אדם

Aramaic

Alternative forms

• ܐܕܡ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔɑdɑm/

Proper noun

אדם • (adám)

1. (biblical) Adam.
2. a male given name

Hebrew

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -am
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew, Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /aˈdam/
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ɔˈdɔm/, [ˈɔ.dɔm]
• (Syrian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈdam/
• (Yemenite Hebrew, Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔɔˈðɔm/
• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʔaːˈðaːm/

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Etymology 1

Root
א־ד־ם (ʾ-d-m)

Comparable to Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤌 (ʾdm, “man, earthling”), Ugaritic 𐎀𐎄𐎎 (ảdm, “man; red earth, red ochre”), Old South Arabian 𐩱𐩵𐩣 (ʾdm, “vassals, subjects”), Ge'ez ዶም (dom, “slave”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒄠𒈬 (a-da-am-mu /⁠adamu⁠/, “blood”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈠𒌈 (a-da-ma-tum /⁠adamātu⁠/, “dark red earth or dye”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈬 (a-da-mu /⁠adamu⁠/, “a red garment”), Akkadian 𒀀𒁕𒈬 (a-da-mu /⁠adamu⁠/, “an important or noble person”). The meaning range points to these words being extensions from Proto-Semitic *dam- (“blood”), compare the Palestinian Aramaic forms of it אדם / אידם / ܐܕܡ (ʾəḏem, “blood”). The meaning development could be any of the following:

1. “blood” → “red earth”, “red ochre” → “earthling”;
2. “blood” → “man”, as blood is a main ingredient of humans;
3. “blood” → “red earth”, “red ochre” → “the dye to paint idols” → hence “an idol” → “an effigy, a likeness” → “a man”;
4. “blood” → “blood sacrifice to appease an idol” → hence “an idol” → “an effigy, a likeness” → “a man”;
5. “blood” → “red” → “to show red blood in the face, e.g. to blush” → “a human”.

Compare Arabic دُمْيَة (dumya, “statue, idol; effigy, likeness; doll, puppet”), دَمَّ (damma, “to bedaub”).

Noun

אָדָם • (adám) m [pattern: קָטָל]

1. man, human

   אָדָם לְאָדָם זְאֵב ― adám l'adám z'év ― Man is a wolf to man. (cf. homō hominī lupus)

Usage notes

For plural, בני אדם or אנשים can be used.

Synonyms

• אִישׁ ('ish), בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-adám), בֶּן־אֱנוֹשׁ (ben-enósh), בֶּן־תְּמוּתָה

Derived terms

• אָדָם לְאָדָם זְאֵב
• בשלושה דברים אדם ניכר: בכוסו, בכיסו, ובכעסו (bishloshá d'varím adám nikár: b'khosó, b'khisó, uv'kha`asó)
• זְכוּת אָדָם (z'khút-adám)
• מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם

Descendants

• → Arabic: آدَم (ʔādam)
• → Aramaic: אָדָם / ܐܳܕܳܡ (ʾāḏām)
• → Ge'ez: አዳም (ʾädam)

Proper noun

אָדָם • (adám) m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Adam

Derived terms

• בֶּן־אָדָם (ben-adám)

References

• chapter DM, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• H120 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

Root
א־ד־ם (ʾ-d-m)

Adjective

אָדֹם • (adóm) (feminine אֲדֻמָּה, masculine plural אֲדֻמִּים, feminine plural אֲדֻמּוֹת)

1. defective spelling of אדום ('adóm, “red”).

Noun

אֹדֶם • (ódem) m

1. defective spelling of אודם (ódem, “redness”).

Anagrams

• מאד