←
ˀlw (ˀe/illū) conj. if only
1
oh that!, would that! if only!
OfAEg, JLAtg, Gal, PTA, CPA, Sam, Syr
TAD A4.2R.8↗ הנלו גלין אנפין על ארשם ^קדמן^ לכן לא כזנה הו[ה‏ : if only had we shown our face to Arsames previously, it would not have been like this ; TAD C1.1(Ahiqar) .35↗ ה̇נלו א[ח]יקר זך‏ : if only that Ahiqar (were here?) ; TgJ Jos7:7↗ וְאִלוּ"וְלוֵי" פוֹן דְשָרִינָא וִיתֵיבנָא בְעִברָא דְיַרדְנָא‏ : would that we had gone and stayed on the other side of the Jordan ; CPA Matt24:43↗ ܕܐ݁ܠܘ ܗܘܐ ܝܐܕܥ ܡܪܗ ܕܒܝܬܐ ܒܗܝܕܐ ܡܛܪܐ ܓܢܒܐ ܐܬܐ‏ : if the householder had only known at what watch the thief would come ; SamTgJ Num22:29↗ אלו יית חרב באדי‏ : if I only had a sword in my hand ; P Jos7:7↗ ܐܠܘ ܐܝܬܒܢ ܗܘܝܢ ܠܢ ܟܝ ܒܥܒܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ‏ : had we only stayed on the other side of the Jordan ; JSmem 8:71↗ ܘܐܟܒܪ ܥܣܩܐ ܗܝ ܕܢܐܠܕ ܓܒܪܐ ܐܠܘ ܥܣܩܐ‏ : perhaps it is a difficult task for a male to give birth, if only just difficult!
(1)
+ܕܸܝܢ : if only
Syr
LSt.17:3↗ ܐܠܘ ܕܝܢ ܝܕܥ݁ܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܡܠܟ̈ܐ ܣܢܝܩܘܬܗܘܢ ܕܠܘܬ ܚܟܝ̈ܡܐ‏ : f kings only knew their need for scholars
(2)
if (with following irrealis in perfect)
JBA
BT Šab 91a(27)↗ כיון דאילו אשתיק ולא חשיב עליה מיחייב אמחשבה דזריעה‏ : since had he kept silent and not think about it he would be culpable for his thought concerning sowing
2
+lˀ d : were it not for, unless
CPA, Sam, Syr, LJLA
PagPhil.216.4↗ ܐܠܘܠܐ ܕܒܛܝܠܘܬܐ ܡܕܡ ܐܝܬܝܗ݀ ܗܘܬ ܕܗܘ ܡܪܐ ܕܟܠ‏ : were it not that there was some concern on the part of that Lord of all ; Kays 170:2↗ ܘܐܸܠܘ݂ ܠܐ ܕܗ݀ܠܝܢ‏ : and were it not for these
(1)
without d_ (as a prep.)
Syr
Ps-Clem Recogs 1.16:17↗ ܐܠܘ ܠܐ ܟܣܦܐ ܡܕܡ ܕܡܬܬܚܝܒ ܠܝ‏ : were it not for some money that I am owed
(1)
אלו לא פון : idem.
JLAtg
TgJ Is1:9 var.↗ אִילוּ לָא פוֹן מוֹתַר טוּבֵיה דַיוי צְבָאוֹת‏ : were it not for the excessive goodness of the Lord of Hosts
(2)
without d_ as conj. : unless
Syr
LSt.30:19↗ ܕܠܐ ܡܨܐ ܚܕ ܡܢܗܘܢ ܢܙܟܐ܂ ܐܠܘܠܐ ܗ݀ܘ ܐܚܪܢܐ ܢܬܚܝܒ‏ : for it is impossible for one of them to win unless the other should be defeated
3
whereas, while on the other hand
JBA, JBAg
BT Šab 111b(12)↗ דאילו ר׳ שמעון סבר מסי ורב סבר לא מסי‏ : for whereas PN is of the opinion (that) it heals, and PN2 is of the opinion (that) it does not heal
(1)
ܐܠܘ ܕܝ ܟܢ : if such were the case
CPA
Hom13 6.2:19↗ ܐܠܘ ܗܘܐ ܝܟ‍[‍ܠ‍]‍ ܕܝܨܠܐ݁ ܟܘܠ ܐܢܫ ܐܢܫ ܒܒܝܬܗ ܐܠܘ ܕܝ ܟܢ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܨܘܪܟ̇ ܠܡܫܟܢ̇ܐ̇ ܗܕ̇ܢ̇‏ : if every man were able to pray in his house there would have been no need for the tent
§▶
OfA hnlw, JBA אילו
☛▶
🔍▶
✎▶
For the negative with lˀ see also s.v. ˀylwly.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 48[21]DJPA: 49aDJBA: 115bJastrow: 48J. Payne-Smith: 17Levy Ch-W: 1:29Tal Sam: 33DCPA[Schulthess]: 17[9]Qumran: 11

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Fri, 06 Nov 2026 13:17:02 -0500