H4479 H4479
Who? whoever — an Aramaic interrogative and indefinite relative pronoun used in Ezra and Daniel
This is the Aramaic counterpart of Hebrew mî, serving as both an interrogative ('who?') and an indefinite relative pronoun ('whoever'). It appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of Ezra and Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar's defiant challenge man-hûʾ ʾĕlāh ('who is the god who...?' Dan 3:15) is one of its most dramatic uses, while the compound man-dî creates the indefinite 'whoever' in royal decrees (Dan 3:6, 11; 5:7; 6:8). The pronoun connects to a wide Semitic family — Syriac man, Arabic man, Old Aramaic mn — all descended from a common interrogative root. French glosses sometimes reduce it to 'de' or 'qui,' while Spanish preserves the full interrogative force with '¿Quién?'
Senses
1. who? whoever (Aramaic interrogative/relative pronoun) — An Aramaic interrogative pronoun meaning 'who?' and, in combination with dî, an indefinite relative pronoun meaning 'whoever.' Used in Ezra 5:3, 4, 9 for official Persian inquiries ('who gave you authority?') and throughout Daniel for both direct questions and conditional decrees. Nebuchadnezzar's man-hûʾ ʾĕlāh dî ('who is the god who…?' Dan 3:15) uses the strengthened form with hûʾ for rhetorical emphasis. The compound man-dî ('whoever,' Dan 3:6, 11; 5:7; 6:8) introduces conditional clauses in royal proclamations. Cognate with Syriac man, Arabic man, and Hebrew mî, showing deep Semitic continuity. Spanish '¿Quién?' captures the interrogative force directly. 10×
AR["مَنْ-", "وَ-لِمَنْ-", "وَ-مَنْ-"]·ben["এবং-কে-", "এবং-যাকে-", "এবং-যে-", "কি-", "কে-"]·DE["[מן]", "und-wem", "und-wer"]·EN["and-to-whom-", "and-who-", "and-whoever-", "and-whom-", "what", "who"]·FR["de", "et-de", "et-qui?"]·heb["ו-ל-מי", "ו-מי", "מן"]·HI["और-कौन", "और-जिसे", "और-जो", "किसने", "कौन"]·ID["dan-kepada-siapa", "dan-kepada-siapa-pun", "dan-siapa", "dan-siapa-pun", "siapa"]·IT["da", "e-a-da", "e-da"]·jav["Lan-sinten-", "lan-dhateng-sinten-", "lan-sinten-", "maringi", "punapa", "sinten"]·KO["그리고-누구-", "그리고-누구-에게든지-", "그리고-누구든지-", "누가-"]·PT["E-quem", "e-a-quem-", "e-quem", "quais-", "quem-"]·RU["и-кого-", "и-кому-", "и-кто-", "каковы-", "кто-"]·ES["Y-quien", "y-a-quien", "¿Quién-", "¿cuáles-", "¿y-quién"]·SW["Na-yeyote-", "na-kwa-yeyote-", "na-ni-nani-", "na-yeyote-", "nani"]·TR["Kim-", "Ve-kim-", "ve-kim-", "ve-kime-"]·urd["اور-جسے-", "اور-جو", "اور-کون", "کس-نے-", "کون-"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַן (so Gi, with most MSS., supported by Syriac ܡܰܢ, Arabic مِنْ; v. K§ 22, 1), מָן (Baer: v. on Dn 3:6), interr. pron. who? (Old Aramaic Nab. Palm. מן (Lzb312 Cooke188), 𝔗 מן, Syriac ܡܰܢ, Ethiopic መኑ Arabic مَنْ: WCG 123: BH מִי);— 1. who? Ezr 5:3, 9; strengthened by הוּא, Dn 3:15 וּמַן־הוּא אֱלָהּ דִּי who is the God who …? (cf. Syriac ܡܰܢܽܘ contr. from ܡܰܢ ܗܽܘ, and מַנּוּ in the Syriacizing…