Rabban
/ˈræb.ən/noun
A Syriac Christian honorific meaning “our master,” traditionally used for abbots or senior religious teachers.
Did you know?Rabban belongs to the same Semitic family as “Rabbi,” and the related Aramaic title “Rabbouni” appears in the Gospel of John as Mary Magdalene’s address to Jesus.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*rabb-
“Great, chief, or master; a root expressing superiority or authority.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
rav
“Great one, master, or teacher.”
Biblical Aramaic
Aramaic
rabbā
“Master or great one.”
Late Antique Syriac
Syriac
rabban
“Our master; an honorific for a religious teacher or abbot.”
Late Antiquity–Medieval Period
Syriac Christian
Rabban
“A title used especially for abbots and prominent monastic leaders.”
Modern English
English
Rabban
“A Syriac Christian title meaning “our master.””