[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/roots.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The Judaism dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/) / roots

[← R](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/R/)

# roots

«roots» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **the parts of a plant that grow under the ground; they…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (roots, plural of root; root — a root); verb (roots, from root)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Roots are the parts of a plant that grow under the ground; they hold the plant in place and take in water and minerals. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#m1)

2) The roots of a tooth or hair are the parts that hold it in the body. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#m2)

3) Your roots are the place and family you come from. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#m3)

4) The roots of a problem are where it starts. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#m4)

5) In maths, a root of a number, like the square root, is a number that multiplies by itself to give that number. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: It means plant roots, and in the Hebrew texts, three-letter word roots that carry the main meaning. Interpretation: Students of Hebrew and of Sefer Yetzirah trace meaning back to roots, and mystics speak of the "roots" of things in the divine world. In the primary lessons: In science roots anchor plants and take up water; carrots and potatoes are roots or underground parts we eat; tree roots can crack pavements. In everyday life, people say they have Irish or Greek roots (family history). In English lessons, a root word is the main part of a word before prefixes and suffixes are added (happy is the root of unhappiness). In maths the square root of 9 is 3 because 3 × 3 = 9.

### examples

- Hebrew has of course several verb roots relating to one or more of each of these three facets of language. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x1)
- It derives from the root נפ״שׁ NPSh, having to do with breathing, refreshing, and resting; its etymological relationships with curiously similar roots like נשׁ״ם NShM ‘to breathe, pant’, נשׁ״ף NShP ‘to blow’, and נשׁ״ב NShB ‘to blow’ are unclear. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x2)
- The Third Path is the Sanctifying Intelligence, and is the basis of foundation of Primordial Wisdom, which is called the Former of faith, and its roots, Amen; and it is the parent of Faith, from which virtues doth Faith emanate. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x3)
- His roots shall dry up beneath, and above shall his branch wither. (Writings JOB.18.16, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x4)
- His roots are wrapped about the heap, he beholdeth the place of stones. (Writings JOB.8.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x5)
- They pluck salt-wort with wormwood; and the roots of the broom are their food. (Writings JOB.30.4, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x6)
- The roots take in water from the soil. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x7)
- Tree roots lifted up the pavement. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x8)
- Carrots are roots that we eat. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x9)
- My family has roots in Scotland. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x10)
- «Kind» is the root word of «kindness». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x11)
- The square root of 16 is 4. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x12)
- The dentist said the tooth's root was healthy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x13)
- We need to find the roots of the problem. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x14)
- Meet here beneath this ash-tree's roots. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/#x15)

### note

Singular «root», plural «roots». «Take root» = start to grow. Homophone: «route» (a way to travel) is often said «root» in the UK. In maths the square root sign is √; √25 = 5. Not all things underground are roots: a potato is a tuber (a swollen stem).

### In the corpora

- [And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/ISA.253/)
- [I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/HOS.209/)
- [His roots are wrapped about the heap, he beholdeth the place of stones.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.192/)
- [His roots shall dry up beneath, and above shall his branch wither.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.461/)
- [He putteth forth his hand upon the flinty rock; He overturneth the mountains by the roots.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/jps/JOB.702/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «roots» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/R/roots/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.
