ra.yah denotes a female companion, especially as an affectionate singular address in Song of Songs.

The attested use chiefly addresses a woman as a close, affectionate companion in praise, invitation, and appeal throughout Song of Songs. A plural construct form in Judges 11:37 refers instead to the speaker's female companions who accompany her mourning.

1. Affectionate address to a female companion · dominant

   The singular construct form is used in direct speech and descriptions addressed to a woman. In Song of Songs 2:10 the APB renders the invitation, “go, my companion, my beautiful one”; in Song of Songs 4:7 it renders her as altogether beautiful and without blemish, while Song of Songs 5:2 places the term among the speaker's intimate forms of address.

   Song of Songs 1:9Song of Songs 1:15Song of Songs 2:10Song of Songs 4:1Song of Songs 4:7Song of Songs 5:2
2. Female companions as a group · rare

   In Judges 11:37, the plural construct form occurs in the request to go into the mountains and weep over virginity “I and my companions,” as the APB renders the clause. The form identifies the group accompanying the speaker rather than functioning as a singular address.

   Judges 11:37

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the supplied verses, the APB regularly presents the singular form as “my companion” and the plural form in Judges 11:37 as “my companions.” Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these renderings confirm the verse-level presentation rather than defining each token independently.