Targumic
/tɑːrˈɡuːmɪk/noun
Relating to a targum, an Aramaic translation or interpretive paraphrase of a Hebrew biblical text.
Did you know?Targums were often more than word-for-word translations: synagogue interpreters could expand the biblical text with explanations, clarifications, and traditional material.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near East
Aramaic
רגם (r-g-m)
“A Semitic root associated with interpreting or translating speech.”
Late 1st millennium BCE
Aramaic
תרגום (targūm)
“Translation or interpretation, especially an Aramaic rendering of Hebrew scripture.”
Ancient Jewish Tradition
Aramaic
מְתַרְגְּמָן (meturgemān)
“An interpreter or translator who rendered Hebrew scripture into Aramaic for listeners.”
Medieval Period
Arabic and other languages
tarjumān
“Interpreter or translator; the same word-family spread widely through the Middle East.”
16th–17th Century
English
targum
“An Aramaic version or paraphrase of a Hebrew biblical passage.”
19th Century
English
targumic
“Relating to targums or their language, style, and interpretive tradition.”
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