List of English words of Hebrew origin: Difference between revisions
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; [[Goy]] : from גוי ''goy'' ("nation, gentile") |
; [[Goy]] : from גוי ''goy'' ("nation, gentile") |
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; [[Hallelujah]] : from הללויה ''halleluyah'' (="(let us) praise God") |
; [[Hallelujah]] : from הללויה ''halleluyah'' (="(let us) praise God") |
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; [[Israel]] : from ישראל '' |
; [[Israel]] : from ישראל ''Yisrael'' (="(the one who) wrestles (with) God") |
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; [[Jehu]] : from יהוא ''Yehu'' an insane driver (after [[Books of Kings|2 Kings]] 9:20) |
; [[Jehu]] : from יהוא ''Yehu'' an insane driver (after [[Books of Kings|2 Kings]] 9:20) |
||
; [[Jerusalem]] : from ירושלים '' |
; [[Jerusalem]] : from ירושלים ''Yerushalayim'' (="shall inherit Shalem" [an ancient biblical city-state mentioned in the book of Genesis]) |
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; [[Jubilee]] : from יובל ''yovel'' ([[Jubilee (Biblical)|Jubilee year]]) |
; [[Jubilee]] : from יובל ''yovel'' ([[Jubilee (Biblical)|Jubilee year]]) |
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; [[kibbutz]] : from קיבוץ '' |
; [[kibbutz]] : from קיבוץ ''kibbutz'' (="gathering") |
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; [[Kippah]] : from כיפה ''kippah'' (="half-sphere") |
; [[Kippah]] : from כיפה ''kippah'' (="half-sphere") |
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; [[Kosher]] : from כשר ''kasher'' (="fit, acceptable") |
; [[Kosher]] : from כשר ''kasher'' (="fit, acceptable") |
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; [[Methuselah]] : from ''Methushelah'', the oldest living human (969 years) |
; [[Methuselah]] : from ''Methushelah'', the oldest living human (969 years) |
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; [[Mohel]] : from מוהל ''mohel'' via [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] |
; [[Mohel]] : from מוהל ''mohel'' via [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] |
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; [[Nimrod]] : from נמרוד |
; [[Nimrod]] : from נמרוד, a mighty hunter, specifically the ancient King Nimrod (mentioned in the [[Book of Genesis]]) |
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; [[Rabbi]] : from רבי '' |
; [[Rabbi]] : from רבי ''rabbi'' (="my teacher", or mentor") |
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; [[Sabbath]] : from שׁבת " |
; [[Sabbath]] : from שׁבת "Shabbat" ("rest") |
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; [[Satan]] : from שטן ''satan'' (="adversary") |
; [[Satan]] : from שטן ''satan'' (="adversary") |
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; [[Schwa]] : from שווא ''sheva'' "ְ" |
; [[Schwa]] : from שווא ''sheva'' "ְ" |
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; [[Sephardi]] : from ספרדי ''sefaradi'' (="Spaniard") |
; [[Sephardi]] : from ספרדי ''sefaradi'' (="Spaniard") |
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; [[Seraph]], seraphim : from שרף ''seraf'', שרפים ''serafim'' ("fiery ones") |
; [[Seraph]], seraphim : from שרף ''seraf'', שרפים ''serafim'' ("fiery ones") |
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; [[Shibboleth]] : from שיבולת '' |
; [[Shibboleth]] : from שיבולת ''shibbolet'' (="ear of grain") |
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; [[Tohubohu]] : chaos, comes form "'' |
; [[Tohubohu]] : chaos, comes form "''tohu va'vohu''" (unformed and void) from Genesis 1:2 |
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; [[Torah]] : from תורה |
; [[Torah]] : from תורה |
||
Revision as of 17:55, 5 September 2006
This is a list of English words of Hebrew (and related Semitic) origin. Transliterated pronunciations follow Sephardic/Modern Israeli pronunciations as opposed to Ashkenazi pronunciations, with the major difference being that the letter tav (ת) is transliterated as a "t" as opposed to an "s."
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. |
English words of Hebrew origin
- Abacus
- probably from אבק avaq (="dust") through Greek
- Amen
- from אמן amen (="so be it; truly")
- Ashkenazi
- from אשכנזי ashkenazi (="German")
- Bar mitzvah
- from בר מצווה bar mitzvah (="son of (i.e. bound to) the commandment"), "bar" coming from Aramaic as the Hebrew word for son is "ben"
- Behemoth
- from בהמות beheymot (="beasts" or "cattle")
- Bethlehem, bedlam
- from בית לחם bet lehem (="house of bread")
- Bris
- from ברית brit via Yiddish (="covenant (of circumcision)"), the pronunciation here of the letter ת "tov" in English is pronounced as an "s" as opposed to a "t" beceause the English comes from Yiddish, which uses Ashkenazi pronunciations
- Cherub, cherubim
- from כרוב kerubh, כרובים kerubim
- Golem
- from גולם golem (="unformed, incomplete")
- Goy
- from גוי goy ("nation, gentile")
- Hallelujah
- from הללויה halleluyah (="(let us) praise God")
- Israel
- from ישראל Yisrael (="(the one who) wrestles (with) God")
- Jehu
- from יהוא Yehu an insane driver (after 2 Kings 9:20)
- Jerusalem
- from ירושלים Yerushalayim (="shall inherit Shalem" [an ancient biblical city-state mentioned in the book of Genesis])
- Jubilee
- from יובל yovel (Jubilee year)
- kibbutz
- from קיבוץ kibbutz (="gathering")
- Kippah
- from כיפה kippah (="half-sphere")
- Kosher
- from כשר kasher (="fit, acceptable")
- Leviathan
- from לויתן livyatan (="whale")
- Maven
- from מבין mevin via Yiddish (="one who understands")
- Messiah
- from משיח mashiach (="anointed")
- Methuselah
- from Methushelah, the oldest living human (969 years)
- Mohel
- from מוהל mohel via Yiddish
- Nimrod
- from נמרוד, a mighty hunter, specifically the ancient King Nimrod (mentioned in the Book of Genesis)
- Rabbi
- from רבי rabbi (="my teacher", or mentor")
- Sabbath
- from שׁבת "Shabbat" ("rest")
- Satan
- from שטן satan (="adversary")
- Schwa
- from שווא sheva "ְ"
- Sephardi
- from ספרדי sefaradi (="Spaniard")
- Seraph, seraphim
- from שרף seraf, שרפים serafim ("fiery ones")
- Shibboleth
- from שיבולת shibbolet (="ear of grain")
- Tohubohu
- chaos, comes form "tohu va'vohu" (unformed and void) from Genesis 1:2
- Torah
- from תורה
Words with Semitic roots akin to Hebrew
- Cider
- akin to שכר shekhar (="intoxicating liquor")
- Cinnamon
- akin to קינמון kinamon
- Camel
- akin to גמל gamal
- Hyssop
- akin to אזוב ezov
- Sack
- akin שק saq (="sackcloth")
- Sapphire
- akin to ספיר sapir
See also
For a list of words relating to with Hebrew language origins, see the Hebrew derivations category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.