Aramaic

Alternative forms

• Syriac: ܐܘ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw/

Conjunction

או • ‎(transliteration needed)

1. or, either

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔo/

Interjection

או • ‎(transliteration needed)

1. woe, alas, O

References

• “)w”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Jastrow, Marcus (1903) A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature, London, New York: Luzac & Co., G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Hebrew

Conjunction

אוֹ • ‎('o)

1. Or.

   הוא בא, או לא?‎

   hu ba, o lo?

   Is he coming, or not?

2. Either.

   או זה או זה אפשר.‎

   o ze o ze efshár.

   You can have either this one or this one.

Usage notes

• Hebrew אוֹ is used much as English or, and Hebrew אוֹ … אוֹ is used much as English either … or. The main difference is that אוֹ … אוֹ cannot by itself introduce two complete clauses; rather, in this case, each clause must be introduced by ש־ ‎(“that”):

  או שאתה כן, או שאתה לא.

  o she'ata ken, o she'ata lo.

  Either you do, or you don't.