Ehud (given name)

Ehud (Hebrew: אֵהוּד‎) is a Biblical given name, currently common in Israel. The etymology is unknown.

The name "Ehud" was not attested as a first name among Jews until the 20th century. Zionism, as part of its nation-building process—encouraged the use of names of Jewish heroes and warriors of ancient times, such as Ehud, and as a result, it has become a common name in contemporary Israel. Two prime ministers of Israel have had it as a first name: Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert.

Israelis named Ehud are often nicknamed "Udi".

While the earliest known use is the Hebrew judge, the etymology is unknown. According to Amos Hakham medieval rabbis favored one of two improbable explanations. Some, like the Vilna Gaon, claimed that the original name was אחוד‎ (Eħud), but the letter ח‎ ħet had become a ה‎ he and thus relates to 'unity' אחד‎. Others claimed that the name relates to 'glory' הוד‎. The modern Israeli Hebrew verb, 'he sympathized' אהד‎ is unrelated to the Biblical name Ehud.[1] Eliezer Ben-Yehuda coined this verb, deriving it from the Arabic cognate hawadah, 'he treated with indulgence' or kindness. None of the above claims are accepted by contemporary linguists as legitimate etymologies or translations for the name.[2]

Ehud can refer to the following people

References
  1. Klein, Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew Language
  2. Hebrew Language Detective: ohad and ehud. Balashon (2007-01-16). Retrieved on 2012-05-26.
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