קני, קָנָא, (קָנָה) (cmp. Arab. ḳana) to be hot.
Pi. - קִינֵּא, קִנֵּא (b. h.) 1) to be jealous; to envy. Lam. R. introd. (R. Joḥ. 1) לא קִנֵּאתִי בה I was not jealous of her; מפני מה קִנֵּאתָ לע"ז וכ׳ why art thou jealous of an idol in which there is no reality?; a. e.—Esp. ק׳ לאשתו to suspect one’s wife of unbecoming conduct; to accuse of faithlessness; to warn one’s wife. Sot. I, 1 המְקַנֵּא … מקנא לה על פי שנים he who suspects his wife … must bring charges against her based on a warning given in the presence of two witnesses. Ib. 2 כיצד מקנא לה אומר לה בפני שנים אל תדברי וכ׳ how must he warn her? If he says before two witnesses, do not speak (associate) with that man, and she does so, she is still permitted to him for marital life &c. Tosef. ib. I, 1 [read:] המקנא לאשתו מקנא על פי עד אחד וכ׳ (ed. Zuck. המְקַנֶּה, Var. מקנה) he who wants to proceed against his wife, must bring charges based on a statement of warning by one witness or on his own statement; Sot. 2ᵇ. Ib. 2ᵃ אסור לקַנְּאוֹת it is forbidden to warn one’s wife (in the presence of witnesses). Ib. 3ᵃ מותר לק׳ it is permitted &c. M. Kat. 18ᵇ (ref. to Ps. CVI, 16) שכל … קי׳ לאשתו ממשה every one of them warned his wife in jealousy of Moses. Num. R. s. 9 ע"י איש הוא מקנה אותה וכ׳ he may bring charges on the ground of suspicious conduct towards a man (human being) but not &c. Ib. בית רין מְקַנְּאִין להם וכ׳ (some ed. מְקַנִּין) the court takes proceedings in their (the husbands’) behalf &c.; a. fr. —2) to arouse jealousy; to provoke. Meg. 15ᵇ קִנְּאַתּוּ במלך וכ׳ she (by inviting Haman) aroused against him the jealousy of the king and the jealousy of the (other) princes. Num. R. l. c. שהיא מְקַנְּאָה להקב"ה וכ׳ for she provokes the Lord and her husband; a. e.