מזל

Hebrew

Root
נ־ז־ל (n-z-l)

Etymology

Likely from Akkadian 𒌓𒁕 (manzaltum). Compare Aramaic מַזָּלָא (mazzālā, “constellation; luck, destiny”) (Classical Mandaic ࡌࡀࡍࡆࡀࡋࡀ (manzala, “constellation; zodiac sign”)).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /mazˈzaːl/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /mazˈzɔːl/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ma.zɔl/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew, Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /maˈzal/

• Audio

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Noun

מַזָּל • (mazál) m (plural indefinite מַזָּלוֹת)

1. (biblical) constellation, stars
   • Tanach, 2 Kings 23:5, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וְהִשְׁבִּית אֶת־הַכְּמָרִים אֲשֶׁר נָתְנוּ מַלְכֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְקַטֵּר בַּבָּמוֹת בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּמְסִבֵּי יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְאֶת־הַמְקַטְּרִים לַבַּעַל לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְלַיָּרֵחַ וְלַמַּזָּלוֹת וּלְכֹל צְבָא הַשָּׁמָיִם׃

     v'hishbít 'et-hak'marím 'ashér nat'nú mal'khéi y'hudá vay'katér babamót b'aréi y'hudá um'sibéi y'rushaláyim v'et-ham'kat'rím labá'al lashémesh v'layaréakh v'lamazalót ul'khól ts'vá hashamáyim.
     wəhišbīṯ ʾeṯ-hakkəmārīm ʾăšer nāṯənū maləḵē yəhūḏā wayəqaṭṭēr babbāmōṯ bəʿārē yəhūḏā ūməsibbē yərūšālā́yim wəʾeṯ haməqaṭṭərīm labbáʿal laššémeš wəlayyārḗaḥ wəlammazzālōṯ ūləḵōl ṣəḇā haššāmā́yim.

     And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to offer in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that offered unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven.

2. (historical, astrology) planet: any of the seven major celestial bodies that move relative to the stars in the night sky; that is, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, or Mars
3. star sign: any of the twelve constellations that constitute the Zodiac
4. fortune, fate, destiny: that which happens to a given person at a given time, due supposedly to the positions of the planets in the Zodiac at that time and at the time of that person's birth
5. luck, chance, fortune: that which happens due to chance rather than to planning
6. (specifically) luck, good luck, good fortune

Derived terms

• עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת ('ovéd kokhavím umazalót), עַכּוּ״ם ('akú"m)
• מַזָּל טוֹב (mazál tóv)

Descendants

• → Judeo-Arabic: מזל (mazzal)
• → Ladino: mazal
• → Yiddish: מזל (mazl)
  • ⇒ English: mazel tov, schlimazel
• ⇒ Ancient Greek: κακομάζαλος (kakomázalos)

References

• “מזל” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• מזל on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Ladino

Etymology

From medieval Hebrew מזל.

Noun

מזל m (Hebrew spelling, Latin spelling mazal)

1. star, destiny

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew מַזָּל (mazzāl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmazɫ̩/

Noun

מזל • (mazl) n

1. (astrology) astrological sign
2. (good) luck

Derived terms

• מזלדיק (mazldik)
• מזל האָבן (mazl hobn)
• מזל־טובֿ (mazl-tov)
• שלימזל (shlimazl)

Descendants

• → Dutch: mazzel
• ⇒ German: vermasseln