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Sabbath

Etymology and origin of the English word Sabbath

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsæbəθ/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English sabat, inherited from Old English sabat,[2][3][4][5] also borrowed from Old French sabbat,[2][4] from Latin sabbatum,[2][3][4][5][6] from Ancient Greek σάββατον (sábbaton),[2][3][4][5][6] from Biblical Hebrew שַׁבָּת (šabbāṯ, “rest”),[2][3][4][5][6] from šāḇaṯ “he rested”.[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The seventh day of the week, Saturday, kept as a day of rest by the Jews (c. 950).[7][3][4]

Semantic evolution

Among Christians the day of rest moved from the seventh day to the first, in celebration of the Resurrection.[4][6] In English Sabbath was applied to Sunday by about 1410–40,[3][7] and the change was completed among English people generally during the Reformation.[4] The spelling with -bb- appears about 1280, and that with -th was not widespread until the 16th century.[3][4] Figuratively the word means any time of rest (1591),[7] and it was also used for a midnight gathering of witches (1660), now usually sabbat.[7][6]

Timeline

  • c. 950 – Saturday, the Jewish day of rest.[7][3][4]
  • c. 1280 – the spelling with -bb-.[3]
  • c. 1410 – Sunday, the Christian day of rest.[3]
  • 1591 – a time of rest.[7]
  • 1613 – a day of rest in other religions, such as Friday.[7]
  • 1660 – a midnight meeting of witches.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The seventh day of the week, Saturday, kept as a day of rest and worship by Jews and some Christians.
  2. The first day of the week, Sunday, kept as a day of rest and worship by most Christians.
  3. A day of prayer and rest in other religions, such as Friday in Islam.
  4. Any time of rest.

Word family

  • Sabbathless
  • Sabbathlike
  • witches' Sabbath
  • sabbat
  • sabbatarian
  • sabbatarianism
  • sabbatical
  • sabbatize
  • shabbat

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Sabbath.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/Sabbath. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·