החליף

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ח־ל־ף (ḥ-l-p)

Verb

הֶחְלִיף • (hekhlíf) third-singular masculine past (hif'il construction)

1. to swap, exchange, change; to replace one thing with another
   • Tanach, Genesis 31:7:

     וַאֲבִיכֶן הֵתֶל בִּי וְהֶחֱלִף אֶת־מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּי עֲשֶׂרֶת מֹנִים

     waʾăḇîḵen hēṯel bî wəheḥĕlip̄ ʾeṯ-maśkurtî ʿăśéreṯ mōnîm

     And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times.

   • Tanach, Genesis 35:2:

     […] וְהִטַּהֲרוּ וְהַחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶם׃

     […] wəhiṭṭahărû wəhaḥălî́p̄û śimlōṯêḵem

     […] and be clean, and change your garments.

2. (of a plant) to grow new branches
   • Tanach, Job 14:7:

     כִּי יֵשׁ לָעֵץ תִּקְוָה אִם־יִכָּרֵת וְעוֹד יַחֲלִיף וְיֹנַקְתּוֹ לֹא תֶחְדָּל׃

     kî yēš lāʿēṣ tiqwâ ʾim-yikkārēṯ wəʿôḏ yaḥălîp̄ wəyōnaqtô lōʾ ṯeḥdāl

     For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

3. (modern) to change one's mind
4. Used figuratively.

   לֹא הֶחְלַפְתִּי אִתָּהּ מִלָּה.

   ló hekhláfti itá milá.

   I didn't exchange a single word with her.

References

• “חלף, הֶחֱלִיף” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 1 of 3 (א to כ), →ISBN, page 399.
• “החליף” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language