Manna

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmænə/

Definitions

1. A miraculous substance that provided food to the Israelites during their desert wanderings in the Bible ; any unexpected or welcome benefit or gift that appears as if by divine intervention
2. A supernatural nourishment given to the Israelites in biblical accounts to sustain them in the wilderness ; a fortunate or timely windfall or assistance that greatly helps someone
3. A legendary food from the heavens described in religious texts that sustained a people during hardship ; a serendipitous or helpful boon that arrives unexpectedly and provides relief or advantage

Etymology: The word's most striking fact is that it was a question before it was a noun. In Exodus, when the Israelites found a flaky substance on the desert ground each morning, they asked "man hu," meaning roughly "what is it?" The Hebrew word "mān" was that question, and the food took its name from the people's puzzlement. Its name thus records an astonished query rather than a description of the substance. The Hebrew term passed into Ancient Greek as "mánna," which Greek writers used for the biblical food. Late Latin then adopted "manna" from Greek, and Old English took it from Latin, so it reached English through the church and its scriptural vocabulary, with the Middle English form carrying it into the language. The figurative sense, an unexpected boon arriving just when it is needed, grows naturally from the biblical story of food falling from heaven to feed a hungry people. The word's meaning therefore moved from a literal miraculous food to any timely gift.

Synonyms: food, nourishment, sustenance, blessing, gift

Antonyms: poison, curse, misfortune, deprivation, loss