Good catch on Elizabeth. I looked it up and learned this…
Elizabeth is a name that appears in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva (אֱלִישֶׁבַע), meaning "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance." In the Old Testament, Elisheva is the wife of Aaron, the high priest, mentioned in Exodus 6:23.The name Elizabeth itself is more commonly associated with the New Testament, particularly Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, in Luke 1. However, its Hebrew root and presence as Elisheva in the Old Testament confirm its OT origin.
It is always fascinating looking at the transformation of names through time, places, and cultures. The transformation of the Hebrew name Elisheva into the English name Elizabeth is a process rooted in linguistic evolution, translation practices, and cultural adaptation over centuries.
- Hebrew Origins: Elisheva, meaning "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance," appears in the Old Testament (Exodus 6:23) as the name of Aaron's wife. It combines "El" (God) and "sheva" (oath or seven, symbolizing abundance).
- Greek Translation (Septuagint): When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek around the 3rd-2nd century BCE (the Septuagint), Elisheva was transliterated as Elisabet. The Greek retained the core sounds but adapted the Hebrew "sh" to "s" and adjusted the ending to fit Greek phonetics.
- Latin and Early Christian Influence: The Greek Elisabet was carried into Latin in the Vulgate, the 4th-century Latin Bible, as Elisabeth or Elizabeth. Latin preserved the Greek form closely, but the spelling varied slightly.
- Anglicization in English: As the Bible was translated into English, particularly in the Middle Ages and with versions like the King James Bible (1611), Elisabeth became standardized. The spelling Elizabeth emerged by the early modern period, influenced by:
- Phonetic simplification: The English tongue favored "z" over "s" in some contexts, and the "th" sound adapted the Greek/Latin ending.
- Cultural naming trends: Elizabeth became popular in England, especially after Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603).
- Norman French influence: Variants like Isabel shaped related names, but Elizabeth remained closer to the Latin/Greek root.
- Linguistic Adaptation: The shift from Elisheva to Elizabeth reflects broader patterns of anglicization, where Hebrew names were softened to fit English phonology. The initial "E" was retained, but the Hebrew "sh" became "s" or "z," and "sheva" was simplified to "-beth."
By the time English became standardized, Elizabeth was firmly established as the anglicized form of Elisheva, recognized through biblical translations and royal naming conventions.