Qaddish
/ˈkɑː.dɪʃ/noun
A Jewish prayer praising and sanctifying God, traditionally recited by mourners among other settings.
Did you know?Although strongly associated with mourning today, the Kaddish was originally a doxology in Aramaic, and its mourning role developed during the medieval period.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-d-š
“A root expressing holiness, sacredness, or separation from ordinary use.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
qādōš
“Holy; set apart as sacred.”
Second Temple period
Aramaic
qaddiš
“Holy or sanctified; the source of the prayer’s name.”
Late Antiquity
Jewish Aramaic
Qaddishā
“A sanctification or praise of God, especially in liturgical formulas.”
Medieval Hebrew and Aramaic
Hebrew/Aramaic
Qaddish
“A doxology recited in Jewish communal worship; later associated especially with mourners.”
Modern English
English
qaddish
“A Jewish prayer glorifying and sanctifying God, especially the mourner’s Kaddish.”