Pesach
/ˈpe.saχ/noun
The Jewish festival of Passover, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt.
Did you know?The Hebrew root פ־ס־ח (p-s-ḥ) is tied to the biblical idea of God “passing over” the marked houses in Egypt, and its ritual power still echoes every time Passover is spoken.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
פֶּסַח (pesach)
“Passover; the festival commemorating the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt”
Ancient Hebrew verb root
Hebrew
פָּסַח (pasach)
“to pass over, spare, or limp”
Septuagint Greek
Greek
πάσχα (pascha)
“Passover”
Late Latin
Latin
pascha
“Passover; Easter”
Old English
English
pasca / pasche
“Easter; Passover”
Modern English
English
Passover / paschal
“The Jewish festival of Passover; relating to Passover or Easter”
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