Ephraimite
/ˈɛf.rə.maɪt/noun
A member or descendant of the biblical Israelite tribe of Ephraim, or someone associated with Ephraim.
Did you know?In Judges 12, Ephraimites were tested by asking them to say “shibboleth”; their pronunciation exposed them, linking this word to one of history’s earliest recorded linguistic identity tests.
Etymological Timeline
Iron Age Hebrew
Hebrew
אֶפְרָיִם (Efrayim)
“The biblical personal and tribal name Ephraim; traditionally interpreted as “doubly fruitful,” from a Hebrew root meaning “to be fruitful.””
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Ἐφραΐτης (Ephraïtēs)
“An Ephraimite or member of the tribe of Ephraim, in the Greek biblical tradition.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Ephraemita / Ephraita
“A person belonging to Ephraim or its tribe; Latin biblical and ecclesiastical forms of the term.”
Middle English
English
Ephraimite
“A person of Ephraim, especially in biblical commentary and translation.”
Modern English
English
Ephraimite
“A member or descendant of the biblical tribe of Ephraim, or a person connected with Ephraim.”
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