Yardenit
/ˌjɑːr.dəˈniːt/noun
A baptismal site on the Jordan River in northern Israel.
Did you know?Yardenit is a modern Hebrew name formed from Yarden, the Hebrew name of the Jordan River, with the diminutive suffix -it; the Jordan’s name is traditionally connected with the Hebrew root yarad, “to descend.”
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יַרְדֵּן (Yarden)
“The Jordan River; traditionally associated with yarad, “to descend,” referring to the river’s descent toward the Dead Sea.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἰορδάνης (Iordánēs)
“Jordan; the Greek form of the river’s name.”
Late Latin
Latin
Iordanes
“Jordan; the Latin biblical form borrowed from Greek.”
Middle English
English
Jourdain
“Jordan; an inherited Anglo-French and Middle English form used for the biblical river.”
20th Century
Modern Hebrew
יַרְדָּנִית (Yardenit)
“A diminutive form meaning “little Jordan,” adopted as the name of the baptismal site.”
Modern English
English
Yardenit
“The internationally recognized name of the baptismal site beside the Jordan River.”