senapir HNcmsa fins fin
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