←
lmh (lmā) conj. why?
1
why?
Common Aramaic
AssOstr.20↗ lmh lbty mlˀ [ˀt] : why are you angry with me? ; TgO Gen12:18↗ לְמָא לָא חַוִית לִי אֲרֵי אִיתְתָך הִיא‏ : why did you not tell me that she is your wife? ; CPA Psalms21:2↗ ܐܝܠܗܝ ܐܝܠܗܝ ܠܝܡܐ ܫܒܩܬ ܝܬ݁ܝ‏ ; BT Yev 91a(38)↗ גנבא גנובי למה לך‏ : cunning person, why do you deceive (in the manner that you state the tradition)? ; TgTosPr Judges.5:16↗ למה תבתון ממשירית קרבא‏ : why did you turn back from the war camp?
(1)
joined w. pronoun
JPAEpig
Amu7 1.19↗ למת כפנה ולא אכלה‏ : why are you starving and not eating?
(2)
with _ : what is X's need for?
OfAEg, Qumran, JLAtg, PTA, JBA
TAD C1.1(Ahiqar) .167↗ למה לי כסיכי‏ : why need I have your coat? ; GenApoc 22.32↗ שגי לי עתר ונכסין ולמא לי כול א̇לן‏ : I have plenty of wealth and flocks so what need have I of all these? ; TgO Gen25:32↗ אֲנָא אָזֵיל לִמָמָת וֻלמָא דְנָן לִי בְכוֹרוּתָא‏ : I am about to die, so what need have I then of the birthright? ; TN Gen25:32↗ ולמה כען לי בכורותא‏ : what do I need the birthright for now? ; BT Ber 3a(24)↗ וכי תימא אחרונה סימנא למה לי‏ : if you say it is the last one, why do I need the sign? ; TgEsth2sup08.2-05:10↗ למה לך כולה התרבותא ומחר את מצטלב‏ : why do you need all this sex while tomorrow you are going to be hung?
2
with imperfect: lest (= dlmh; q.v.)
OfAPer, BAEzra, JLAtg, Syr, Man, LJLA
TAD A6.15 .7↗ למה כזי תאתה בזנה מה זי לקחת זיני תשלם‏ : lest when you come here you should pay my loss for what you took ; Ezra 4:22↗ וּזְהִירִין הֱווֹ שָׁלוּ לְמֶעְבַּד עַל־דְּנָה לְמָה יִשְׂגֵּא חֲבָלָא לְהַנְזָקַת מַלְכִין‏ : take care not to act negligently about this lest destructive damage to kings increase ; TgJ Joel2:17↗ לְמָא יֵימְרוּן בֵינֵי עַמְמַיָא‏ : lest they say among the nations ; Heb 12:16↗ ܠܡܵܐ ܐܼܢܵܫ ܢܸܫܬ݁ܟ݂ܲܚ ܒ݁ܟ݂ܘ݂ܢ ܕ݁ܙܲܢܵܝ ܘܲܪܦ݂ܸܐ‏ : lest a fornicator or dissolute person be found among you ; Rahmi 129.160:17↗ alma ḏninaimun ualma nišikbun ualma ḏninišiun : lest they get drowsy and fall asleep and forget ; DMordecai:24↗ למא יימרון מעיקנא ארום לית להון אלהא למיפרוקיהון‏
3
except for
Syr
Chran2 237:2↗ ܥܕܡܐ ܕܠܐ ܐܫܬܚܪ ܒܗ݀ ܕܠܡܐ ܚܕܚܕ̈ܢܐ‏ : until only a few were left in it
4
as a general interrogative particle in direct speech
Syr
OS JnCur4:33↗ ܠܡܐ ܟܝ ܐܢܫ ܐܝܬܝ ܠܗ ܡܕܡ ܠܡܐܟܠ‏ : has anyone brought him something to eat? ; P Jn18:35↗ ܠܡܵܐ ܐܸܢܵܐ ܝܼܗܘ݂ܕ݂ܵܝܵܐ ܐܼܢܵܐ‏ : am I a Judean?
§▶
Sam also with conjoined relative למד ; Mand. also lmahu and alma; CPA also ܠܝܡܐ
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🔍▶
✎▶
See also lmnˀ, lmwn.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 691[372]DJPA: 284aDJBA: 630aJastrow: 736Drower/Macuch: 236b, 237bPayne-Smith: 1982J. Payne-Smith: 242fTal Sam: 439Qumran: 129

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Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:13:58 -0500