Borrowed Hebrew Words in the English Language: Foreign Loanwords from Hebrew

Quick Take

The English language is a language that has borrowed words extensively from foreign languages. Find some of the most commonly used Hebrew words in the English language in the following sections.

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Borrowed Loanwords

Borrowing is a word formation process in which a word from one language is borrowed directly into another language. Borrowed words are also referred to as loanwords or foreign loanwords.

The English language has borrowed extensively from foreign languages beginning during the Old English period and continuing through the Middle English period and into the Modern English period. The following sections list and define the most common Hebrew words in the English language.

Hebrew Words in English Language

The following list provides the definitions of some common Hebrew words in English language:

abacus: a calculating table, the upper member of the capital of a column
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alleluia: an exclamation meaning ‘Praise the Lord’
aloe: succulent plants
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alphabet: any set of characters representing the simple sounds used in a language or in speech generally
amen: a solemn expression of concurrence in, or ratification of, a prayer, or wish
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apron: a garment of cloth or leather or plastic that is tied about the waist and worn to protect your clothing
bedlam: madness, lunacy, a sense of mad confusion or uproar
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behemoth: someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
camel: cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions
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cane: the hollow jointed ligneous stem of various giant reeds or grasses, a stick that people can lean on to help them walk
canister: a small case or box usually made of metal
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cannon: a large artillery gun that is usually on wheels
canon: a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy, a collection of books accepted as holy scripture
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canyon: a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
cherub/cherubim : an angel of the second order whose gift is knowledge and who is usually portrayed as a winged child
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chutzpah: unbelievable gall, insolence, audacity
cider: a beverage made from juice pressed from apples
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cinnamon: spice from the dried aromatic bark of the Ceylon cinnamon tree
cotton: soft silky fibers from cotton plants
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cumin: aromatic seeds of the cumin herb
deltoid: a large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joint, triangular
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earnest: sincere, solemn, dear, devout, heartfelt
golem: a mechanism that can move automatically
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gun moll: the girlfriend of a gangster
hallelujah: an exclamation meaning ‘Praise the Lord’
jacket: an outer garment for the upper part of the body
jeez: an exclamation of fright or incredibility
jubilee: a special anniversary or celebration
kibosh: to stop from happening or developing
kosher: conforming to dietary laws, proper or legitimate
leviathan: the largest or most massive thing of its kind, a monstrous sea creature symbolizing evil
macabre: grim, horrific, repulsive
map: a drawing or other representation of the surface of the earth or a part of it made on a flat surface
matzo: a crisp biscuit or wafer of unleavened bread which is traditionally eaten during Passover
maudlin: given to tears, lachrymose
maven: an expert, a connoisseur, a knowledgeable enthusiast, an aficionado
menorah: a candelabrum with nine branches used during the Hanukkah festival
messiah: any expected deliverer
napkin: a small piece of table linen that is used to wipe the mouth and to cover the lap in order to protect clothing
nimrod: a stupid or contemptible person, an idiot
Pharaoh: the title of the ancient Egyptian kings
philistine: an anti-intellectual, a lowbrow
pita: small round bread that can open into a pocket for filling
rabbi: a title of respect given to a Jewish scholar or teacher with authority and expertise on law and ritual
rube: a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture, yokel, hick, yahoo
Sabbath: the seventh day of the week, Sunday
sabbatical: designating a period of leave from duty granted to university teachers at certain intervals for the purposes of study and travel
sac: a structure resembling a bag in an animal
sack: a bag usually made of paper or plastic
sapphire: a precious transparent stone of rich blue valued as a gemstone
satanic: demonic, diabolic, diabolical, fiendish, hellish, infernal, unholy
schmooze: to chat, gossip, engage in a long and intimate conversation
schwa: a neutral middle vowel that occurs in unstressed syllables
Seder: the ceremonial dinner on the first both nights of Passover
seraph/seraphim: an angel of the first order that is usually portrayed as the winged head of a child
shalom: a word used as a salutation at meeting or parting
shibboleth: a word used as a test for detecting foreigners, or persons from another district, by their pronunciation
sycamore: a species of fig tree
torah: the whole body of the Jewish sacred writings and tradition including the oral tradition
tush: buttocks, backside, butt

The English language is abound with foreign loanwords from the Hebrew language. Find other Hebrew words in the English language in dictionaries, books, newspapers, websites, and everyday speech!

References