←
kl, klˀ (ku/ol, kullā [kollā]) n.(pr.) all, every
1
alone preceding a noun (technically the construct state!) :
OA
(1)
before relative clause : whoever, whatever
Common Aramaic
Sf.1.b34↗ kl zy ysb : whoever takes it ; TAD B3.8 R.31↗ וכל זי איתי [ל]ה‏ ; Ezra 7:26↗ וְכָל־דִּי־לָא לֶהֱוֵא עָבֵד דָּתָא דִי־אֱלָהָךְ‏ : whoever will not be performing your god’s law ; NabCvLet 2:.25↗ wkl dy ˀyty lˀby : and whatever my father has ; 4Q529 10↗ יתעבד כל די באיש קודם רבי‏ : should whatever is bad be done before my lord ; XHev/Se 8.6↗ ולמעבד בהון כל די יצבה‏ : to do whatever he wants with them ; TgO Gen4:15↗ בְדִיל דְלָא לְמִקטַל יָתֵיה כֹל דְיִשכְחִינֵיה‏ : so that whoever might find him would not kill him ; OS MtCur5:19↗ ܟܠ ܕܢܥܒܕ ܕܝܢ‏ : whoever does this ; Mishqal Ainia 711↗ kul ḏˁit bnhura ubhšuka nitaprašlia : everything that is in the light and in the dark shall become clear to me ; PJ Gen1:30↗ ולכל דרחיש על ארעא‏ : everything that creeps on the ground
(2)
before emphatic plural : all the x's, every x
Common Aramaic
Sf.2.c15↗ wkl mlky ˀrpd wkl rbwh : all the kings of GN and all its nobles ; TAD B3.8 R.15↗ כל לבשיא ומאני נ]חש[א]‏ : all the garments and bronze vessels ; Ezra 7:21↗ לְכֹל גִּזַּבְרַיָּא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה‏ : to all the treasurers who are in Beyond the River ; GenApoc 20.15↗ אנתה מרה לכול מלכי ארעא‏ : you are the lord of all the world’s kings ; TgO Gen3:14↗ וְעַפרָא תֵיכוֹל כֹל יוֹמֵי חַיָיך‏ : you shall eat dust all he days of your life ; CPA Gen50:7↗ ܟܘܠ ܣܒ̈ܝܐ ܕܐܪܥܐ ܕܡܨܪܝܢ‏ : all the elders of the land of Egypt ; P 1Ch26:11↗ ܟܠ ܒܢܘ̈ܗܝ ܘܐܚ̈ܘܗܝ‏ : all his sons and brothers ; JBABowl 1.1:8↗ כל מיני ליליתא‏ : all the varieties of liliths
(3)
before emphatic singular : usually = the whole, the entirety of
Common Aramaic
BukânStele 3↗ [k]l | mh | mwtnˀ | [k̇] zy | hwh | bkl | ˀrqˀ : whatever kind of plague that was in the entire world ; Ezra 4:20↗ וְשַׁלִּיטִין בְּכֹל עֲבַר נַהֲרָה‏ : ruling over the whole of Beyond the RIver ; TgJ Jer9:3↗ גְבַר מֵחַברֵיה אִסתְמַרוּ וְעַל כָל אַחָא לָא תִתרַחצוּן‏ : be careful, a man from his friend, and do not trust any "brother" ; TN Gen47:14↗ כל כספא דאשתכח בארעא דמצרים‏ : all the silver that was to be found in the land of Egypt ; OS MtCur4:23 ↗ ܘܗܘ ܡܬܟܪܟ ܗܘܐ ܒܟܘܠܗ݀ ܓܠܝܠܐ‏ : he would go around the entire Galilee ; JBABowl 6.1:7↗ וכל איגרהון‏ : their whole rooftop ; PJ Gen1:29↗ אנפי כל ארעא‏ : the surface of the entire earth
(1)
: every (i.e., in Eastern Aramaic where the emphatic form may be indefinite)
Syr, JBA, JBAmb, JBAg, Man
OS MtCur3:10↗ ܟܘܠ ܐܝܠܢܐ ܗܟܝܠ ܕܦܐ̈ܪܐ ܛܒ̈ܐ ܠܐ ܥܒܕ‏ : every tree, then, that does not produce good fruit ; OS MtSin13:52↗ ܟܠ ܣܦܪܐ ܕܡܬܠܡܕ ܠܡܠܟܘܬ ܫܡܝܐ‏ : every scribe who is instructed into the kingdom of heaven ; BT Ber 4b(13)↗ מאי שנא בכל דוכתא דלא קתני כל העוב ומאי שנא הכא‏ : how does every place that he does not teach "כל העוב" differ from here? ; HM(1) 87:(1)32↗ ועל כל קמיעא דכתבת מן חרבא‏ : on every charm you write from "the sword" ; ATS 1.1:26↗ kul gabra naṣuraia ḏnigalal raza ḏabahatẖ : every Nasorean man who reveals his ancestors’ secret ; PJ Gen1:29↗ כל עיסבא דביזריה מזדרע‏ : every plant whose seed is sown
(4)
before absolute singular : every, any, each
Common Aramaic
Sf.1.a6↗ wˁm kl ˁll byt \mlk w/mlkw/ : with anyone with access to royalty ; BukânStele 13↗ wymḥ̇ˀhy | kl | lwṣ : may every curse afflict him ; TAD A2.2 R.15↗ כל גשר זי ישכח יזבן‏ : he should buy every beam he finds ; Ezra 6:11↗ כָל־אֱנָשׁ דִּי יְהַשְׁנֵא פִּתְגָמָא דְנָה‏ : every person who changes this decree ; Trf 2.2.67↗ lkl mšk : for each skin ; Mur 19 R:19↗ למ[ה]ך למהי̇ אנתא לכול גבר יהודי די תצבין‏ : to go and become the wife of any Judaean man that you wish ; TgO Gen1:29↗ וְיָת כָל אִילָן דְבֵיה פֵירֵי אִילָנָא‏ : every tree on which are tree-fruits ; TN Ex20:4↗ לא תעבדון לכון {{צלם וצורה}} וכל דמות"דמו" די בשמייא‏ ; CPA Mark1:28↗ ܘܢܦܩ ܡܫܡܘܥܗ ܒܟܘܠ ܐܬܪ݁ ܒܟܘܠܗ݀ ܐܪܥܐ ܕܓܠܝܠܐ̈‏ : his fame went out into every place in the entire land of the Galilee ; OS MtCur4:4↗ ܒܟܠ ܦܬܓܡ ܕܢܦܩ ܡܢ ܦܘܡܗ ܕܡܪܝܐ‏ : with every word that came out of the Lord’s mouth ; JBABowl 7.1:15↗ ובדמות גברא ואיתתא ובכל דמו‏ : in the likeness of man or woman of any shape
(5)
before absolute plural : all x's, any x
OfAEg, PTA, Syr, JBAmb
TAD B2.8 R.4↗ כל נכסן וקנין‏ : all properties and purchase ; GenApoc 21.10↗ כול ארעא דא די אנה יהב לך ולזרעך לכול עלמים‏ : the whole land that I give you and your seed for all ages ; OS MtCur4:23↗ ܘܡܐܣܐ ܗܘܐ ܟܠ ܬܫ̈ܢܝܩܝܢ ܘܟܠ ܟܘܪ̈ܗܢܝܢ ܒܥܡܐ‏ : he would heal all troubled and ill ones among the people ; JBAmb2 4:4↗ ותיתסי מן צילחתא דרישה מן כול רוחין ומן כל זיקין ומזיקין דאית בעלמא‏ : may she be healed from her headache caused by any spirits, z-demons, and damaging demons that are in the world
2
as a postpositive with resumptive pronominal suffixes
Common Aramaic
Fakh.3↗ wntn | rˁy wmšqy | lmt | kln : he provides pasture and irrigation to all the lands ; Sf.1.a5↗ wˁm ˀrm klh : with all of Aram ; TAD A2.1 R.4↗ מטתני כתנה זי אושרתי לי ואשכחתה שנטת כלה‏ : the shirt you sent me reached me but I found it completely ripped(?) ; TAD B3.5 R.20↗ לא ישלט בביתה כלה להן בני זי ילדתי לי‏ : except for my sons that you have born to me, no one shall have power over the entire household ; PAT263:1.5↗ wˀp ṭll ˀdrwnˀ klh : he also roofed over the entire chamber ; GenApoc 12.13↗ [ו]שרית אנה ובני כולהון למפלח בארעא‏ : I, and all of my children, began to work in the land ; 5/6Hev 7..:21↗ ודין ודבב ומומא כלה לא איתי לירתי‏ : my heirs will not have anything to do with court-case or oath ; OS MtCur20:6↗ ܡܢܐ ܩܝܡܝܢ ܐܢܬܘܢ ܘܒܛܝܠܝܢ ܝܘܡܐ ܟܘܠܗ‏ : why are you standing around idle all day? ; IshPs 4(11)↗ ܒܗ݀ܝ ܕܟܬܒ̈ܐ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܠܥܣܪ ܬܐܘܪ̈ܝܣ ܡܬܦܠܓܝܢ‏ : inasmuch as all of the writings are divided into ten subjects ; JBABowl 8.1:8↗ ביתא הדין כולה‏ : all this household ; GS 51:14↗ mn zipania kulhun : from all the cheaters ; TgEsth2 1:2(109)↗ דאינון מלכו על עלמא כוליה‏
(1)
as postpositive with definite article : completely (?)
OfAEg-inf, OfAEg, BAEzra
TAD A3.5 R.1↗ שלם אחי אל]היא כלא ישאל[ו] שגי בכ[ל עד]ן‏ : may all the gods seek my brother’s welfare always ; TAD A4.7R.11↗ ומטלל עקהן ^זי^ ארז כלא‏ : a wooden ceiling totally(?) of cedar ; Ezra 5:7↗ לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ מַלְכָּא שְׁלָמָא כֹלָּא‏ : to King Darius: complete greetings ; NabCvLet 2:.6↗ wtm<r>yn wšqmyn wˀyln klh : dates, sycamores, and every type of tree
(2)
with resumptive suffix after a noun preceded by the construct form
PAT261:1.4↗ bkl [ṣ]bw klh rbˀ wzˁrˀ : in every matter great and small ; H 173:.2↗ mrn wmrtn wbrmryn wkwl ˀlh kwlẏh : our Lord, our Lady, Son of our Lord, and every single god ; GenApoc 10.13↗ כול ארעא כולהא‏ : the entire land ; TgJ Ez11:15↗ וְכָל בֵית יִשרָאֵל כוּלהוֹן‏ : and all of the house of Israel ; SYAP 29:31↗ דעליי אתא כל עלמא כולהון‏ ; JBABowl 59.1:7↗ וכל פתיכרין כולהון ופיקדין ואיבדין וחומרין וזידנין‏ : and all p-demons and ... ; BTŠvu 37a(2)↗ דבכל התורה כולה לא אשכחן‏ : for we did not find it in the entire Torah [but in JBA always(?) as a Hebraism] ; MandMB 17:108↗ kul luṭata kulhin : all the curses ; TgEsth2 7:10(23)↗ דעלי אתא כל עלמא כולהון למיסב מן איביי‏ : for the entire world comes to me to take from my fruits
3
emphatic state :
(1)
before noun
OfAEg
TAD A4.7V.29↗ אף כלא מליא באגרה חדה שלחן‏ : we also sent all the matters in a single letter
(2)
w. pronominal suffixes
Common Aramaic
Dan 7:19↗ חֵיוְתָא רְבִיעָיְתָא דִּי הֲוָת שָׁנְיָה מִן כלהון‏ : the fourth beast that was different from all of them ; GenApoc 20.7↗ ועליא שפרהא לעלא מן כולהן‏ : her beauty surpasses all of them ; TgO Ex19:18↗ וְטוּרָא דְסִינַי תָנִין כוּלֵיה‏ : so Mt. Sinai was totally in smoke ; TgJ Jer9:1↗ אֲרֵי כוּלהוֹן זַנָאִין סִיעַת שַקָרִין‏ : for all of them are fornicators, a band of liars ; GT E Gen6:19↗ תריין מן כולה‏ ; GT PP Exod14:30↗ בכלהון עממייא‏ ; OS MtSin25:5↗ ܟܕ ܐܘܚܪ ܕܝܢ ܚܬܢܐ ܢܡ ܟܘ̈ܠܗܝܢ ܘܕܡܟ‏ : then when the groom was late, all of them slumbered and slept
(3)
with anticipatory pronominal suffix
CPA, Syr, JBA, Man, LJLA
CPA Acts21:18↗ ܘܟܘܠܗܘܢ ܩܫܝܫ̈ܝܐ ܐܬ̈ܘ̈‏ : all the elders had come ; OS MtSin2:4↗ ܘܟܢܫ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܪܒܝ ܟܗܢܐ ܘܣܦܪ̈ܐ‏ : he assembled all the chief priests and scribes ; P 1Ch18:14↗ ܘܐܡܠܟ ܕܘܝܕ ܥܠ ܟܠܗ ܐܝܣܪܝܠ‏ : David ruled over all Israel ; BT Ber 22b(4)↗ כולהו אמוראי ותנאי‏ : all the amoraim and tannaim ; ATS 1.1:24↗ ˁmaihun ḏkulhun almia ˁlaiia umiṣaiia utitaiia : mother of all the upper, middle, and lower worlds ; PJ Gen49:7↗ בגו כלהון שבטיא דישראל‏ : among all the tribes of Israel ; TgEsth2 2:17↗ ורחים מלכא ית אסתר מכלהון נשיא‏ : the king loved Esther more than all the women
(1)
כולי : (i.e. a frozen form from kl + 3.m.s. suffix)
JBA, JBAg, LJLA
BT Ber 27b(33)↗ אי בעי אזיל ומצלי לה כולי ליליא‏ : if he wants to go and pray the whole night ; PJ Gen22:1↗ אילו בעי קודשא בריך הוא לכולי איבריי לא הויתי מעכב‏ : if the Holy One Blessed be He wanted all my limbs, I would not hesitate
(1)
כולי עלמא : everyone (involved)
JBA, JBAg, LJLA
BT Ber 17b(36) (and 470+ times in BT)↗ כולי עלמא קא עבדי מלאכה והוא לא קא עביד‏ : everyone is working but he is not ; TGAs28(1) 58.1.14↗ לקאי חיטי דכול עלמא ולקי נמי חירשי דיליה‏ : everyone’s wheat became blighted, and his ḥ-plant was also blighted ; TgTosPr Hos.2:1↗ גומר דכולי עלמא זייני וגמרי בה‏ : Gomer, whom everybody provides for and then finishes with her
4
absolute state :
(1)
alone
OA
BarRak.1.8↗ wbyt | ˀby | [ˁ] ml | mn | kl : my father’s house performed better than all others ; IduOstr 1:188.7↗ כל כרן 3 ס̇ 21̇‏ : everything: 3 kur, 21? seah
(1)
before adverb: totally
Syr
JSB1 373:6↗ ܘܚܵܝܹ݁ܐ ܟܠܝܘ݁ܡ ܟܠ ܓܐܝܐܝܬ ܘܚܬܝܪܐܝܬ‏ : every day he lived totally proudly and haughtily
(2)
postpositive
OfAEg-inf, OfAEg
TAD A3.7 R.1↗ אלהיא כל ישאלו שלמכי בכל עדן‏ : may all the gods ask for your welfare always
5
in idioms :
(1)
ܟܠܗ ܕ : the whole reason for this is
Syr
CSCO 338:59.23 ܟܠܗ ܓܝܪ ܕܐ̈ܬܝܢ ܚܢܢ ܠܗܕܐ܂ ܕܢܩܘܡ ܥܠ ܫܪܪܐ‏ : the whole reason we have come to this is reach the truth
(2)
ܟܠ ܥܡ ܟܠ : entirely, complete
Syr
EphBread 20:4b↗ ܫܪܵܐ ܗܘܵܐ ܕܸܝܢ ܚܲܝܠܸܗ | ܟܽܠܸܗ ܥܲܡ ܟܽܠ‏ : for His strength was completely unlimited
(1)
everyone
Syr
LG 2:6(1)↗ ܚܫܘ݂ܒ ܠܲܡ ܠܟܽܠ ܐܼܢܵܫ ܐܲܝܟ ܕܲܡܝܲܬܲܪ ܡܸܢܵܟ ܘܲܗܘܼܝ ܟܽܠ ܥܲܡ ܟܽܠ‏ : reckon every man as if he is better than you and be so with everyone
(3)
repeated: ܟܠ ܟܠܗ܂ ܟܠܟܠܗ, etc : totally; neg.: not at all
Syr
Caverne L23:12 ܠܐ ܣܟ ܬܫܒܩܘܢ ܠܐܢܫ ܕܢܩܪܘܒ ܘܢܓܫܘܦ ܒܗ݀ ܟܠ ܟܠܗ‏ : you must not allow anyone to approach or touch it in any way ; Geop 2:3↗ ܐܪܥܐ ܕܝܢ ܣܪܝܬܐ ܟܠܟܠܗ‏ : but ground that is absolutely foul ; IsNin1 2:4↗ ܠܡܲܚܣܸܢ ܡܸܫܬ݁ܟܲܚ ܒܲܪܢܵܫܵܐ ܕܲܡܨܸܐ ܡܣܲܝܒܲܪ ܐܝ݂ܩܵܪܹ̈ܐ ܐܵܘ ܕܲܠܡܵܐ ܟܠ ܟܼܠܹܗ‏ : with difficulty is a person found who is capable of bearing honors, or perhaps not at all ; Dalyatha 6:1↗ ܐܦܠܐ ܕܢ݁ܥܗܕܘܢ ܫܡܗ ܒܡܘܡ̈ܬܐ ܟܠ ܟܠܗ‏ : they should not even mention His name in oaths at all [=JDalBeulay 72:8]
(4)
ܒܟܠ as postpositive to adjectives : indicating the superlative
Syr
IVMac2:19↗ ܐܒܘܢ ܚܟܝܡ ܒܟܠ ܝܥܩܘܒ‏ : our most wise father Jacob
(5)
כל דהוא : any amount, any sort
JBA
BT Ket 75a(16)↗ איהי כל דהוא ניחא לה‏ : she is pleased with any sort (of husband!) ; BT BB 32b(12)↗ הוה לי ואירכס אמינא אינקוט בידי כל דהוא‏ : I had it but it got lost, so I said I should hold on to some sort of thing
(6)
kul ium kul iuma : all day every day, i.e. "24/7"
Man
GY 174:8↗ ukul ium kul iuma apkia libaihun ḏbnia anaša : every day all the day people's hearts turn back
(7)
ܗܵܢܵܐ ܟܽܠܸܗ : completely, very much so
Syr
JulSok 479(236):7↗ ܗܢܐ ܟܠܗ ܡܘܟܟܐ ܐܬܡܟܟ ܩܕܡ ܐܠܗܐ‏ : he was humbled to such an extent before God ; Ps-Clem Recogs 1.46:26↗ ܘܗܢܐ ܟܘܠܗ ܡܫܟܚܐ ܒܝܫܬܐ ܕܬܣܒ ܙܟܘܬܐ ܥܠ ܒܝ̈ܫܐ‏ : evil is totally able to take victory over the wicked
(8)
ܗܵܢܵܐ ܟܽܠ : the Universe
Syr
§▶
BA constr. כֹל , כָּל+ , emph. כֹּלָּא (i.e., with penultimate accent)
☛▶
🔍▶
✎▶
We have not here attempted delineate how each dialect tends to go its own way as to morphosyntactic structures that are used (or not used!) to distinguish among "all x’s, all of x, every, each, the whole", etc.; for which we urge readers to consult the dialect grammars. Instead we have simply chosen to give examples of each type of construction attested for each dialect along with their general semantic force.
In general, though, as in other Semitic languages, kl with a singular definite noun means "the entire, the whole x" while "all x’s" may be expressed by using nouns in the singular absolute or plural definite states.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 622[326]DJPA: 257bDJBA: 559aJastrow: 620Drower/Macuch: 206bPayne-Smith ~: 214J. Payne-Smith: 214fLevy Ch-W: 1:363Tal Sam: 390DNWSI: 500DCPA[Schulthess]: 173[93]DJA: 56bQumran: 113

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Thu, 05 Nov 2026 02:19:14 -0500