Etymograph

English

izmel

Izmel comes from Hebrew אִזְמֵל ‘lancet, scalpel’, and goes back to Ancient Greek σμίλη ‘knife, chisel’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσμίλη‘knife, chisel’
  2. Hebrew1880s–presentאִזְמֵלizmél‘lancet, scalpel’
  3. Englishtodayizmel

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEσμίλη‘knife, chisel’
  2. Hebrew1880s–presentאִזְמֵלizmél‘lancet, scalpel’
  3. Englishtodayizmel

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *smiþaz ‘smith’

smith, 2 more

Today it means

noun A specialized surgical knife used by the mohel in the Jewish circumcision ritual of Brit Milah for infant males. It must have certain characteristics, per Jewish Law, including that it may not stop the flow of blood (unlike the constricting devices commonly used by a surgeon or Urologist).

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

Etymograph / Ancient Greek σμίλη / izmel

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