Tetragrammaton
/ˌtɛtrəˈɡræmətɒn/noun
The four Hebrew letters יהוה (YHWH), regarded as the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible.
Did you know?Jewish scribal and reading traditions commonly replace YHWH with Adonai, meaning “Lord,” reflecting longstanding reverence for the divine name’s pronunciation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kwetwóres
“Four; the ancient numerical root behind Greek tetra- and English four.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
τέσσαρες (téssares)
“Four; the Greek numeral underlying τετρα- (tetra-).”
Ancient Greek
Greek
γράμμα (grámma)
“A written character, letter, or document, from a verb meaning “to scratch” or “write.””
Hellenistic Greek
Greek
τετραγράμματον (tetrágrammaton)
“Four-letter [word]; a Greek designation for the four-letter Hebrew divine name.”
Late Antiquity
Greek/Latin
Tetragrammaton
“The scholarly term adopted in Greek and Latin Christian writing for יהוה (YHWH).”
Modern English
English
tetragrammaton
“The four-letter Hebrew divine name, conventionally transliterated as YHWH or JHWH.”