←
ḥyh, ḥytˀ (ḥayyā, ḥayyəṯā) n.f. midwife
1
midwife
JLAtg, Gal, Syr, LJLA
TgO Gen35:17↗ וַהֲוָה בְקַשָיוּתַה בְמֵילְדַה וַאֲמַרַת לַה חָיְתָא‏ : when she had trouble giving birth, the midwife said to her ; PTŠab 16.c:55[2]↗ ליכא חייא‏ : there is no midwife here ; P Gn38:28↗ ܘܢܣ݂ܒܬ ܚܝܬܐ ܚܘܛܐ ܕܙܚܘܪܝܬܐ ܘܩܛܪܬ ܥܠ ܐܝܕܗ‏ ; PJ Gen38:28↗ ופשט וולדא ית ידיה ונסבת חייתא וקטרת על ידיה חוט זהורי‏ : the newborn stuck out his hand and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread on it
2
woman in labor
Gal, Syr, Man
VR 16:390(2)↗ חייתא דהות מתה וחיית‏ : (she is called) חייתא because she was on the verge of death and lived ; BBah 747:6↗ text not cited ; GY 88:3↗ nhimta nahima ruha kḏ haita ˁl gabara ḏˁšpil : Ruha groans aloud like a woman in labor over the hero who had been brought low ; MandAmulet 16:b14 ↗ uadit ˁl ˁnšia hiata : and you attack women in labour
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DJBA takes this meaning to occur in the magic bowl phrase בקברי סרודתא בחיתא דכצומי וכלדאי, but this makes little sense. Take it rather as a mis-read/copied adjective modifying סרודתא.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 449[228]DJPA: 198bDJBA: 455aJastrow: 455Drower/Macuch: 120a, 119aLevy Ch-W: 1:252BarBahlul: 747:6

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Fri, 06 Nov 2026 02:46:47 -0500