Judah
/ˈdʒuːdə/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
י-ד-ה (y-d-h) — to praise, thank, or confess
Overview
Meaning Now
- A major tribe of the ancient Israelites, traditionally descended from the fourth son of Jacob and Leah.
- The southern kingdom of the ancient Hebrews, comprising the territories of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with its capital in Jerusalem.
Literal older meaning
praise; celebrated
Language path
Hebrew → Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
יְהוּדָה (Yehuda)
Earliest period
8th–6th century BCE
Journey
In the Hebrew Bible, Judah is presented as a central figure among the twelve sons of Jacob. Following the death of King Solomon (c. 930 BCE), the United Kingdom of Israel split, and the southern portion, which remained loyal to the Davidic line, became known as the Kingdom of Judah. This kingdom persisted until the Babylonian conquest in 586 BCE and serves as the etymological root for the modern word 'Jew'.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew
יְהוּדָה
“Praise”
Name of the patriarch and the associated tribal region.
- Septuagint (Ancient Greek)
Ἰούδας (Ioudas)
“Judah/Judas”
Transliteration into Greek.
- Vulgate (Latin)
Iuda
“Judah”
Latinized form following Greek precedent.
- Middle English
Juda
“Judah”
Transition into early English orthography.
Connections
Word parts
Yehuda
root
to praise
Related across languages
Arabic
يهودا (Yahuda)
Judah
Aramaic
יְהוּד (Yehud)
Judah/Judea
Related words
Explore next
Related to Judah
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.