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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Abel". Behind the Name. http://surnames.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=abel.
- ↑ 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."
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. |