| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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Appendix II
Semitic Roots |
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| ENTRY: |  l |
| DEFINITION: | God.
I. Common Semitic basic form *il-, god. 1a. Azazel, from Hebrew c z z l, perhaps corrupt for czaz-l, God has been strong (personal name); b. bethel, from Hebrew bêt l, house of God; c. Daniel, from Hebrew dn l, dnyl, my judge (is) God (alternatively, God has judged); d. Ezekiel, from Hebrew y  ezql, God has strengthened; e. Gabriel, from Hebrew gabrîl, my strong one (is) God (see gpr); f. Ishmael, from Hebrew yi mcl, God has heard (see mc); g. Israel, from Hebrew yi rl, God has striven, God has saved; h. Joel, from Hebrew yôl, Yahweh (is) God; i. Michael, from Hebrew mîkl, who (is) like God?; j. Nathanael, from Hebrew ntanl, God has given (see ntn); k. Raphael, from Hebrew rpl, God has healed (rp, he has healed; see rp); l. Samuel, from Hebrew mûl, name of God (alternatively, the name (is) God; see m); m. schlemiel, perhaps from Hebrew personal name l mîl, my well-being (is) God. a–m all from Hebrew l, God; n. Elijah, from Hebrew lîyhû, my God (is) Yahweh, from lî, my God, from l (see above) + -î, my; o. Elisha, from Hebrew  lîc, God (is) salvation, from l, shortened form of l, God (see above; -îc, salvation; see w c); p. Elizabeth, from Hebrew lîebac, my God (is) an oath, from lî, reduced form of lî, my God (see above; -ebac, oath; see bc); q. Lazarus, from Hebrew elczr, God has helped, from el, reduced form of l, God (see above; czr, he has helped; see c r). 2a. Babylon, from Akkadian bb ili, gate of the god, from ilu, god; b. Babel, from Hebrew bbel, from Akkadian bb ili, Babylon (see above). 3. Enlil, from Sumerian refashioning of Semitic *ilil, probably “god of gods,” reduplication of *il-.
II. Central Semitic extended form ilh-, god. 1. Elohim, from Hebrew l hîm, God, plural (used as singular) of lah, god. 2a. Allah, from Arabic allh, the god, God, from al-, the + ilh, god; b. ayatollah, from Arabic yatu llh, sign of God; c. Bahaullah, from Arabic bahu llh, splendor of God; d. olé, from Spanish, perhaps from Arabic wa-llh, by God!. b–d all from Arabic llh, elided form of allh (see above). |
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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