Hebrew

Noun

עֵת • ‎(et) f ‎(plural indefinite עיתים \ עִתִּים, singular construct עֵת־, plural construct עיתי \ עִתֵּי־) [pattern: קֵטֶל]

1. A time.
   • Ecclesiastes 3:1–2, with translation of the King James Version:

     לַכֹּל זְמָן וְעֵת לְכָל־חֵפֶץ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת עֵת לָטַעַת וְעֵת לַעֲקוֹר נָטוּעַ׃‎

     lakól z'mán v'ét l'khól-khéfets tákhat hashamáyim: et lalédet v'ét lamút et latá'at v'ét la'akór natúa:

     To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted; […]

2. A period of time, a season, an era.

Usage notes

• In current usage, the plural forms are commonly written either with or without a yud in the first syllable: both עיתים and עתים are common. In historical usage, only עתים is common.

Derived terms

• לעיתים \ לְעִתִּים ‎(le'itím, “sometimes”)
• עיתון \ עִתּוֹן ‎('itón, “newspaper”)

References

• “עֵת” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שֹׁשָן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ ‎(ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), ISBN 965-17-0084-X, volume 2 of 3 (ל to צ), ISBN 965-17-0096-3, page 1030.