Mene
/ˈmiːni/noun
A biblical Aramaic word meaning “numbered,” especially in the phrase “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.”
Did you know?In the Book of Daniel, Mene is part of the famed “writing on the wall,” interpreted as a divine judgment that Babylon’s rule had been measured and brought to an end.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Aramaic
Aramaic
מְנֵא (mene)
“Numbered, counted, or appointed by measure”
6th Century BCE
Aramaic
Mene, mene
“The repeated word in Daniel’s ominous inscription, emphasizing that the kingdom had been counted”
4th–2nd Century BCE
Greek
μανή (manē)
“A mina, an ancient unit of weight or money, related to the Semitic idea of reckoning or counting”
4th Century CE
Latin
Mane
“The biblical word transmitted in Latin versions of Daniel”
14th Century
English
Mene
“A biblical or scriptural term referring to the first word of the writing on the wall”
Modern English
English
Mene
“A retained biblical loanword meaning “numbered,” usually encountered in religious, literary, or historical contexts”