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Archivesthe theories of the name mary
I noticed in the history of "mary", that although you had the origin as hebrew for miriam, you stated that the meaning was unknown but that the theories were "sea of bitterness" "rebellious" and "wished for child". I was wondering if you know how those theories came about. I often see the origin or meaning as "bitterness" when I look on general name websites and I saw "wished for" on Christian name website. It's very confusing. Of coarse I liked the info about it being from the egyptian word "mry" meaning "beloved".
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the theory for rebelliousness is the hebrew word 'meri' (/ accent over the i). It is doubtful this is the meaning of miriam, as meri is in the accusative case, and hebrew names are rarely derived from the acc..
I'm basically regurgitating what i read in 'oxford dictionary of english christian names', by EG Withycombe, a book i had little chance to read, since the librarians chucked it out and brought in a reference only book, which i was too repulsed to read.
I'm basically regurgitating what i read in 'oxford dictionary of english christian names', by EG Withycombe, a book i had little chance to read, since the librarians chucked it out and brought in a reference only book, which i was too repulsed to read.
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I'm pretty vague about this, but it has been my impression that Mara is a Hebrew name meaning Bitterness. It depends, perhaps, on how close Mara is to Miriam - who is a character who features in Exodus and may well have had an Egyptian name quite naturally.
Problems arise with names - any old words, actually - in languages where the vowels are omitted in writing. Several millennia later, it's often anyone's guess where and what they would have been.
Problems arise with names - any old words, actually - in languages where the vowels are omitted in writing. Several millennia later, it's often anyone's guess where and what they would have been.
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You're right (and more)
1. "Mar/Mara" indeed means bitter, and "Yam" means sea.
And if we check out the first chapter in Exodus (15) where the name Miriam appears, there seems to be a very close connection between the name and this meaning.
The chapter is about the drowning of the Egyptians in the sea by god, and later goes on to Moses and his people looking for water in the desert, and when they found water they couldn't drink it, because it was bitter (and then god made it sweet, etc.)
Also as you pointed out correctly, the name "Miriam" as it is written in Hebrew may be read as "Mariam", since there is no vowel after the "M".
So it's seems very clear how this theory came about.
2. The word "Meri" also means "rebellion".
3. As for the meaning of "wished for a child" - I can't say were it came from. Same for "beloved", But as Anneza and this site points out, an Egyptian name seems very likely (Miriam was born in Egypt).
1. "Mar/Mara" indeed means bitter, and "Yam" means sea.
And if we check out the first chapter in Exodus (15) where the name Miriam appears, there seems to be a very close connection between the name and this meaning.
The chapter is about the drowning of the Egyptians in the sea by god, and later goes on to Moses and his people looking for water in the desert, and when they found water they couldn't drink it, because it was bitter (and then god made it sweet, etc.)
Also as you pointed out correctly, the name "Miriam" as it is written in Hebrew may be read as "Mariam", since there is no vowel after the "M".
So it's seems very clear how this theory came about.
2. The word "Meri" also means "rebellion".
3. As for the meaning of "wished for a child" - I can't say were it came from. Same for "beloved", But as Anneza and this site points out, an Egyptian name seems very likely (Miriam was born in Egypt).
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Shay?
I am under the impression that Maria means something along the lines of "pissed-off" in Hebrew.
I am under the impression that Maria means something along the lines of "pissed-off" in Hebrew.
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