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This is a list of English words of Hebrew origin. Transliterated pronunciations not found in Merriam-Webster 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'.


From Hebrew words[]

abacus
from Greek abak-, abax 'slab' (MW), probably from אבק 'abaq 'dust' (AHD)
agora
from (AHD) agorah 'small coin' (MW)
aliyah
from (AHD) 'aliyah 'ascent' (MW)
almemar
from 'almemar 'bema', from Arabic (AHD)
amen
from אמן 'amen (MW) 'certainly', 'verily' (AHD)
baal
from ba'al 'lord' (AHD, MW)
bar mitzvah
from (AHD) בר מצוה bar miswah 'son of the law' (MW) (bat mitzvah : from (AHD) בת מצוה bath miswah 'daughter of the law' (MW))
bath (volume)
from bath (MW) '10 gallons liquid measure' (AHD)
behemoth
from (MW) בהמות behemot 'beasts' (AHD)
bethel
from (AHD) ביתאל beth'el 'house of God' (MW
cabal
from (AHD) קַבָּלָה qabbalah 'received (lore)' (MW)
challah
from (AHD) hallah 'challah' ('egg-rich yeast-leavened bread') (MW)
chazan, hazan
from hazzan 'cantor' (MW) + in part from Aramaic, both from Akkadian (AHD)
cherub
from (AHD) כרוב kerubh 'cherub' ('celestial hierarchy angel') (MW)
chutzpah
from (AHD) huspah 'supreme self-confidence' (MW)
cider
from (AHD) שכר shekhar 'strong drink' (MW)
corban
from (AHD) qorban 'offering' (MW)
dybbuk
from dibbuq 'dybbuk' ('wandering soul') (AHD, MW)
ephah
from (AHD) epha 'ephah' ('1/10 homer dry measure'), from Egyptian (MW)
ganef
(AHD) from gannabh 'thief' (MW)
gerah
from (MW) gera 'grain', 'bean' (AHD)
get (divorce document)
from get 'document of release' (MW)
golem
from גולם golem (AHD) 'shapeless mass' (MW)
goy
from goy 'nation' (AHD, MW)
gun moll
from (AHD) gannabh 'thief' (MW) + from Miryam (AHD) 'Miriam' (MW, OED) ('rebelliously')
halacha
from halakhah 'way' (MW)
hallelujah
from הללויה halleluyah 'praise the LORD' (AHD, MW)
hebraize
from (MW) עברי 'ibri 'Hebrew' (AHD) ('region across [descendant]') (SC)
heder
from hedher 'room' (MW)
homer (volume)
from homer '100 gallons capacity' (MW), 'heap' (AHD)
hora
from horah 'hora' ('circle dance of Romania and Israel'), from Romanian (MW), from Greek (AHD)
jubilee
from (AHD) יובל yobhel 'ram's horn', 'jubilee' (MW)
kabbalah
from (AHD) קַבָּלָה qabbalah 'received (lore)' (MW)
kibbutz
from קיבוץ qibbuṣ (MW) 'gathering' (AHD)
klezmer
from (AHD) כלי זמר keley zemer 'musical instruments' (MW)
kosher
from (AHD) כשר kasher 'fit', 'proper' (MW)
leviathan
from (AHD) לויתן liwyathan 'sea monster' (MW)
macabre
from French (danse) macabre (MW), perhaps from Greek Makkabios (AHD), from מכבי makkabi 'Maccabee' ('my hammer')
manna
from מן man 'manna' (AHD, MW) ('whatness') (SC)
matzo
from (AHD) massah 'matzo' ('unleavened bread') (MW)
maven
from (AHD) מבין mebhin 'one who is experienced' (MW), 'one who understands' (OED)
menorah
from (AHD) menorah 'candlestick' (MW)
meshuga
from (AHD) משוגע meshugga' 'crazy' (MW)
messiah
in part from (AHD) משיח mashiah 'anointed' (MW) + in part from Aramaic (AHD, MW)
mezuzah
from mezuzah 'doorpost' (AHD, MW)
midrash
from (AHD) midhrash 'exposition', 'explanation' (MW)
minyan
from minyan 'number', 'count' (MW), from Aramaic (AHD)
mitzvah
from (AHD) מצוה miṣwah 'commandment' (MW)
moshav
from (AHD) moshabh 'dwelling' (MW)
omer
from 'omer 'omer' (AHD) ('1/10 ephah dry capacity') (MW)
pascal
from 'Blaise Pascal' (AHD, MW), from פסח pesah 'Passover'
paschal
from פסח pesah 'Passover' (AHD, MW, OED)
pharaoh
from par'oh 'pharaoh' (AHD) ('ruler of ancient Egypt'), from Egyptian (MW)
rabbi
from רבי rabbi 'my master' (AHD, MW)
sabbatical
from (MW) שׁבת sabbat 'Sabbath' ('day of rest') (AHD)
sack
from Greek sakkos (MW), perhaps from Hebrew שק saq 'bag', 'sackcloth' (OED), from Phoenician (AHD)
satanic
from שטן satan 'adversary' (MW), 'devil' (AHD)
schmooze
(AHD) from shemu'oth 'news', 'rumor' (MW)
schwa
from שוא schewa' 'schwa' ('unstressed]] mid-central vowel') (MW), probably from Syriac (AHD)
seder
from (AHD) sedher 'order' (MW)
selah
from (AHD) selah (MW) 'suspension', 'pause' (SC)
seraph
from (MW) sarap 'seraph' ('celestial being') (AHD)
shalom
from (AHD) shalom 'peace' (MW)
shalom aleichem
from (AHD) shalom 'alekhem 'peace unto you' (MW)
shammes
from (AHD) שמש shammash 'sexton' (MW)
shamus
perhaps from (AHD) שמש shammash 'sexton' (MW)
shekel
from שקל sheqel '252 grains weight' (MW), from Canaanite (AHD)
shibboleth
from (AHD) שיבולת shibboleth 'stream' (MW), 'ear of grain' (OED)
shiksa
from (AHD) sheqes 'blemish', 'abomination' (MW)
siddur
from siddur 'arrangement' (AHD), 'order' (MW)
sukkah
from sukkah 'booth', 'shelter' (MW)
sycamine
from (AHD, MW) שִׁקמָה shiqmah 'mulberry tree' (OED)
teraph
from (AHD) teraphim 'household god' (MW)
torah
from tora 'law', 'instruction' (AHD)
tush
from (AHD) תחת tahath 'under', 'beneath' (MW)
tzitzit, zizith
from (AHD) ציצית sisith 'tzitzit' ('fringes', 'tassels') (MW)
yeshiva
from (AHD) ישיבה yeshibhah 'talmudic school' (MW)
zaddik
from saddiq 'just', 'righteous' (MW)

From Hebrew names[]

abelia
from '[=Clarke Abel' (AHD, MW), from הבל Hebhel 'Abel'[1] (from a word meaning 'emptiness': SC)
abelian
from 'Niels Abel' (AHD, MW), from הבל Hebhel 'Abel'[1] (from a word meaning 'emptiness' : SC)
abigail
from 'Abigail' (MW), from Avigail (from a phrase meaning 'father of exaltation': HH)
adam-and-eve
from אדם Adham 'Adam' + from חוה Hawwah 'Eve' (MW) (from words meaning respectively 'earth' and 'living': HH)
babel
from בבל Babhel, from an Akkadian phrase meaning 'gate of God' (MW)
bedlam
from 'Bedlem' (AHD, MW), from בית לחם Beth Lechem 'Bethlehem' (from a phrase meaning 'house of bread')
bejesus
from (AHD) Yeshua' 'Jesus' (MW) (from a word meaning 'savior': HH)
davit
from (AHD) Dawidh 'David' (MW) (from a word meaning 'loving': SC)
galilee
from Latin (MW) galilaea 'Galilee' (AHD), from galiyl 'circle', 'circuit' (SC)
hansom
from 'Joseph Hansom' (MW), from 'Hans',[2] from Yohanan 'John' (from a phrase meaning 'the Lord is gracious': SC, HH)
jack
from Yohanan 'John' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'the Lord is gracious': SC, HH) + perhaps in part from Ya'qob 'Jacob' (from a word meaning 'He has protected') (AHD)
jakes
perhaps from Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' (from a word meaning 'He has protected') (AHD)
jeez
from (AHD) Yeshua' 'Jesus' (MW) (from a word meaning 'savior': HH)
jehu
from Yehu 'Jehu' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'Jehovah [is] He': SC)
jeremiad
from (AHD) Yirmeyah 'Jeremiah' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'the LORD will rise': SC)
jeroboam
from 'Jeroboam' (AHD, MW), from Yarov'am 'Jeroboam' (from a phrase meaning 'people will contend': SC)
jesuit
from Yeshua' 'Jesus' (AHD) (from a word meaning 'savior': HH)
jimmy
from 'Jimmy' (MW), from 'James', from Ya'aqobh 'Jacob' 'Jacob' (from a word meaning 'He has protected') (AHD)
jezebel
from (AHD) איזבל Izebhel 'Jezebel' (MW) (from a word meaning 'chaste': SC)
joe
from Yoseph 'Joseph' (MW) (from a word meaning 'He shall add': HH)
john
from (AHD) Yohanan 'John' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'the Lord is gracious': SC, HH)
jorum
perhaps from 'Joram' (AHD, MW), from Yehoram 'Joram' (from a phrase meaning 'Jehovah-raised': SC)
joseph
from (AHD) Yoseph 'Joseph' (MW) (from a word meaning 'He shall add': HH)
judas
from (MW) יהודה yehuda (AHD) (from a word meaning 'celebrated': SC)
lazar
from (AHD) El'azar 'Lazarus' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'God is my help: HH)
lazaretto
from (AHD) El'azar 'Lazarus' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'God is my help: HH) + from 'Nazareth' (AHD, MW), from נָצְרַת‎ Nazhrath 'Nazareth' (from a word meaning 'truth', 'sprout', 'separate')
macadam
from John Loudon McAdam (MW), in part from Adham 'Adam' (from a word meaning 'earth': HH)
macadamia
from John Macadam (MW), in part from Adham 'Adam' (from a word meaning 'earth': HH)
marry (interjection)
from Miryam 'Mary' (AHD), 'Miriam' (MW, OED) (perhaps from a word meaning 'rebelliously' [SC] or perhaps from Egyptian [HH])
moll
from Miryam 'Mary' (AHD), 'Miriam' (MW, OED) (perhaps from a word meaning 'rebelliously' [SC] or perhaps from Egyptian [HH])
nance
from 'Nancy' (MW, AHD), probably in part from חנה Channah 'Anna' (OED) (from a word meaning 'He has favored': HH)
nimrod
from נמרוד Nimrodh (AHD, MW)
philistine
1 from פלשתים Pelistim 'Aegean people who settled Philistia' (AHD) 2 from 'Philistia' (MW), from פלשת Pelesheth 'Philistia' (from a word meaning 'rolling', 'migratory': SC)
rube
(AHD) from Re'ubhen 'Reuben' (MW) (from a phrase meaning 'see ye a son': SC)
samaritan
from (MW) Greek Samareia 'Samaria' (AHD), from Shomron (from a word meaning 'watch-station': SC)
semitist
from Shem 'Shem' (MW) (from a word meaning 'name': SC)
simony
from (AHD) Shim'on 'Simon' (MW) (from a word meaning 'hearkening': HH)
sodom
from (MW) סדום s'dom 'Sodom' (AHD, OED) (from a word meaning 'burnt': SC)
toby
from Greek Tobias (AHD, MW), from Toviah 'Tobias' (from a phrase meaning 'God is good': HH)
tom
from 'Thomas' (AHD), from t'om 'twin' (MW)

Letter names[]

aleph, beth, gimel, daleth, he, vav, zayin, heth, teth, yod, kaph, lamed, mem, nun, samekh, ayin, pe, sadhe, qoph, resh, shin, tav (AHD, MW)

See also[]

References[]

  • 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
  • OED: Oxford English Dictionary: online edition
  • SC: Strong's Concordance
  1. 1.0 1.1 "Abel". Behind the Name. http://surnames.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=abel. 
  2. 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." 
Wikipedia
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at List of English words of Hebrew origin. The list of authors can be seen in the page history.
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