1. how! (exclamatory/interrogative adverb) — Exclamatory and interrogative adverb expressing astonishment, dismay, or rhetorical questioning about manner, used prominently in prophetic laments and wisdom literature ('How the mighty have fallen!'). English 'how / How / and–how / then–how,' Spanish 'cómo / Cómo / y–cómo / ¿y–cómo,' Hindi 'कैसे / और–कैसे,' Arabic 'كَيْفَ / وَكَيْفَ / وَ–كَيْفَ,' Korean '어찌 / 어떻게 / 그리고–어떻게,' Swahili 'jinsi–gani / Jinsi–gani / na–jinsi–gani / na–vipi.' Both clusters express the identical exclamatory-interrogative force; the only difference is presence (18x) or absence (43x) of the conjunctive waw prefix. 61×
AR["كَيفَ","كَيْفَ"]·ben["কিভাবে","কীভাবে","কেমন","কেমন-করে"]·DE["wie"]·EN["how"]·FR["comment","comment?"]·heb["אֵיךְ","איך"]·HI["कैसे"]·ID["Bagaimana","Betapa","bagaimana"]·IT["come","how"]·jav["Kados-pundi","Kadospundi","kados-pundi","kadospundi","kepripun"]·KO["어떻게","어찌","어찌하여"]·PT["Como","como"]·RU["«Как","Как","как"]·ES["Cómo","cómo","¡Cómo!","¿Cómo","¿cómo"]·SW["Jinsi","Jinsi-gani","jinsi","jinsi-gani","jinsi-ya","kwa-nini","mfalme","ulijuaje","vipi"]·TR["Nasil","Nasıl","nasil","nasıl"]·urd["کیسے"]
Gen 26:9, Gen 39:9, Gen 44:8, Gen 44:34, Exod 6:12, Exod 6:30, Josh 9:7, Judg 16:15, Ruth 3:18, 1 Sam 16:2, 2 Sam 1:5, 2 Sam 1:14 (+38 more)
Senses
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אֵיךְ59 (Aramaic אֵיךְ, ܐܰܝܟ [pron. âch]) adv. 1. interrog. How? Gn 26:9 2 S 1:5, 14 1 K 12:6 Is 20:6 al.; of. with impf. (esp. in 1 ps.) in an expostulation Gn 39:9; 44:8, 34 Jos 9:7 2 S 2:22; 12:18 ψ 137:4, Is 48:11 for how should it be profaned? איך תאמר(ו) how canst or dost thou (do you) say …? Ju 16:15 Is 19:11 Je 2:23 (cf. 8:8 אֵיכָה) 48:14 ψ 11:1; in an indirect sentence 2 K 17:28 Je 36:17…