Nefesh
/ˈne.fɛʃ/noun
A Hebrew term meaning life, living being, person, self, or soul, depending on context.
Did you know?In the Hebrew Bible, nefesh can refer to a person, an animal, desire, or life itself, so translating it simply as “soul” can hide its embodied meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*napš-
“Life, self, living being; reconstructed from related Semitic forms”
Ancient Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew
נֶפֶשׁ (nefeš)
“Life, person, self, living creature, appetite, or inner being”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek Septuagint
ψυχή (psychē)
“A frequent translation equivalent for nefesh, meaning life, soul, or living self”
Late Antiquity
Aramaic
נַפְשָׁא (nafshā)
“Self, person, life, or soul”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
نَفْس (nafs)
“Self, soul, person, or inner nature; a cognate of Hebrew nefesh”
Modern English
English
nefesh
“A Hebrew loanword used in biblical studies, Jewish theology, and discussions of the embodied self”