Transliterations
A transliteration is a word that has been rendered in another language by substituting the corresponding letters of the alphabet rather than translating the meaning of the word. It is from the Latin meaning “across letters”. The word baptism is a transliteration of the Greek word baptisma which means to immerse, plunge into or surround with. John the Baptist is a transliteration whereas John the Immerser would be a translation.
It is important to understand the meanings of words that have been transliterated so we can better grasp what is being conveyed.
A good example of this would be the word Amen that is a transliteration of a Hebrew word signifying that something is certain, valid, truthful, or faithful. If we were to just say the word with out knowing its meaning we would not know what we were agreeing to or with.
Listed below are some other words that are commonly transliterate.
The English word deacon is a transliteration of the Greek word diakonos, which simply means “servant.”
Golgotha is a Greek transliteration of an Aramaic word meaning The Place of the Skull. The word Calvary comes from the Latin Vulgate Calvaria, a variation of calva, “a skull.” Golgotha was a rounded rocky knoll vaguely resembling the shape of a human skull.
Parable” is a transliteration of the Greek parabole, it means to compare, place side by side. a parable is a short discourse that conveys spiritual truth by making a vivid comparison. The truth to be taught is compared to something in nature or a common-life experience. A parable usually expresses a single important truth.
Corban is the Greek and English transliteration of a Hebrew word qorban that describes a gift devoted to God.
Gehenna is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew gehinnom, it was a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where the idolatrous Jews offered their children in sacrifice to Molech. This valley afterwards became the common receptacle for all the refuse of the city. Here the dead bodies of animals and of criminals, and all kinds of filth, were cast and consumed by fire that was always kept burning. It became in time the image of the place of eternal destruction.
Abba is a Greek and English transliteration of the Aramaic word ab that means father.
Our English word metamorphosis is a transliteration of the Greek word. metamorphoo which describes the process that changes an insect from a larva into a pupa and then into a mature insect. The changes come from within. We see this word used in Scripture to describe the process that is to take place in the children of God (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18).
Apostle is the transliteration of Greek word apostolos. An apostle is a person that has been commissioned to be a messenger.
Mystery is the transliteration of the Greek word mysterion. It speaks of a secret hidden in the past that becomes revealed.
Mannon is the Greek transliteration of the common Aramaic term mamona that speaks of wealth of any kind.
Blaspheme is the transliteration of blasphemeo. It means to reproach or revile; it is a malicious misrepresentation.
Hallelujah is a transliteration of two Hebrew words, halal and yahh which means “Praise Yahweh or Jehovah.”
Hosanna is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of two Hebrew words, yasha and na. It was originally a prayer addressed to God, meaning “O save us now”
The name Christ is the transliteration of christos, a Greek word meaning the anointed one and is the translation of the Hebrew word from which we get the word messiah.
Messiah” is the English equivalent of the Latin messias, it is derived from Greek messias. It is the transliteration of the Hebrew mashach; anointed; usually a consecrated person as a king, priest, or saint.
The English name Isaiah is an approximate transliteration of the abbreviated form Yesha’yah, It means “Jehovah is salvation,” and is therefore synonymous with Joshua or Jeshua.
Jesus, from the Greek Iesous is a transliteration of the Hebrew Yehowshuwa from Yehovah and yasha “Joshua,” meaning “Jehovah is salvation. It was the name of the successor to Moses. When he was to become the leader, his name was changed from Hoshea to Joshua. The name Yahweh, or Jehovah, was added to it so that Hoshea, salvation, became Joshua, the salvation of Jehovah.
Below is the Greek alphabet that has been transliterated into English along with the names of the Greek letters.
Alpha A, a a as in father,
Beta (B, b ) b as in boy
Gamma G, g g as in good
Delta D, d ) d as in dog
Epsilon E, e e as in egg
Zeta Z, z z as in zoo
Eta H, h e as in gate
Theta Q, q th as in thug
Iota I, i i as in pit
Kappa K, k k as in king
Lambda L, l l as in lump
Mu M, m m as in mud
Nu N, n n as in never
Xi C, c x as in vex
Omicron (O, o o as in ought
Pi P, p p as in put
Rho R, r r as in rod
Sigma S, s,$ s as in sad
Tau T, t t as in to
Upsilon U, u u as in full
Phi F, f ph as in foot
Chi X, x ch as in loch
Psi Y, y ps as in tipsy
Omega (W, w o as in old
When a person is aware of words that have been transliterated and not translated it gives them the opportunity to dig deeper into the meaning of these words. Hopefully this will lead to a better understanding of the heart and mind of God. As helpful as information like this may be when studying the scriptures, it should never take the place of us seeking God for his wisdom so that we can truly understanding his word and live it out in our lives.