אשכנז

See also: אַשכּנז

Hebrew

Etymology

Likely a corruption of an unattested Biblical Hebrew *אשכוז (*ʾAškūz), itself from Akkadian 𒆳𒅖𒆪𒍝𒀀𒀀 (^KURiš-ku-za-a-a /⁠Iškuzāya⁠/, “Scythians”).

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

אַשְׁכְּנַז • (ashk'náz) m

1. (biblical) Ashkenaz (a Japhetic patriarch in the Bible)
   • Tanach, Genesis 10:3, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּבְנֵי גֹּמֶר אַשְׁכֲּנַז וְרִיפַת וְתֹגַרְמָה׃

     U-vnei Gómer Ashk'náz v-Rifat v-Togarmá.

     And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

2. (biblical) A nation in the vicinity of Ararat and Minni.
   • Tanach, Jeremiah 51:27, with translation of the New International Version:

     שְׂאוּ־נֵס בָּאָרֶץ תִּקְעוּ שׁוֹפָר בַּגּוֹיִם קַדְּשׁוּ עָלֶיהָ גּוֹיִם הַשְׁמִיעוּ עָלֶיהָ מַמְלְכוֹת אֲרָרַט מִנִּי וְאַשְׁכְּנָז פִּקְדוּ עָלֶיהָ טִפְסָר הַעֲלוּ־סוּס כְּיֶלֶק סָמָר׃

     “Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts."

3. (Medieval) a medieval region of Central Europe, centered on the Rhineland, in modern Germany

Derived terms

• אַשְׁכְּנַזִּי (ashk'nazí)
• הִשְׁתַּכְּנֵז (hishtaknéz)

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: Ἀσχανάζ (Askhanáz)
• → Yiddish: אַשכּנז (áshkenaz)

See also

• אדום (Edom, Christians)
• ישמעאל (Ishmael, Muslims)
• כנען (Canaan, Slavic peoples)
• ספרד (Sepharad, Spain)
• צרפת (Zarephath, France)

References

• Strong, James (1979), “H813”, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible