Tov
/toʊv/noun
A Hebrew-derived English word meaning good, often used in Jewish expressions such as “mazel tov.”
Did you know?In the Book of Genesis, tov repeatedly describes God’s creation as “good,” making the word part of one of the Bible’s earliest value judgments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ṭwb
“Reconstructed root meaning “to be good” or “to be pleasant.””
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
טוֹב (ṭōv)
“Good, pleasant, beneficial, or morally favorable.”
Ancient Hebrew Bible
Hebrew
ki-tov
““That it was good,” the recurring phrase used in Genesis to evaluate creation.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
tov
“Goodness or something favorable; also used in blessings and everyday speech.”
19th–20th Century
English
tov
“A Jewish-English loanword, especially familiar through the expression “mazel tov,” meaning congratulations or good fortune.”
Modern English
English
tov
“Good; commonly encountered in Jewish cultural, religious, and celebratory contexts.”