Abel
/ˈeɪbəl/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
הֶבֶל — breath, vapor, vanity
Overview
Meaning Now
- A proper noun representing the second son of Adam and Eve in the Abrahamic religions, who was killed by his brother Cain.
Literal older meaning
breath, vapor, or transience
Language path
Akkadian → Hebrew → Latin → English
Earliest form
הֶבֶל
Earliest period
11th century BCE (Iron Age)
Journey
In the Hebrew Bible, Abel is the pastoral brother whose sacrifice is accepted by God, leading to the world's first murder by his brother, Cain. His name is often interpreted as symbolic of his short, 'breath-like' life.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew
הֶבֶל (Heḇel)
“breath, vapor”
Used in the context of the story of the sons of Adam.
- Septuagint (Koine Greek)
Ἅβελ (Habel)
“proper name”
Transliterated from Hebrew into Greek.
- Middle English
Abel
“proper name”
Borrowed into English via Latin and French.
Connections
Related across languages
Arabic
هابيل (Hābīl)
Abel
Latin
Abel
Related words
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