Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary
עוה
Some scholars (BDB Theological Dictionary) see two roots עוה ('awa) but others (HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) count only one. It's probably most important that a Hebrew audience saw the following words as strongly related:
The verb עוה ('awa) means to bend or twist. It occurs seventeen times. David complained that he was bent over (Psalm 38:6), minds get perverted (Proverbs 12:8), paths get twisted (Lamentations 3:9), and the earth's surface is distorted (Isaiah 24:1).
The verb's derivatives are:
- The masculine noun עון ('awon), meaning iniquity or guilt (Job 19:29, Jeremiah 2:22), or the punishment resulting from guilt (Genesis 4:13, Exodus 28:38). This noun occurs 231 times in the Bible. Note that this noun is spelled the same as the hypothetical root עון ('wn), possibly meaning to help or to conceal.
- The verb formed after the previous noun עוה ('awa), meaning to commit iniquity of do wrong (Esther 1:16, Daniel 9:5). HAW doesn't reckon this verb as separate from the verb, but BDB does.
- The feminine noun עוה ('awwa), meaning distortion or ruin (Ezekiel 21:27 only).
- The plural noun עועים ('iw'im), meaning a distorting or warping (Isaiah 19:14 only).
- The masculine noun עי ('i), meaning ruin or heap of ruins (Job 30:24, Micah 1:6).
- The masculine noun מעי (me'i), meaning ruin as well (Isaiah 17:1 only).