Judaicism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The religious beliefs, traditions and customs of the Jewish faith ; a Jewish idiom or distinctive feature carried into another language or culture
2. The faith, observances and cultural life associated with Judaism ; a Hebrew or Jewish turn of phrase or influence absorbed by another tongue
3. Jewish religion and its traditional practices ; a characteristically Jewish expression or influence appearing in other languages or societies

Etymology: Judaicism is formed from "Judaic," which itself comes from Late Latin "Judaicus," from Greek "Ioudaikos," meaning "of Judah" or "Jewish." The Latin and Greek forms trace back to "Iudaea," the Roman name for the region of Judah, which in turn came from the Hebrew name for the tribe and kingdom of Judah. The suffix "-ism" is the common English ending for doctrines, systems, and practices, as in "Christianism" or "Hellenism." Judaicism therefore names the body of Jewish religious practice and belief as a system, a sense that was more common in older writing than it is today.

Synonyms: Judaism