Adonai

See also: adonai

English

Etymology

From Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (ādônay, “My Lord”); used in place of the Tetragrammaton YHWH as a name of the deity of abrahamic religion during prayer recitation.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈdəʊ.nʌɪ/, /ˈæ.də.nʌɪ/, /əˈdəʊ.neɪˌʌɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌæ.dəˈnaɪ/, /ˌæ.dəˈnaɪˌi/, /ˌæ.doʊˈneɪˌaɪ/

Proper noun

Adonai

1. (Judaism, Christianity) The Lord: a Hebrew title of God.
   • 2009, Behemoth, Alas, Lord is Upon Me:

     This not the last empire to crumble / I bore witness to rise and fall of tribes of Adonai / And I have fallen short of a glory of God

Usage notes

YHWH, the Hebrew name of the Abrahamic God, is usually read by Jews as "Adonai" while praying or reading the Torah. Similarly, the word "Adonai" is usually restricted to this use and is replaced by Hashem ("The Name") in ordinary speech. This use has been followed in other languages since at least the surviving texts of the Septuagint, with the Vulgate employing "Dominus" and most English translations of the Bible employing the Lord or the LORD for instances of the name YHWH in the Hebrew text.

Derived terms

• adonist

Related terms

• Adonis

Translations

one of the names of God in Judaism

• German: Adonai (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: Ἀδωναί (Adōnaí), Ἀδωναῖε (Adōnaîe)

• Portuguese: Adonai (pt) m
• Russian: Адона́й (ru) m (Adonáj)
• Yiddish: אדני m (adoynay)

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אדוני.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /adoˈnaːi/
• Hyphenation: Ado‧nai

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Adonai m (proper noun, strong, genitive Adonai)

1. (Judaism) Adonai (one of the names of God)

Further reading

• “Adonai” in Duden online

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אדוני.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌa.do.ˈnaj/

Proper noun

Adonai m

1. (Judaism) Adonai (one of the names of God)

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew אדוני.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈdonai/ [aˈð̞o.nai̯]
• Rhymes: -onai
• Syllabification: A‧do‧nai

Proper noun

Adonai

1. (Judaism, Christianity) Adonai (one of the names of God)
2. a male given name from Hebrew