הָמוֹן

The word "הָמוֹן" (hamon) is a biblical word derived from the root h-m-h, which indicates creating a lot of noise, with the noun suffix -on. In the Bible, it is used in several meanings: (1) "noise, sound," for example "the sound of abundance of rain" (1 Kings 8:41), (2) a large group of people, as in "Have you seen all this great multitude?" (1 Kings 20:13), and (3) in the sense of "many," for instance "a father of many nations have I made thee" (Genesis 17:5). In Modern Hebrew, although the word is sometimes perceived as slang, it is mainly used in the third meaning - as a synonym for "a lot." Its use as a quantity word has become common in spoken Hebrew, though it is still sometimes used in the historical meaning of "crowd" or "noisy gathering."