Dibbur
/diˈbʊr/noun
A Hebrew-derived term meaning speech, utterance, or verbal discourse, especially in Jewish philosophical, mystical, or Hasidic contexts.
Did you know?In Jewish mystical thought, divine speech is treated as creatively powerful, echoing the biblical idea that the world was brought into being through spoken commands.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*d-b-r
“A reconstructed root associated with speaking, words, and verbal expression.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
דָּבָר (davar)
“Word, saying, matter, affair, or command.”
Mishnaic Hebrew
Hebrew
דִּבּוּר (dibbur)
“Speech, speaking, or verbal expression.”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
דיבור (dibbur)
“Speech or discourse; later used extensively in philosophical and mystical discussions of language.”
18th–19th Century
Hebrew/Yiddish religious usage
dibbur
“Spoken teaching, discourse, or spiritually significant speech in Hasidic and Jewish religious contexts.”
Modern English
English
dibbur
“A loanword used in English writing on Jewish thought, mysticism, philosophy, and religious discourse.”
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