What does daleth mean?
Daleth (ד) is the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, equivalent in position to the Greek delta and Latin D, and it represents the consonantal sound /d/, as in English 'door'. The name itself derives from a Proto-Semitic root associated with the word for 'door,' reflecting the letter's ancient pictographic origin as a stylized doorway or tent flap. In modern Hebrew, daleth functions like any other letter of the alphabet, but in Jewish religious tradition it carries special significance: Psalm 119, the longest chapter of the Bible, is structured as an alphabetical acrostic in which consecutive groups of verses begin successively with each letter, so an entire stanza is devoted to daleth. The word appears mainly in academic, linguistic, and religious contexts, and its spelling varies between 'daleth' and 'dalet' depending on transliteration convention. For readers of scripture or students of Semitic languages, daleth is a small but historically resonant piece of one of the world's oldest continuously used writing systems.
nounThe fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (ד), transliterated as 'd' and representing a 'd' sound.
- The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet (ד), representing the consonantal sound /d/.
"In the Hebrew acrostic of Psalm 119, each stanza begins with a successive letter, and the fourth stanza opens verses marked with daleth."
"Students learning the Hebrew alphabet often begin with aleph, bet, gimel, and daleth."
"The manuscript was carefully copied, with each verse of the daleth stanza rendered in ornate square script."
Standard English pluralization; rarely needed since the word usually appears in reference to the single letter.
"The page was filled with carefully formed daleths."
Psalm 119 — the longest chapter in the Bible — devotes an entire eight-verse stanza to this single letter, making daleth one of the few letters with its own section of scripture.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of daleth
Daleth comes from Hebrew דָּלֶת (daleth), whose name is traditionally linked to a Semitic root meaning 'door' or 'doorway.' The letter descends from a Proto-Semitic pictograph depicting a door or tent entrance, which also gave rise to the Phoenician letter that became the Greek delta and ultimately the Latin D. It entered English through scholarly study of Hebrew, particularly in biblical commentary and linguistics, where spellings such as 'daleth' and 'dalet' reflect different transliteration systems.
How daleth is actually used
A technical term used primarily in discussions of Hebrew language, biblical studies, and Semitic linguistics; rare in general English prose.
Easily confused with daleth
'Dalet' is an alternative transliteration of the same Hebrew letter ד; both refer to the fourth letter, with spelling varying by transliteration convention.