List of English words of Hebrew origin
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For a list of words relating to Hebrew language origins, see the Terms derived from Hebrew category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
This is a list of English words of Hebrew origin. Transliterated pronunciations not found in Merriam-Webster or the American Heritage Dictionary follow Sephardic/Modern Israeli pronunciations as opposed to Ashkenazi pronunciations, with the major difference being that the letter taw (ת) is transliterated as a 't' as opposed to an 's'.
There is a separate list of English words of Semitic origin other than those solely of Hebrew or Arabic origin.
From Hebrew words
[edit]- abacus
- from אבק 'avaq 'dust' (AHD), probably from Greek ἄβαξ abax 'slab' (MW)
- agora (currency)
- from (AHD) אגורה agorah 'small coin' (MW), from Greek agora "an assembly of the People" from ageirein "to assemble
- aliyah
- from (AHD) עלייה 'aliyah 'ascent' (MW)
- almemar
- from אלממר 'almemar 'bema', from Arabic المنبر al-minbar 'pulpit' (AHD)
- amen
- from אמן 'amen (MW) 'certainly', 'verily' (AHD)
- baal
- from בעל ba'al 'lord' (AHD, MW)
- babel
- from (AHD, MW) בלל balal 'confound' (SC) + in part from Akkadian 𒇷𒄿 𒀊𒁀 bāb-ilu 'gate of god' (MW)
- bar mitzvah
- from (AHD) בר מצוה bar miṣwah 'son of the commandment' (MW)
- bath (volume)
- from בַּת bath (MW) '10 gallons liquid measure' (AHD) from Greek βαθύς (bathus), "deep",[1]
- bat mitzvah
- from (AHD) בת מצוה bath miṣwah 'daughter of the commandment' (MW)
- behemoth
- from (MW) בהמות behemoth 'beasts' (AHD)
- bethel
- from (AHD) ביתאל beth'el 'house of God' (MW)
- bethesda (chapel)
- (OSPD) from (AHD) Greek Bethesda 'Bethesda' (WNW), probably from bayith chesed 'house of kindness' (SC)
- bris
- from (WNW) ברית b'rith 'covenant' (MW)
- brith milah
- from (WNW) בְּרִית מִילָה b'rith milah 'covenant of circumcision' (MW)
- brouhaha
- perhaps from barukh hab-ba 'blessed be he who comes' (WNW)
- cab (volume)
- from (MW) qab 'hollow vessel' (AHD)
- cabal
- from (AHD) קַבָּלָה qabbalah 'received (lore)' (MW)
- challah
- from (AHD) חלה ḥallah 'egg-rich yeast-leavened bread' (MW)
- chazan, hazan
- from חזן ḥazzan 'cantor' (MW) + in part from Aramaic, both from Akkadian (AHD)
- cherub
- from (AHD) כרוב kerubh 'celestial hierarchy angel' (MW)
- chutzpah
- from (AHD) חֻצְפָּה ḥuṣpah 'supreme self-confidence' (MW)
- cider
- from (AHD) שכר shekhar 'strong drink' (MW)
- copacetic
- disputed (MW) + perhaps from כל בצדק kol beṣedeq 'all with justice' (AHD), or כל בסדר kol beseder ‘all is in order’ (MW)
- cor (volume), kor (volume)
- from kor (AHD, WNW) '100 gallons capacity' (MW)
- corban
- from (AHD) קָרְבָּן qorban 'offering' (MW)
- dybbuk
- from דיבוק dibbuq 'wandering soul' (AHD, MW)
- edenic
- from (WNW) עדן 'eden 'delight' (AHD)
- ephah
- from (AHD) איפה ephah '1/10 homer dry measure', from Egyptian (MW)
- galilee
- from Latin galilaea (AHD, MW), from גליל galiyl 'circle', 'circuit' (SC)
- ganef
- from (AHD) גנב gannabh 'thief' (MW)
- gerah
- from (MW) גרה gerah 'grain', 'bean' (AHD)
- get (divorce document)
- from גט get 'document of release' (MW)
- golem
- from גולם golem (AHD) 'shapeless mass' (MW)
- goy
- from גוי goy 'nation' (AHD, MW)
- gun moll
- from (AHD) גנב gannabh 'thief' (MW) + from מִרְיָם Miryam (AHD) 'Miriam' (MW, OED) (='rebelliously') (SC) + perhaps from Egyptian (HH)
- habdalah
- from (AHD) habhdalah 'separation' (MW)
- haftarah, haphtarah
- from (MW, WNW) patar 'separate', 'discharge' (AHD)
- haggadah
- from (AHD, MW) heged 'a saying' (WNW)
- halacha
- from הלכה halakhah 'way' (MW)
- hallelujah, alleluia
- from הללויה halleluyah 'praise the LORD' (AHD, MW)
- halutz
- from hlṣ 'be in the vanguard' (WNW)
- hebraize
- from (MW) עברי 'ibhri (AHD) 'region across [descendant]' (SC)
- heder
- from חדר heder 'room' (MW)
- homer (volume)
- from (AHD, MW) חמר hamar 'surge up', 'swell up' (WNW), Greek ὅμηρος (hómēros), "hostage"
- hosanna
- from (AHD) hoshi'ah-nna 'save please' (MW)
- jubilee
- from (AHD) יובל yobhel 'ram's horn' (MW)
- judas
- from (MW) יהודה yehuda (AHD) 'celebrated' (SC)
- kabbalah, cabala
- from (AHD) קַבָּלָה qabbalah 'received (lore)' (MW)
- kaddish
- from (AHD, MW) qds 'sanctify' (WNW)
- kashrut
- from (AHD, MW) כשר ksr 'be appropriate' (WNW)
- kibbutz
- from קיבוץ qibbuṣ (MW) 'gathering' (AHD)
- kibosh
- disputed (AHD, MW) + perhaps from כבש kabash 'tread down', 'disregard'[citation needed]
- kiddush
- from (AHD) qiddush 'sanctification' (MW)
- klezmer
- from (AHD) כלי זמר k'ley zemer 'musical instruments' (MW)
- knesset
- (OSPD) from kanas 'assemble' (AHD, WNW)
- kosher
- from (AHD, MW) כשר ksr 'be appropriate' (WNW)
- chayyim
- (OSPD) from ḥaim 'to life' (WNW)
- leviathan
- from (AHD) לויתן liwyathan 'sea monster, whale' (MW)
- macabre
- from French (danse) macabre (AHD, MW), probably from Latin (Chorea) Machabaeorum, from מקבת maqqebet 'hammer' (WNW), from נקב naqab 'perforate' (SC)
- maftir
- (OSPD) from maphtir 'one that dismisses' (NI)
- mahzor
- from (AHD) ḥzr 'return' (WNW)
- manna
- from מן man (AHD, MW) (SC)
- matzo
- from (AHD) מצה maṣah 'unleavened bread' (MW)
- maven
- from (AHD) מבין mebhin 'one who is experienced' (MW), 'one who understands' (OED)
- mazeltov
- from (WNW) מזל טוב mazzal tob 'good luck' (AHD)
- mazuma
- from (WNW) מזומן mezumman 'fixed' (AHD)
- megillah
- from (MW, WNW) galal 'roll' (AHD)
- menorah
- from (AHD) מנורה menorah 'candlestick' (MW)
- meshuga
- from (AHD) משוגע meshugga 'crazy' (MW).
- messiah
- from (AHD) משיח mashiaḥ 'anointed' (MW) + in part from Aramaic (AHD) meshiha 'anointed' (MW)
- mezuzah
- from מְזוּזָה mezuzah 'doorpost' (AHD, MW)
- midrash
- from (AHD) מדרש midrash 'exposition', 'explanation' (MW)
- mikvah
- from miqwah 'purification bath' (AHD)
- minyan
- from מִנְיָן minyan 'number', 'count' (MW), from Aramaic (AHD)
- mitzvah
- from (AHD) מצוה miṣwah 'commandment' (MW)
- mohel
- from מוהל mohel 'person qualified to perform circumcision' (WNW)
- momser
- from momser 'bastard' (WNW)
- mishpachah
- from mishpahah 'family', 'clan' (NI)
- moshav
- from (AHD) מוֹשָׁב moshabh 'dwelling' (MW)
- nabla
- probably from nebhel 'harp' (NI)
- nachas
- pleasure, satisfaction, delight; proud enjoyment (usage: I have nachas from you) (from Hebrew נחת pronounced 'nachat') (WNW)
- nebel
- from nebhel 'harp' (NI)
- omer
- from עמר 'omer (AHD) '1/10 ephah dry capacity' (MW)
- parashah
- from parashah 'explanation' (MW, WNW)
- pascal
- from 'Pascal' (AHD, MW), from[2] פסח pesah 'passover' (AHD, MW, OED)
- paschal
- from פסח על pasah al 'passed over' (AHD, MW, OED)
- pharaoh
- from פרעה par'oh 'ruler of ancient Egypt', from Egyptian (MW)
pr-'o 'great house' (AHD) - pharisee
- from Aramaic (AHD) perisha 'separated', from (MW) פרש parash 'separate' (SC), 'cleave' (WNW)
- rabbi
- from (AHD, WNW) רב rabh 'master' (MW)
- rebbe
- from (AHD, WNW) רב rabh 'master' (MW)
- rebbetzin
- from (WNW) רב rabh 'master' (MW)
- sabbatical
- from (MW) שׁבת shabbat 'day of rest' (AHD)
- sabra
- from (AHD) ṣabar 'prickly pear' (MW)
- satanic
- from שטן satan 'adversary' (MW), 'devil' (AHD)
- schmooze
- from (AHD) שמועות shemu'oth 'news', 'rumor' (MW)
- schwa
- from שוא schewa' 'unstressed mid-central vowel' (MW), probably from Syriac ܥܗܘܐܝܝܐ sewayya 'equal' (AHD)
- seder
- from (AHD) סדר seder 'order' (MW)
- selah
- from (AHD) סֶלָה selah (MW) 'suspension', 'pause' (SC)
- seraph
- from (MW) שׂרף saraph 'celestial being' (AHD)
- shadchan
- (OSPD) from shiddekh 'arrange a marriage' (NI)
- shadrach
- (OSPD) from (AHD) shadrach 'captive' (WNW)[3]
- shalom
- from (AHD) שָׁלוֹם shalom 'peace' (MW)
- shalom aleichem
- from (AHD) שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם shalom 'alekhem 'peace unto you' (MW)
- shammes
- from (AHD) שמש shammash 'sexton' (MW)
- shamus
- perhaps from (AHD) שמש shammash 'sexton' (MW)
- shegetz
- from (AHD) שקץ sheqes 'blemish', 'abomination' (MW)
- shekel
- from (MW) שקל saqal 'weigh', from Canaanite tql (AHD)
- sheol
- (OSPD) from se'ol 'underworld' (AHD), perhaps from shaal 'dig' (WNW)
- shibboleth
- from (AHD) שיבולת shibboleth 'stream' (MW), 'ear of grain' (OED)
- shiksa
- from (AHD, WNW) שקץ sheqes 'blemish', 'abomination' (MW)
- shivah
- from (AHD) shibh'ah 'seven' (MW)
- shofar
- from shophar (MW) 'ram's horn' (AHD)
- siddur
- from סידור siddur 'arrangement' (AHD), 'order' (MW)
- sukkah
- from סוכה sukkah 'booth', 'shelter' (MW)
- sycamine
- from (AHD, MW) שִׁקמָה shiqmah 'mulberry tree' (OED)
- tallith
- from (MW) tillel 'cover' (AHD)
- talmudism
- from (MW) lamad 'learn' (AHD)
- teraph
- from (AHD) תרפים teraphim 'household god' (MW)
- torah
- from תּוֹרָה tora 'law', 'instruction' (AHD)
- tref
- from taraph 'tear' (AHD)
- tsuris
- from (AHD) ṣarah 'calamity' (WNW)
- tush, toches
- from (AHD) תחת tahath 'under', 'beneath' (MW)
- tzitzit, zizith
- from (AHD) ציצית ṣiṣith 'fringes', 'tassels' (MW)
- ulpan
- from aleph 'ox', 'leader' (WNW)
- yeshiva
- from (AHD) ישיבה yeshibhah 'talmudic school' (MW)
- yid
- from יהודה yehudah (AHD) 'celebrated' (SC)
- zaddik
- from צדיק ṣaddiq 'just', 'righteous' (MW)
From Hebrew names
[edit]- abelia
- from 'Abel' (AHD, MW), from הבל Hebhel 'Abel'[4] (='emptiness') (SC)
- abelian
- from 'Abel' (AHD, MW), from הבל Hebhel 'Abel'[4] (='emptiness') (SC)
- abigail
- from (MW) אֲבִיגַיִל (SC) Avigail 'Abigail' (='father of exaltation') (HH)
- adam-and-eve
- from אדם Adam 'Adam' (MW) (='earth') (HH) + from חוה Hawwah 'Eve' (MW) (='living') (HH)
- ammonite
- from עַמּוֹן Ammon, Biblical tribe
- bedlam
- from (AHD, MW) בית לחם Beth Leḥem 'Bethlehem' (='house of bread')
- bejesus
- from (AHD) יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshu'a 'Jesus' (MW) (='Jehovah-saved') (SC)
- benday
- from (AHD) Binyamin 'Benjamin' (MW) (='son of [the] right hand') (SC) + from Old English (AHD, MW)
- cassia
- from קסיה qəṣi`â
- davit
- from (AHD) דָּוִד Dawid 'David' (MW) (='loving') (SC)
- hamantasch
- from Haman 'Haman' (MW) (='vizier') (SC) + from Yiddish (MW)
- hansom
- from 'Hansom' (MW), from 'Hans',[5] from Yohanan 'John' (='the LORD is gracious') (HH)
- jack
- 1 from יוחנן Yohanan 'John' (MW) (='the LORD is gracious') (HH)
2 perhaps from יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW) (='he has protected') (AHD) - jacket
- from יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW) (='he has protected') (AHD)
- jacobean
- from יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW) (='he has protected') (AHD)
- jacquard
- from 'Jacquard' (AHD, MW), from[6] יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW) (='he has protected') (AHD)
- jacquerie
- from יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW) (='he has protected') (AHD)
- jakes
- perhaps from יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW) (='he has protected') (AHD)
- jeez
- from (AHD) יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshu'a 'Jesus' (MW) (='Jehovah-saved') (SC)
- jehu
- from יהוא Yehu 'Jehu' (MW) (='Jehovah [is] He') (SC)
- jeremiad
- from (AHD) יִרְמְיָה Yirmeyah 'Jeremiah' (MW) (='the LORD will rise') (SC)
- jeroboam
- from (AHD, MW) יָרָבְעָם Yarobh'am 'Jeroboam' (='people will contend') (SC)
- jesuit
- from יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshu'a 'Jesus' (AHD) ('Jehovah-saved') (SC)
- jezebel
- from (AHD) איזבל Izebhel 'Jezebel' (MW) (='chaste') (SC)
- jimmy
- from (MW) 'James' (AHD), from יַעֲקֹב Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (MW, OED) (='he has protected') (AHD)
- jockey
- from (AHD) יוחנן Yohanan 'John' (MW) (='the LORD is gracious') (HH)
- joe
- from יוֹסֵף Yoseph 'Joseph' (MW) (='he shall add') (HH)
- john (washroom)
- from (AHD) יוחנן Yohanan 'John' (MW) (='the LORD is gracious') (HH)
- johnny (gown)
- from (AHD) יוחנן Yohanan 'John' (MW) (='the LORD is gracious') (HH)
- jorum
- perhaps from (AHD, MW) Yehoram 'Joram' (='Jehovah-raised') (SC)
- joseph
- from (AHD) יוֹסֵף Yoseph 'Joseph' (MW) (='he shall add') (HH)
- lazar
- from (AHD) אלעזר El'azar 'Lazarus' (MW) (='God is my help') (HH)
- lazaretto
- from (AHD) אלעזר El'azar 'Lazarus' (MW) (='God is my help') (HH) + from (MW) נָצְרַת natzerath 'Nazareth' (WNW)
- macadam
- from 'McAdam' (MW), in part from Adham 'Adam' (='earth') (HH)
- macadamia
- from 'Macadam' (MW), in part from Adham 'Adam' (='earth') (HH)
- marionette
- from מִרְיָם Miryam (AHD) 'Miriam' (MW, OED) (='rebelliously') (SC) + perhaps from Egyptian (HH)
- marry (interjection)
- from מִרְיָם Miryam (AHD) 'Miriam' (MW, OED) (='rebelliously') (SC) + perhaps from Egyptian (HH)
- mick
- from Mikha'el 'Michael' (MW) (='who [is] like God?') (SC)
- mickey (drink)
- perhaps from (AHD) Mikha'el 'Michael' (MW) (='who [is] like God?') (SC)
- miquelet
- probably from Catalan Miquel (NI), from[7] Mikha'el 'Michael' (MW) (='who [is] like God?') (SC)
- moll
- from מִרְיָם Miryam (AHD) 'Miriam' (MW, OED) (='rebelliously') (SC) + perhaps from Egyptian (HH)
- nance
- from 'Nancy' (MW, AHD), probably in part from חנה Ḥannah 'Anna' (OED) (='favored') (HH, SC)
- nimrod
- from (AHD) נמרוד Nimrodh 'Nimrod' (='hunter') (MW)
- philistine
- 1 from פלשתים Pelistim 'Philistines' 'Aegean people who settled Philistia' (AHD)
2 from (MW) פלשת Pelesheth 'Philistia' (='rolling', 'migratory') (SC) - rube
- (AHD) from רְאוּבֵן Re'ubhen 'Reuben' (MW) (='see ye a son') (SC)
- samaritan
- from (AHD, MW) שֹׁמְרוֹן Shomron 'Samaria' (='watch-station') (SC)
- semitist
- from שם Shem 'Shem' (MW) (='name') (SC)
- simony
- from (AHD) שִׁמְעוֹן Shim'on 'Simon' (MW) (='hearing') (HH, SC)
- sodom
- from (MW) סדום s'dom 'Sodom' (AHD, OED) (='burnt') (SC)
- toby
- from (AHD, MW) טוביה Toviah 'Tobias' (='goodness of Jehovah') (SC)
- yankee
- probably from (AHD) יוחנן Yohanan 'John' (MW) (='the LORD is gracious') (HH)
Letter names
[edit]aleph, beth, gimel, daleth, he, waw, zayin, heth, teth, yod, kaph, lamed, mem, nun, samekh, ayin, pe, sadhe, qoph, resh, shin, taw (AHD, MW, WNW)
- alpha
- from Greek Άλφα alpha, perhaps from אלף aleph 'ox', 'leader' (WNW) + from Canaanite 𐤀𐤋𐤐 'alp 'ox' (AHD)
- beta
- from Greek Βήτα beta, from בית bet 'house', probably from Phoenician (WNW) + from Canaanite 𐤁𐤉𐤕 bet 'house' (AHD)
- gamma
- from Greek Γάμμα gamma, perhaps from גמל gimel 'ruminant beast' (WNW) + from Phoenician 𐤋𐤌𐤀𐤂 (AHD)
- delta
- from Greek Δέλτα delta (AHD), perhaps from דלת deleth 'door' (WNW) + of Semitic origin, akin to Phoenician 𐤕𐤋𐤀𐤃 dalt 'door' (AHD)
- eta
- from Greek eta, perhaps from chet (WNW) 'terror' (SC) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤕𐤇 (AHD)
- iota
- from Greek Ιώτα iota, perhaps from יד yodh 'hand' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤕𐤏𐤉 (AHD)
- kappa
- from Greek Κάππα kappa, perhaps from כף kaph (WNW) 'palm of the hand' (MW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤅𐤀𐤊 (AHD)
- lambda
- from Greek Λάμβδα lambda, perhaps from למד lamedh 'whip', 'club' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤃𐤌𐤀𐤋 (AHD)
- nu
- from Greek Νυ nu, perhaps from נון nun 'fish' (WNW) + of Semitic origin (AHD)
- pi
- from Greek Πι pi, perhaps from פה pe 'mouth' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤄𐤐 (AHD)
- rho
- from Greek Ρω rho, perhaps from ראש rosh 'head' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤔𐤏𐤓 (AHD)
- tau
- from Greek Ταυ tau, perhaps from taw (WNW) 'mark', 'cross' (MW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤅𐤀𐤕 (AHD)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ βαθύς, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
- ^ pascal. French-English translation in CollinsDictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 11th Edition. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Shadrach: Definition". www.lexic.us.
- ^ a b "Abel". Behind the Name.
- ^ Weekley, Ernest, M.A. (1912). The Romance of Words. London: John Murray. p. 51.
Apart from assimilation, there is a tendency in English to substitute -m for -n .... In the family name Hansom, for Hanson, the son of Hans, we have dissimiliation.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Henry Harrison. Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary. p. 233.
The French Jacquard = Jacques (q.v.) + the dim. suff. -ard [Teut. hard, hard]
- ^ Aaron Demsky. These Are the Names: Studies in Jewish Onomastics. p. 300.
Names from other traditions that were present in the Catalan-speaking area .... include: Adam, Noè (Noah), Miquel (Michael), and Samsó (Samson).
- AHD: American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: 3rd or 4th edition
- HH: A Dictionary of First Names, Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges
- MW: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: 10th or 11th edition
- NI: Webster's New International Dictionary: 2nd or 3rd edition
- OED: Oxford English Dictionary: online edition
- SC: Strong's Concordance
- WNW: Webster's New World Dictionary: 3rd edition
- =: a name from a word or phrase with the meaning given