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ArchivesRe: Erelah
in reply to a message by Miss Es
The Complete Book of Hebrew Baby Names by Smadar Shir Sidi list Erela as a female name used in modern Israel that is "the feminine form of Erel, in Hebrew 'angel, messenger.'" The same book under the male name Erel says "In Hebrew, 'angel, messenger', or 'I will see God.'" The pronunciation for Erela given in Sidi's book is "ehr-EH-lah."
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Thanks for the information!
I can't confirm it though. I have checked the "Even/Shoshan", a three volume Hebrew-Hebrew dictionary that covers not only modern but also biblical Hebrew, the rabbinic tradition and literature - no "messenger" as far as I can see. The second translation given in the book you quote indicates that the name is written with an Aleph in the beginning: "ereh el" may be contracted to EREL. "I will see God" does not fit into traditional Hebrew name giving practice though.
There is no entry EREL with an Aleph (Aleph-Resh-Lamed) at all in the dictionary mentioned above. With an Ayin in the beginning there is "arel" which means "not circumcised" …
Maybe "erel" is a loan word, I don't know.
How reliable is the name book by Sidi? What does it say about Elizabeth, Jacob and Salomon?
I can't confirm it though. I have checked the "Even/Shoshan", a three volume Hebrew-Hebrew dictionary that covers not only modern but also biblical Hebrew, the rabbinic tradition and literature - no "messenger" as far as I can see. The second translation given in the book you quote indicates that the name is written with an Aleph in the beginning: "ereh el" may be contracted to EREL. "I will see God" does not fit into traditional Hebrew name giving practice though.
There is no entry EREL with an Aleph (Aleph-Resh-Lamed) at all in the dictionary mentioned above. With an Ayin in the beginning there is "arel" which means "not circumcised" …
Maybe "erel" is a loan word, I don't know.
How reliable is the name book by Sidi? What does it say about Elizabeth, Jacob and Salomon?
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Sidi's book deals primarily with names used in modern Israel. Its copyright is 1989.
Here are its relevant entries:
(Note: she includes the name in Hebrew letters, but I can't reproduce that part of her entries.)
Elisheva (Eh lee SHEH vah)
From the Hebrew "my God is my oath" or "God's oath); in the Bible (Exodus) the wife of Aaron (Aharon). The English form is Elisheba and Elizabeth.
Yaakov (yah ah KOHV)
From the Hebrew "to hold by the heel"; in the Bible (Genesis), the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau. The English form is Jacob. The Yiddish form is Yankel. Nicknames are Yaki (YAH kee) and Kobi (KOH bee). Also spelled Yaaqov.
Shlomo (shloh MOH)
From the Hebrew, "his peace"; in the Bible (II Samuel) a king of Israel, son of King David and Bathsheba. The English form is Solomon, nickname is Sol. The Yiddish forms are Zalman, Zalmen, and Zalmon. Nickname is Shlomi (SHLOH mee).
Here are its relevant entries:
(Note: she includes the name in Hebrew letters, but I can't reproduce that part of her entries.)
Elisheva (Eh lee SHEH vah)
From the Hebrew "my God is my oath" or "God's oath); in the Bible (Exodus) the wife of Aaron (Aharon). The English form is Elisheba and Elizabeth.
Yaakov (yah ah KOHV)
From the Hebrew "to hold by the heel"; in the Bible (Genesis), the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau. The English form is Jacob. The Yiddish form is Yankel. Nicknames are Yaki (YAH kee) and Kobi (KOH bee). Also spelled Yaaqov.
Shlomo (shloh MOH)
From the Hebrew, "his peace"; in the Bible (II Samuel) a king of Israel, son of King David and Bathsheba. The English form is Solomon, nickname is Sol. The Yiddish forms are Zalman, Zalmen, and Zalmon. Nickname is Shlomi (SHLOH mee).
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Thank you very much for taking the time to copy the entries! All three of them show that this book is not up to date (despite the year of its release). The meaning of each of these is debated to this day, but the explanation given in scientifically based works are usually different.
ELISHEVA: God is abundance
YAAKOV: God protects
SHLOMO: given as a substitute (for a child that has died)
So this is one more reason not to believe the "angel" story.
Thanks!
ELISHEVA: God is abundance
YAAKOV: God protects
SHLOMO: given as a substitute (for a child that has died)
So this is one more reason not to believe the "angel" story.
Thanks!
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I think the meanings you gave were wrong, so deriving from regular words-
Elisheva is God is my oath, the word sheva is like shvua and that's oath (sheva also means seven, but I'm sure that's unrelated) and el is god. What's abundance?
Yaakov comes from Akev (heel) because Yaakov grabbed his brother's heel when he was born.
Shlomo could mean completed (more or less).
And Erel- el means God, and if you thought of ar'eh, as in to see, that could be right. But then it'd be Arel.
Elisheva is God is my oath, the word sheva is like shvua and that's oath (sheva also means seven, but I'm sure that's unrelated) and el is god. What's abundance?
Yaakov comes from Akev (heel) because Yaakov grabbed his brother's heel when he was born.
Shlomo could mean completed (more or less).
And Erel- el means God, and if you thought of ar'eh, as in to see, that could be right. But then it'd be Arel.
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I didn't know about the alternative interpretation of Shlomo before, but I have seen the alternative interpretations for Elisheva and Yaakov before. Both of them are given on this site. Another way to interpret the "abundance" in English would be "God is good fortune", I think.
Part of the difference of opinion seems to be as to whether or not the scholar in question uses evidence from other ancient Semitic languages in their interpretation of the names. There are now many scholars who believe that the "heel" interpretation of Yaakov is a folk etymology, and the name was originally derived from an ancient Semitic form meaning "may God protect".
Part of the difference of opinion seems to be as to whether or not the scholar in question uses evidence from other ancient Semitic languages in their interpretation of the names. There are now many scholars who believe that the "heel" interpretation of Yaakov is a folk etymology, and the name was originally derived from an ancient Semitic form meaning "may God protect".
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Oh. Well, I still hear the actual words in them, and if el is a Hebrew element, Sheva would be too, I'd think. What you say makes a lot of sense. So since we don't actually know where the names started out we can't know if they mean this or that. :/ Well, if they stared out as Hebrew they mean heel and God's oath. And Shlomo means either whole or peace. Whole is what I get from what Andy said - the word for whole is shalem and the word for peace is shalom.
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A good name book - folk etymology
Cleveland is making a good point. Martin Noth was one of the first scholars (as far as I know) who interpreted biblical names on the background of other Semitic languages, their vocabulary, their names and naming practice. (In the case of JACOB he refers to the Ethiopian Tigré language, a Semitic language similar to Arabic; I don't know a word of it.) This was almost 80 years ago.
A lot of scholars have followed him since, and as I said, although the meaning of many names is still debated (with some names obviously nobody can come up with more than educated guesses), there is some agreement. I would consider the Encyclopedia Judaica a fairly reliable source in that respect (it doesn't give the meanings of all names though). Also I have contacted a few Old Testament professors in Germany, when I was in doubt, just to hear their opinion and they usually confirmed what I stated in my last post. This does not necessarily mean that the meanings given are absolutely right. Scholars have failed in the past and will fail in future. And even more so little linguistic amateurs like myself. But a good name book, I reckon, should at least list the results of such research.
ELISHEVA: "sheva" means "seven" in Hebrew. The word for "oath" is "shvua" from an identical (?) verbal root. There seems to be a third verb "shava". "Sheva" 3 means "abundance" or else "completeness" and may refer to a complete(ed) family or more likely to God's abundant means (as creator?). Others have thought of a woman with an ample figure. (See Genesis 26,33, where the well at Be'er-Sheva is named; the word "shiva" is usally translated "oath", but for some reason the Vulgate has "Abundantia". Maybe the similar verb "sava" sin-beth-ayin, "to be satisfied" has influenced the meaning. Here again Noth backs up his interpertation with Babylonian parallels.)
Cleveland is making a good point. Martin Noth was one of the first scholars (as far as I know) who interpreted biblical names on the background of other Semitic languages, their vocabulary, their names and naming practice. (In the case of JACOB he refers to the Ethiopian Tigré language, a Semitic language similar to Arabic; I don't know a word of it.) This was almost 80 years ago.
A lot of scholars have followed him since, and as I said, although the meaning of many names is still debated (with some names obviously nobody can come up with more than educated guesses), there is some agreement. I would consider the Encyclopedia Judaica a fairly reliable source in that respect (it doesn't give the meanings of all names though). Also I have contacted a few Old Testament professors in Germany, when I was in doubt, just to hear their opinion and they usually confirmed what I stated in my last post. This does not necessarily mean that the meanings given are absolutely right. Scholars have failed in the past and will fail in future. And even more so little linguistic amateurs like myself. But a good name book, I reckon, should at least list the results of such research.
ELISHEVA: "sheva" means "seven" in Hebrew. The word for "oath" is "shvua" from an identical (?) verbal root. There seems to be a third verb "shava". "Sheva" 3 means "abundance" or else "completeness" and may refer to a complete(ed) family or more likely to God's abundant means (as creator?). Others have thought of a woman with an ample figure. (See Genesis 26,33, where the well at Be'er-Sheva is named; the word "shiva" is usally translated "oath", but for some reason the Vulgate has "Abundantia". Maybe the similar verb "sava" sin-beth-ayin, "to be satisfied" has influenced the meaning. Here again Noth backs up his interpertation with Babylonian parallels.)
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