sabbath
/ˈsæbəθ/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
shabat — to cease, to desist, to rest
Overview
Meaning Now
- A day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday.
- A period of rest or cessation from work.
Literal older meaning
ceasing, stopping
Language path
Proto-Semitic → Hebrew → Aramaic → Greek → Latin → Old English → English
Earliest form
sabbat
Earliest period
8th century
Journey
The Sabbath originates from the Genesis account of God resting on the seventh day of creation. In ancient Israelite society, it became a fundamental institution for communal and religious identity, emphasizing a rhythmic break from agricultural or domestic labor.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew
šabbāt
“rest; the seventh day”
- Koine Greek
sabbaton
“Sabbath”
Transliteration via Septuagint and New Testament
- Late Latin
sabbatum
“day of rest”
- Old English
sabat
“Sabbath”
Connections
Word parts
shabat
root
to rest/stop
Related across languages
Hebrew
shabbat
Sabbath
Arabic
sabt
Saturday (the seventh day)
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.