Mikve
/ˈmɪk.və/noun
A Jewish ritual bath used for purification, conversion, and other religious purposes.
Did you know?The word comes from a Hebrew term for a gathered body of water, and a valid mikve traditionally requires naturally sourced water rather than ordinary plumbing alone.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מִקְוֶה (miqweh)
“A gathering or collection, especially a gathered body of water”
3rd–1st Century BCE
Hebrew
מִקְוֶה (miqweh)
“A ritual pool or collected water used for purification”
2nd–6th Century CE
Rabbinic Hebrew
מִקְוֶה (miqveh)
“A ritual immersion bath governed by Jewish religious law”
Medieval Period
Hebrew/Yiddish
mikve / mikveh
“A Jewish ritual bath”
19th Century
English
mikveh / mikvah / mikve
“A Jewish ritual bath, especially in descriptions of Jewish religious practice”
Modern English
English
mikve
“A variant English transliteration of mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath”