Samuel
/ˈsæmjuəl/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
שָׁמַע (šāmaʿ) + אֵל (ʾēl) — God has heard
Overview
Meaning Now
- A masculine given name of Hebrew origin.
- A major prophet and judge in the Hebrew Bible who anointed the first kings of Israel.
Literal older meaning
God has heard, or Name of God
Language path
Hebrew → Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
שְׁמוּאֵל (Šĕmûʾēl)
Earliest period
Iron Age
Journey
Samuel is a central figure in the Hebrew Bible, serving as the last of the judges and the first of the major prophets. He played a pivotal role in the transition of Israel from a loose confederation of tribes to a monarchy by anointing Saul and later David as king.
Evolution
- Ancient Hebrew
שְׁמוּאֵל
“God has heard”
Original form as documented in the Tanakh.
- Koine Greek
Σαμουήλ (Samouēl)
“God has heard”
Transliteration into the Septuagint.
- Ecclesiastical Latin
Samuel
“God has heard”
Standardized Latin form used throughout medieval Europe.
Connections
Word parts
šmʿ
root
to hear
ʾēl
root
God
Related across languages
Arabic
سميع (Samīʿ)
all-hearing
French
Samuel
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.