Moses
ˈmoʊzɪz
proper noun
Origin
Ancient Egyptian
mose — son of; child of
Overview
Meaning Now
- A biblical figure who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
Literal older meaning
Possibly derived from Egyptian 'msy' (to be born) or 'mose' (son of).
Language path
Ancient Egyptian → Hebrew → English
Earliest form
Mose
Earliest period
14th–13th century BCE
Journey
Moses is a central figure in Abrahamic religions, serving as a prophet, lawgiver, and judge. The name's Egyptian origin supports the biblical narrative's setting in Ancient Egypt, suggesting the name may have functioned as part of a longer theophoric name that was shortened over time.
Evolution
- Ancient Egyptian
ms
“to give birth”
Commonly used in names like Thutmose (born of Thoth).
- Biblical Hebrew
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh)
“drawn out”
Popular etymology in the book of Exodus links it to the verb 'masha' (to pull/draw out of water).
- Greek (Septuagint)
Μωυσῆς (Mōusēs)
“Moses”
Adaptation to Greek phonetic structures.
- Middle English
Moyses
“Moses”
Adopted from Latin via Old French.
Connections
Word parts
Moses
root
Proper name
Related across languages
Hebrew
Mosheh
Moses
Greek
Mōusēs
Moses
Explore next
Related to Moses
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.