zilpah
Very Low (Obscure)Formal / Archaic / Biblical
Definition
Meaning
A Biblical female given name.
Proper noun used exclusively as a personal name. It has no modern extended meanings in contemporary English.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A name from the Old Testament; belongs exclusively to the domain of Biblical onomastics. Has not been lexicalised into common nouns or verbs. Extremely rare in modern usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
None. Equally obscure in both variants.
Connotations
Biblical, historical, archaic. No modern cultural connotations.
Frequency
Effectively zero in contemporary language in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Zilpah (subject) + was + [a handmaid/maidservant]Zilpah + mother of + [Gad, Asher]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used only in theological, historical, or literary studies discussing Genesis.
Everyday
Effectively never used.
Technical
Not applicable.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I read a story about Zilpah in the Bible.
- In the book of Genesis, Leah had a maid named Zilpah.
- The narrative explains that Leah gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
- The matriarchal politics of Genesis are evident in the cases of Bilhah and Zilpah, who bore children on behalf of Rachel and Leah respectively.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
ZILpah was given to Leah, like a GILt package.
Conceptual Metaphor
NAME IS A HISTORICAL ARTEFACT
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian sounds; it is a transliterated name, not a common word.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'Zilpha'.
- Attempting to use it as a common noun.
- Mispronouncing the final vowel (should be a schwa /ə/).
Practice
Quiz
Who was Zilpah?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely obscure Biblical proper noun.
No. It is exclusively a proper name with no derived lexical forms in standard English.
She was Leah's handmaid, given to Jacob as a concubine, and became the mother of two of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gad and Asher).
No. It is only relevant for specific theological, historical, or literary studies. It is not part of general vocabulary.