tav
/tɑːv/
noun
Origin
Proto-Semitic
taw- — mark or sign
Overview
Meaning Now
- The 22nd and final letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
- A mark, sign, or seal, especially in a biblical or symbolic context.
Literal older meaning
mark or cross
Language path
Proto-Semitic → Hebrew
Earliest form
𐤕
Earliest period
10th century BCE
Journey
In the Hebrew Bible, specifically Ezekiel 9:4, the 'tav' is described as a mark placed on the foreheads of the righteous to spare them from divine judgment, symbolizing protection and divine ownership.
Evolution
- Proto-Semitic
*taw-
“mark”
- Phoenician
𐤕
“the letter Tav”
Represented by an X-shaped or cross-shaped glyph.
- Biblical Hebrew
ת
“22nd letter of the alphabet”
Used in the Tanakh to denote a mark or a signature.
Connections
Word parts
tav
root
the letter/sign
Related across languages
Phoenician
𐤕
mark/Tav
Greek
ταῦ
Tau
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Related to tav
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.