Etymograph

English

Sabra

Sabra comes from Hebrew צַבָּר ‘prickly pear cactus’, from Arabic صَبِر ‘aloe’, and ultimately from صُبَّار ‘cactus’.

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentصُبَّارṣubbār‘cactus’
  2. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentصَبِرṣabir‘aloe’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentصَبَّارṣabbār‘cactus’
  4. Hebrew1880s–presentצַבָּרtsabár‘prickly pear cactus’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1950Sabra

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentصُبَّارṣubbār‘cactus’
  2. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentصَبِرṣabir‘aloe’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentصَبَّارṣabbār‘cactus’
  4. Hebrew1880s–presentצַבָּרtsabár‘prickly pear cactus’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1950Sabra

Earliest quotation: 1950, David Goitein, Making one people out of many: “There is a tendency to copy the "Sabra" ,…”

Every English word from Arabic صُبَّار

Today it means

noun A native-born Israeli.

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

Etymograph / Arabic صُبَّار / Sabra

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