targum

See also: Targum

English

Etymology

From Hebrew תַּרְגּוּם (targúm, “translation”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɑːɡəm/
• IPA^(key): /tɑɹˈɡuːm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

targum (plural targums or targumim)

2. (Judaism) An Aramaic translation of the Tanakh written or compiled between the Second Temple period and the early Middle Ages.
   • 1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, V.10:

     Jonathan who compiled the Thargum, conceives the colours of these banners to answer the pretious stones in the breastplate, and upon which the names of the Tribes were engraven.

   • 2011, David Bellos, Is That a Fish in Your Ear?, Penguin, published 2012, page 141:

     Eventually, the words of such Aramaic whisper-translations (called chuchotage in the modern world of international interpreters) were written down, mostly in small fragments, and these targums now provide precious linguistic and historical records for scholars of Judaism.

Derived terms

• targumic
• targumize

Translations

translation of the Tanakh

• French: targum (fr) m
• German: Targum m
• Italian: targum m
• Polish: targum (pl) m
• Swedish: targum c

Anagrams

• art gum

French

Noun

targum m (plural targums)

1. targum

Further reading

• “targum”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Swedish

Noun

targum c

1. targum
   • 2000, 1973 års bibelkommission [The Swedish Bible Commission of 1973], “Uppslagsdel: targum [Glossary Section: targum]”, in Bibel 2000‎^[1], © Svenska Bibelsällskapet, accessed at Litteraturbanken.se, archived from the original on 9 September 2025:

     Dessa targumer har värde som textvittnen.

     These targums have value as textual witnesses.

   • 2008 October 2, Ola Wikander, “Så tog Jesus språk över Palestina [How the language of Jesus took over Palestine]”, in Språktidningen‎^[2], archived from the original on 3 November 2025:

     Dessa [arameiska] översättningar […] fick namnet targum (som betyder just 'översättning').

     These Aramaic translations were given the name targum (which simply means 'translation').

Declension

Declension of targum

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	targum	targums
	definite	targumen	targumens
plural	indefinite	targumer	targumers
	definite	targumerna	targumernas

References

• “targum”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• targum in Nordisk familjebok (2nd ed., 1919)