מקורFrom Arabic إما لَ (ʾimmā lā), equivalent to
إما (ʾimmā, “if even”) + لَ (lā, “not”) cognate with Hebrew לֹא (lo). Likely adapted to form the compound אִי ('i, “not having, not being”) + לְמַלֵּא (lemalé, “to fulfill”).
- unless, if not
“לֹא הָיִיתִי נוֹסֵעַ לַהַצָּגָה אִלְמָלֵא רָכַשְׁתִּי כַּרְטִיס מִבְּעוֹד מוֹעֵד.” — I would not go to the show if I had not obtained a ticket in advance.
- without, were it not for
“הָיִיתִי נִכְשָׁל בַּמִּבְחָן אִלְמָלֵא הַיֶּדַע הָרַב שֶׁלִּי בְּעִבְרִית.” — I would have failed the test were it not for my great knowledge of Hebrew.
צורותאִלְמָלֵא(canonical) · 'ilmalé(romanization)