Massorah
/məˈsɔːrə/noun
The traditional system of textual notes, pronunciation marks, and rules used to preserve the Hebrew Bible.
Did you know?The Masoretic tradition preserved not only the Hebrew consonants but also pronunciation, accentuation, and reading conventions, helping produce the standard medieval text of the Hebrew Bible.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic background
Hebrew/Aramaic
מסר (m-s-r)
“To hand over, deliver, or transmit”
Late Antiquity
Jewish Aramaic
מְסָרָא (mesārā)
“Transmission or tradition handed down”
Early Medieval period
Hebrew
מָסוֹרָה (māsōrāh)
“Tradition, especially the careful transmission of the biblical text”
10th–11th Century
Hebrew
מָסוֹרֶת (māsōret)
“The established textual tradition associated with the Masoretes”
16th–17th Century
English
Massorah
“The body of traditional notes and rules governing the Hebrew biblical text”
Modern English
English
Massorah
“A variant spelling of Masorah, referring to the Jewish textual tradition”