The ''koy'' ( Mishnaic Hebrew: ) is a kosher animal classified in the Mishnah as an intermediate between cattle and beast.

Spelling and pronunciation

Ashkenazi Jews traditionally pronounced the word as ''kvi'' (Hebrew: ); while Yemenite Jews and most Sephardi Jews pronounced it as ''koy'' (Hebrew: ). Nowadays, many Ashkenazi Jews also pronounce it as ''koy'' which is the correct spelling according to most scholars.See See Different spellings are found in various manuscripts such as the

Kaufmann Manuscript The Kaufmann manuscript is a complete Hebrew language, Hebrew manuscript of the Mishnah. It is part of the collection of David Kaufmann located at the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest (MS A50). The Manuscript This is a ...

and others.

Etymology

One opinion is that the word is from the same root as '' cow'', and refers to the cow of the Germanic peoples which was halfway domesticated. Another possibility is that the word is from the same root as the Arabic (''kawy''), meaning ''strong''.

Identity

The Talmud cites three opinions regarding the identity of the ''koy'': #It is a type of wild deer (Hebrew: ) (identified by some as the mouflon). #The Talmud brings down that some say it is a

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of a male goat (Hebrew: ) and a female gazelle (Hebrew: ). Since the father is considered a type of cattle and the mother a type of beast, the question remains whether the offspring (the ''koy'') has the halakhic status of cattle or beast. This might be the opinion of Rav Chisda. #It is a separate species for itself. Some modern scholars identify the ''koy'' as the ''

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''.See See

Halakhic ramifications

The sages were not sure whether the ''koy'' has the halakhic status of cattle or beast, and therefore they ruled stringently, sometimes giving it the status of cattle and sometimes giving it the status of beast. The details of these laws are recorded in the Mishnah.

References

{{Authority control Mammals Jewish law Mishnah