Lexical Definition

‎יוֹנָה‎ yôwnâh (yo-naw') dove ^H:N-F
probably from the same as ‎יַיִן‎

dove, pigeon.

• a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating)

1) dove, pigeon

See Greek: περιστερά

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎יוֺנָה‎ noun feminine dove (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic id., ) — absolute ‎יוֺנָה‎ Gen 8:8 + 20 t.; construct ‎יוֺנֵת‎ Ps 56:1* suffix ‎יוֺנָתִי‎ Song 2:14 + 2 t.; plural ‎יוֺנִים‎ Nah 2:8* + 6 t.; construct ‎יוֺנֵי‎ Ezek 7:16 (see below); — dove Gen 8:8; Gen 8:9; Gen 8:10; Gen 8:11; Gen 8:12 (all J); often of offerings, ‎בֶּןיֿוֺנָה‎ Lev 12:6 (P; an individual of the species; || ‎תֹּר‎); ‎בְּנֵי (ה)יוֺנִים‎ || ‎תֹּרִיםׅ‎ Lev 1:14; Lev 5:7; Lev 5:11; Lev 12:8; Lev 14:22; Lev 14:30; Lev 15:14; Lev 15:29; Num 6:10 (all P); ‎חֲרִי יוֺנִים‎ dove's dung 2Kgs 6:25 (Kt, yet see Gei^{Urschrift 409}); in various similes: Ephraim is ‎כְּיוֺנָה פּוֺתָה‎ like a silly dove Hos 7:11 (allowing itself to be snared); simile of return of exiles, like eager flight of doves Hos 11:11, of ships with white outspread sails Isa 60:8 ‎אֵבֶר כַּיּוֺנָה‎ Ps 55:7* see also ‎כַּנְפֵי יוֺנָה‎ Ps 68:14* simile of fugitive Moab Jer 48:28 also ‎כְּיוֺנֵי הַגֵּאָיוֺת‎ Ezek 7:16 like the doves of the valleys (but on text see Co, who emends ‎כיונים הוֺגִיּוֺת‎, but regards phrase as gloss): simile of mourning ‎כְּקוֺל יוֺנִים‎ Nah 2:8* without ‎קוֺל‎, ‎הגה כיונים‎ Isa 38:14; Isa 59:11 (from mournful note); figurative of beauty (only Canticles): ‎עֵינַיִךְ יוֺנִים‎ thine eyes are (those of) doves Song 1:15; Song 4:1, see also vSong 4:12 term of endearment, ‎יוֺנָתִי‎ my dove Song 2:14; Song 5:2; Song 6:9. Elsewhere only Ps 56:1* (title) ‎(עַל) יוֺנַת אֵלֶם רְחֹקִים‎ probably name of melody: To 'the dove of distant terebinths' (read ‎אֵלִים‎ for ‎אֵלֶם‎; see ‎אֵלֶם‎ above, and Bae^{Psalms, p. xvii}). — On sanctity of dove among Shemites, see RS^{Semitic i. 202, 275}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References