Cain
/keɪn/noun
The biblical first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel; by extension, a murderer or outcast.
Did you know?Cain became a symbol of fratricide so powerful that later European literature and theology used his name as a shorthand for the first murderer and the curse of wandering.
Etymological Timeline
Hebrew Bible
Hebrew
Qayin
“The name of Adam and Eve’s first son, later associated in the biblical story with murder and exile.”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
qānâ
“A possible source root meaning "to acquire, get, possess"; Genesis links the name to Eve saying she has "gotten" a man.”
Septuagint / Greek
Greek
Kain
“The Hebrew name rendered into Greek biblical tradition.”
Latin Bible
Latin
Cain
“The biblical name as transmitted through the Vulgate and later Christian tradition.”
Modern English
English
Cain
“The proper name and a literary term for a murderer or outcast.”