English
Rebecca
Rebecca comes from Hebrew רִבְקָה ‘enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare’, and goes back to Proto-Semitic *r-b-q ‘to join, couple, tie’.
- Proto-Semiticc. 4000–3000 BCE*r-b-q‘to join, couple, tie’root as named · steps between not traced
- Hebrew1880s–presentרִבְקָהRivka‘enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611Rebecca
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Semiticc. 4000–3000 BCE*r-b-q‘to join, couple, tie’root as named · steps between not traced
- Hebrew1880s–presentרִבְקָהRivka‘enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611Rebecca
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “And not only this; but when Rebecca also had…”
Every English word from Proto-Semitic *r-b-q
Today it means
name A female given name originating from the Bible [in turn from Hebrew], in regular use since the Reformation.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Semitic *r-b-q / Rebecca