Melek
/ˈmɛlɛk/noun
A Hebrew word or transliteration meaning “king,” often used as a royal title or divine epithet.
Did you know?Moloch and Molech are traditionally connected with the Hebrew word melek, although scholars debate whether “Molech” was originally a divine name, a title, or a later vocalization associated with sacrificial rites.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*malk-
“A reconstructed root associated with kingship or royal rule.”
2nd Millennium BCE
Ugaritic
mlk
“King; a royal title recorded in Northwest Semitic texts.”
1st Millennium BCE
Biblical Hebrew
מֶלֶךְ (melek)
“King, ruler, or sovereign.”
1st Millennium BCE
Biblical Hebrew
מֹלֶךְ (Molekh)
“A form traditionally rendered as Molech or Moloch, associated in biblical passages with a condemned cult and child sacrifice.”
Classical and Medieval Arabic
Arabic
مَلِك (malik)
“King or sovereign, from the same Semitic royal root.”
Modern English
English
Melek
“A transliteration of the Hebrew word and a personal name used in English-language contexts.”