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This article focuses on the Etymology of the word Jew . POSSIBILITIES OF EUROPEAN ORIGIN The most common view is that the Middle English word ''Jew'' is from the Old French ''giu'', earlier ''juieu'', from the Latin ''iudeus'' from the Greek ''Ιουδαίος''. The Latin simply means ''Judaean'', from the land of '' Judaea ''. The Old English equivalent was ''Iudeas'', meaning "Judean". A much less common view is that the word ''Jew'' is from ''Jewry'', from the Greek ''Εβραίοι'' (''evrei'') meaning ''Hebrews'', which some speculate comes from the Ancient Egypt ian ''hiberu'' or '' Habiru '', which meant "stranger". Under the latter view, Abraham , Isaac , Jacob/Israel and other patriarchs are regarded as Jews while under the former only the descendants (ethnically or physically) of the Judaeans from the Kingdom Of Judah would be Jews, strictly speaking. In the Hebrew language the word "Hebrew", ''ivri'' (עברי), means "one who 'passes' over" as did the patriarch to becoming a "convert" to the faith of Monotheism . Another theory is that this root is derived from the name of Eber (עבר) mentioned in Genesis 10:21 {Link without Title} . BIBLICAL AND MIDDLE EASTERN ORIGINS: THE JEWS IN THEIR LAND There is some scholarly controversy over whether ''Judaea'' is a Patronymic or if it was a purely geographic term of uncertain Semitic origin. If indeed it is patronymic, it corresponds to the Hebrew ''y'hudi'' (יהודי) (or ''yehudi'') connected to Judah in English, a member of the Twelve Tribes of the Children Of Israel , i.e., Jacob 's sons. According to Genesis , Judah was the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob , from whom the Tribe descended. The — named him ''Yehudah'' (i.e. "Judah") because she wanted to "praise God" for giving birth to so many sons: "She said, 'This time let me praise (''odeh'' אודה) God (יהוה),' and named the child Judah (''Yehudah'' יהודה)." Thus combining "praise" and "God" into one new name. In Hebrew , the name "Judah" (י '''ה''' '''ו''' {Link without Title} '''ה''') contains the four letters of the Tetragrammaton — the special, holy, and ineffable name of the Jewish God . The very holiness of the name of Judah attests to its importance as an alternate name for " Israelites " that it ultimately replaces. Thereafter in the Biblical narrative, Judah vouchsafes the Jewish monarchy, and the Israelite kings David and Solomon derive their lineage from Judah. Indeed, there is the tradition that the "Judaeans" (יהודים) (Jews) are named for him, their ancient tribal ancestor. ANCIENT TERMINOLOGY In some places in the are called "Israelis" and do not call themselves "Israelites". USAGE BY NON-JEWS The term ''Israelite'' has also been appropriated by various non-Jewish groups, for example the Rastafarian s, who claim descent from the tribes of Israel. NEGATIVE USE The word ''Jew'' has been used often enough in a disparaging manner by Anti-Semites that in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries it was frequently avoided altogether, and the term ''Hebrew'' was substituted instead (e.g. Young Men's Hebrew Association ). Even today some people are wary of its use, and prefer to use "Jewish". Indeed, when used as an adjective (e.g. "Jew lawyer") or verb (e.g. "to Jew someone"), the term ''Jew'' is purely pejorative. However, when used as a noun, "Jew" is preferred, as other circumlocutions give the impression that the term "Jew" is offensive in all contexts. In much the same manner, ''Yid'' (ייִד) — Yiddish for "Jew", and a benign term when taken without context — was once used as an insult, but now is often used by Jews in praise, to describe an upstanding religiously observant Jew (e.g., "He's such a ''Yid'', giving up his time like that") or to distinguish upstanding religiously observant Jews from non-observant, with the implication that the latter would be better people if they were stricter in their observance (e.g., "''Yidn'' – plural for ''Yid'' wouldn't do such a thing"). In the past, the term "Jewess" was sometimes used for Jewish women. This word, like " Negress " is now at best an archaism, and is generally taken as an insult. However, some modern Jewish women have reclaimed the term Jewess and use it proudly. |
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