האם? ה-אם the if? Topic is solved

[Corinnebelle]

Been working on Duolingo words. Something I thought of.

Is האם made from אם and -ה? Does it mean "the if"? As in prefixing a question?

[EranBarLev]

No, this ה is not ה' הידיעה = the definite article. This is another prefix called ה' השאלה = the ה of the question, added at the beginning of the first word of the sentence to make it a question. This was the standard way to form questions in Biblical Hebrew, and can also be found in poetry and literature, but it's archaic and no longer used in speech or even in formal documents.

Examples:
הראית איזה יופי? (Did you see what a beauty?) - a song written by the poet Natan Yonatan.
התבואי אלי הלילה? (Will you come to me tonight?) - a poem by Yehuda Amikhay later set to music.