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Lo-ammi meaning

Lo-ammi in Biblical Hebrew
לא עמי
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Lo-ammi.html

🔼The name Lo-ammi: Summary

Meaning
Not My People
Etymology
From (1) the common particle of negation, לא (lo'), "no" or "not", and (2) the noun עם ('am), people.
Related names
• Via לא (lo'): Lo-debar, Lois, Lo-ruhamah, Shiloh
• Via עם ('am): Adullam, Amalek, Amalekite, Amam, Amasa, Ammi, Ammiel, Ammihud, Ammihur, Amminadab, Ammishaddai, Ammizabad, Ammon, Amram, Aniam, Balaam, Ben-ammi, Bileam, Chephar-ammoni, Eliam, Gomorrah, Ibleam, Immanuel, Ithream, Jashobeam, Jekameam, Jeroboam, Jokdeam, Jokmeam, Jokneam, Jorkeam, Rehoboam, Ummah

🔼The name Lo-ammi in the Bible

The name Lo-ammi occurs twice in the Bible, both times in the Book of Hosea (Hosea 1:9, 2:23), although the second occurrence of this name is more narrative than nominative.

The name Lo-ammi belongs to the third child and second son of the prophet Hosea and his wife Gomer. His name was ordained by YHWH, who explained, "For you are not my people, and I am not your God".

Lo-ammi's older brother's name was Jezreel, and their sister was Lo-ruhamah.

🔼Etymology of the name Lo-ammi

The name Lo-ammi obviously consists of two elements. The first element is the word לא (lo'), the common particle of negation: no or without:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
לא  לו

The particle לא (lo') or לוא (lo') is the primary particle of prohibition. It's used in prohibitive commands (thou shalt not), and is non-negotiable. It also serves as a particle of exclusion, which absolutely negates whatever follows: "not my people" means "absolutely totally not my people".

The particle לו (lu) or לוא (lu') is a minor particle of entreaty, and means "if only it were."

— See the full Dictionary article —

The second part of our name is the noun עם ('am), meaning people:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
עמם

The verb עמם ('mm) probably expressed to be inclusive or comprehensive. Its rare uses in the Bible relate to making secrets or making info available to an in-crowd. Preposition עם ('im) means 'with', מעם (me'im) means 'from', and עמה ('umma) means 'beside'. Noun עם ('am) means a people, ranging from all of mankind to the in-crowd of a small village. Noun עם ('am) refers to one's (paternal) kinsman.

— See the full Dictionary article —

The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends has the function of making a possessive form out of the noun עם: my people.

🔼Lo-ammi meaning

For a meaning of the name Lo-ammi, both NOBSE Study Bible Name List and BDB Theological Dictionary read Not My People. For no discernable reason, Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) decides to utilize a double possessive and proposes Not Of My People.