Hebraisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Expressions or turns of phrase borrowed from Hebrew and used in another language ; the distinctive traits and peculiarities of the Hebrew language or Jewish culture
2. Idioms and phrasings taken over from Hebrew into other tongues ; the characteristic features of Hebrew speech and the culture expressed through it
3. Constructions drawn from the Hebrew language and carried into a different language ; the typical linguistic and cultural marks associated with Hebrew

Etymology: "Hebraisms" is the plural of "Hebraism," a term for a feature of Hebrew that turns up in another language. The Latin "Hebraismus" came from the Greek-based root for Hebrew, "Hebraios," with the suffix "-ismus" added, and it passed into English through Middle French "hebraisme." The pattern is the same as in other words for borrowed or imitated language habits, such as Gallicism or Latinism. The most common use is for a phrase that carries Hebrew grammar or idiom into English, Greek, or another tongue. Biblical translators are the classic example: the King James Bible, for instance, preserves Hebrew constructions such as "the sons of Israel" or repeated forms like "holy of holies," where English would normally use a superlative or a plainer phrasing. Scholars of the Greek New Testament have likewise identified many Hebraisms in its wording.

Synonyms: Semitism, Hebrew idiom