Etymograph

English

Israel

Israel comes from Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἸσραήλIsraḗl
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEIsrael
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150Israhēl
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Israel
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἸσραήλIsraḗl
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEIsrael
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150Israhēl
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Israel
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1611same form

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And he said, Thy name shall be called no…”

The story

In the Bible, it is said to be from the name יִשְׂרֶה אֵל (yisré 'él) given to Jacob in Genesis 32:29, after which his descendants came to be known as Israelites and their land as the "kingdom/land of Israel". The personal name, already attested in Eblaite 𒅖𒊏𒅋 (iš-ra-il) and Ugaritic 𐎊𐎌𐎗𐎛𐎍 (yšrỉl), has been variously translated as "he wrestles with God", "he prevails with God", or "God rules" (possibly from the same root ש־ר־ה/ש־ר־ר as שָׂרָה (‘Sarah’)). Line 27 of the Merneptah Stele (from about 1200 B.C.E.) is thought to contain the earliest attestation of the name Israel in any language, Egyptian ysrjꜣr.

Every English word from Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ

Today it means

name A country in Western Asia in the Middle East, at the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Official name: State of Israel.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek Ἰσραήλ / Israel

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