Rav
/rɑːv/noun
A Jewish religious scholar or rabbi, especially in Orthodox usage.
Did you know?In Jewish tradition, rav can function as a personal title for a teacher or legal authority, while the same Hebrew root conveys greatness and abundance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*r-b-b
“To be great, numerous, or abundant; the reconstructed root underlying later Hebrew titles.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רַב (rav)
“Great, numerous, abundant; also a master or person of authority.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רַבִּי (rabbi)
“My master or my teacher, formed from rav with a first-person possessive element.”
Aramaic
Aramaic
רַב (rav)
“Master or teacher; a title used for Jewish religious authorities.”
Talmudic Period
Aramaic
Rav
“A title and name used for leading Babylonian rabbis, including the prominent sage Rav Abba Arikha.”
Modern English
English
rav
“A Jewish religious scholar or rabbi, particularly in Orthodox Jewish contexts.”