Lamech

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A male figure in the Book of Genesis, a patriarch of early human history and the father of Noah
2. An Old Testament patriarch recorded in Genesis, remembered as the father of Noah and a descendant of Cain
3. A name for a patriarch from the early generations described in Genesis, noted for his line of descent and his family

Etymology: Lamech is a proper noun, the name of two figures in the Hebrew Bible. The first is a descendant of Cain in Genesis 4, and the second is Noah's father in Genesis 5. The name is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is uncertain. Scholars have proposed derivations from roots meaning "powerful" or "strong man," but none is securely established, so the name's sense cannot be confidently recovered. The name reached English through the Bible, most directly through the Latin Vulgate's "Lamech" and later through the English Bible translations, where it appears from the earliest versions onward. Its survival in English is therefore a product of scripture rather than everyday vocabulary, which is why it is recognized by many readers but rarely used as an ordinary name today.