Abraham

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A prominent biblical figure known for his covenant with God and considered the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
2. The founding patriarch who is recognized for his faith and obedience to God, leading to the establishment of the Israelite nation
3. A significant character in religious texts celebrated for his remarkable journey of faith and the promise of land and descendants

Etymology: The name is a Hebrew one that passed through Greek and Latin before reaching English. Its meaning in the book of Genesis may have been lost to time. Some scholars, such as Thomas L. Thompson, suggest the original sense was "Father is exalted." The Bible itself offers a different reading: in Genesis 17, God changes the name of Abram to Abraham, and the text glosses it as "father of a multitude," combining the Hebrew word for father with a word for a crowd or multitude. The Hebrew form reached English by way of Ancient Greek, where it appeared as "Abrāām," and then Late Latin, where it became "Abrahām." Old English took the name in that Latin shape, and it has stayed close to that form ever since. Related spellings of the same name, such as Ibrahim, Avraham, and Abramo, are doublets, meaning they descend from the same source but reached their languages by different routes.