דרקון

Hebrew

FWOTD – 23 September 2014

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek δράκων (drákōn, “a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon”).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /dʁaˈkon/

Noun

דְּרָקוֹן • (drakón) m (plural indefinite דְּרָקוֹנִים)

1. (Mishnaic Hebrew) A serpent, considered an emblem of idolatry.
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avodah Zarah 3:3:

     הַמּוֹצִיא כֵּלִים וַעֲלֵיהֶם צוּרַת הַחַמָּה, צוּרַת הַלְּבָנָה, צוּרַת הַדְּרָקוֹן - יוֹלִיכֵם לְיַם הַמֶּלַח

     If a man found objects on which is a figure of the sun, a figure of the moon, or a figure of a dragon, he must throw them into the Dead Sea.

2. dragon (a legendary serpentine or reptilian creature)

References

• “דרקון” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /darˈqon/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /daʁˈkon/
• Homophone: דַּרְכּוֹן (darkón)

Proper noun

דַּרְקוֹן • (darkón) m

1. Darkon, the name of a minor biblical figure mentioned in Ezra 2:56 and again in Nehemiah 7:58.

References

• H1874 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible