Yishmael
/jiːʃˈmaɪ.əl/noun
A transliteration of the Hebrew personal name יִשְׁמָעֵאל, traditionally rendered Ishmael in English.
Did you know?In Genesis, Ishmael’s name is explained through the idea that God heard Hagar’s affliction, linking the name directly to divine listening and answered distress.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*š-m-ʿ
“To hear or listen; the reconstructed consonantal root behind the name.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יִשְׁמָעֵאל (Yišmaʿel)
“A theophoric name traditionally understood as “God hears” or “May God hear.””
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἰσμαήλ (Ismaēl)
“Greek transliteration of the Hebrew personal name.”
Late Antique Latin
Latin
Ismael
“Latin biblical form of the name.”
Middle English
English
Ishmael
“The established English biblical spelling, inherited through biblical and Romance-language transmission.”
Modern English
English
Yishmael
“A modern transliteration intended to represent the Hebrew pronunciation more closely than the conventional form Ishmael.”