Jacobi
/dʒəˈkoʊ.bi/noun
A Latin genitive form meaning “of Jacob,” used in names, titles, and mathematical references.
Did you know?In Latin, -i is the genitive ending, so Jacobi is not a standalone English word but a form meaning “of Jacob,” which is why it survives in phrases like the Jacobi identity and Jacobi elliptic functions.
Etymological Timeline
Hebrew Bible
Hebrew
Yaʿaqōv
“Jacob, the biblical patriarch’s name, traditionally linked to “heel” or “supplanter.””
Greek
Greek
Iakōbos
“The Hebrew name adapted into Greek as Jacob/James.”
Latin
Latin
Iacobus
“Jacob; also the source form behind several later European names.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Iacobi
“Of Jacob; the genitive case form used in learned and ecclesiastical writing.”
Modern English
English
Jacobi
“A Latinized name form preserved in surnames, titles, and mathematical terminology.”