yeleh
עלה
'yeleh' means “leaf” or “leaves”. It is closely related to aleh, meaning “tree”.
This meaning is clearly demonstrated in the opening chapters of Genesis which contain the first two instances of 'yeleh'. Yeleh are the leaves from which Adam and Eve made garments to cover their nakedness.1) and which the dove carried back to Noah to signal the end of the flood2).
Yet, after this strong precedent is set, many instances are somehow misinterpreted within the traditional translations. Over 85% of the instances of 'yeleh' are typically mistranslated as “burnt offering”. This might be because leaves were used as fuel for the fires that burnt the offerings. Or it might be a complete red herring. The entire notion of burnt offerings might be based solely on a failed translation. 
- this requires further analysis.
One must also keep in mind that in the desert regions where most of the narratives take place, trees are few and far between, and therefore firewood is scarce, and highly prized for building material. Desert dwellers tend to rely on dried animal dung as their primary fuel for fires and for cooking. The dung of goats particularly serves as a surprisingly effective fuel source. Once dried, it burns well and provides enough heat for cooking.
View this word and its instances in our interactive lexicon