Latin words from Biblical Hebrew
6 Latin words with Biblical Hebrew in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
alleluia
It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀλληλούϊα (allēloúïa), which is from Biblical Hebrew הַלְּלוּיָהּ (halləlūyɔh, “praise Jah”), made of הַלְּלוּ (halləlū, “praise!”) and יָהּ (yɔh), a short form of…
amen
It is borrowed from Koine Greek ἀμήν (amḗn, “truly, so be it”), from Biblical Hebrew אָמֵן (ʾāmēn, “truly, so be it”). Cognate with Aramaic אַמִין (ʾamīn), Classical Syriac ܐܰܡܺܝܢ (ʾamīn) and Arabic…
Behemoth
It is borrowed from Biblical Hebrew בְּהֵמוֹת (behemót), the name of the great beast in the Book of Job. Etymonline reports that the Hebrew word is usually taken as an intensive plural of the word…
cabbala
It is borrowed from Biblical Hebrew קַבָּלָה (qabbālā, “reception, received tradition”). Etymonline takes the Hebrew noun from a verb meaning “to receive, accept”, and the alchemical lexicon of…
Eden
It is borrowed from Biblical Hebrew עֵדֶן (ʿḗḏen). Köbler glosses the Hebrew word “delight, joy” and compares Sumerian eden (“steppe”). Isidore of Seville already explained that paradise is called…
leviathan
It is borrowed from Biblical Hebrew לִוְיָתָן (livyathan, “dragon, serpent, huge sea animal”), a word of unknown origin, perhaps from a root meaning “to wind, twist”, with the notion of a serpent's…