גיר

Aramaic

Etymology

From Ancient Greek γάρ (gár).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡejr/

Conjunction

גיר • (transliteration needed)

1. for, since

Usage notes

• גיר is a post-positive word, i.e., it is never the first word in a sentence.

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Sumerian 𒌋𒀜 (gir, “oven, kiln”). Cognate with Maltese ġir

Noun

גִּיר • (gir) m (plural indefinite גִּירִים, singular construct גִּיר־)

1. (uncountable) limestone, calcite
   • Tanach, Isaiah 27:9, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     לָכֵן בְּזֹאת יְכֻפַּר עֲוֺן־יַעֲקֹב וְזֶה כָּל־פְּרִי הָסִר חַטָּאתוֹ בְּשׂוּמוֹ כָּל־אַבְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ כְּאַבְנֵי־גִר מְנֻפָּצוֹת לֹא־יָקֻמוּ אֲשֵׁרִים וְחַמָּנִים׃

     Lakhén b-zot y'khupár 'avón Ya'aqóv v-zeh kol p'ri ha-sir ḥaṭato b-sumó kol avnéi mizbéaḥ k-ávnei gir m'nupatsót lo yaqúmu asherím v-ḥammaním.

     Therefore by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be expiated, And this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: When he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in pieces, So that the Asherim and the sun-images shall rise no more.

   • a. 425 C.E., Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 7:2:

     הָהֵן דִּחְשַׁר גִּיר גִּבְּסִין מוֹץ חוֹל עָפָר חַייָב מִשּׁוּם מְרַקֵּד. הָהֵן דִּגְבַל גִּיר גִּבְּסִין עָפָר קִילוֹרִין מָלוּגְמַא סַמְמָנִין חַייָב מַשּׁוּם לָשׁ.

     Ha-hen di-ḥ'shár gir, gibsín, motz, ḥol, 'afar — ḥayyáv mi-shum m'raqqéd. Ha-hen di-gvar gir, gibsín, 'afar, qilorín, malugmá, sam'manín, ḥayyáv mi-shum lash.

     One who sifts chalk, gypsum, chaff, sand, dust — is liable on account of sifting. One who kneads chalk, gypsum, dust, collyrium, amalgam, medicines, is liable on account of dough.

2. (countable) chalk (a piece of chalk, or nowadays processed compressed gypsum (calcium sulfate, CaSO₄), that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard (chalkboard))

References

• H1615 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

Verb

גִּיֵּר • (giyér) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of גייר

References

• “גיר” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• גיר on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he