Ishmael

English

Alternative forms

• Ismahel (obsolete)
• Ismael (obsolete)

Etymology

From Hebrew יִשְׁמָעֵאל (yishma'él (yišmāʿēl), “God hears, God will hear”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪʃ.meɪ.əl/, /ˈɪʃ.meɪl/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

Proper noun

Ishmael

2. (Abrahamism, biblical) The eldest son of Abraham and his wife's handmaiden Hagar who were cast out after the birth of Isaac; traditionally the ancestor of the Arabs via the Ishmaelites.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 16:15, column 1:

     And Hagar bare Abram a ſonne: and Abram called his ſonnes name, which Hagar bare, Iſhmael.

3. A male given name from Hebrew.
   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Loomings”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 1:

     Call me Ishmael.

Related terms

• Ismail

Translations

eldest son of Abraham

• Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيل m (ʔismāʕīl)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܐܝܼܫܡܲܥܹܝܠ m (īšmaˁēl)
• Bengali: ইসমাঈল (ismail)
• Catalan: Ismael
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 以實瑪利／以实玛利 (Yǐshímǎlì), 依市瑪耳／依市玛耳 (Yīshìmǎ'ěr) (Catholic)

• Dutch: Ismaël m
• Ewe: Ismael m
• Finnish: Ismael
• French: Ismaël (fr) m
• German: Ismael m
• Greek: Ισμαήλ (el) m (Ismaḯl)

  Ancient: Ἰσμαήλ m (Ismaḗl)

• Hausa: Isma'ilu
• Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל (he) m (yishma'él)
• Hindi: इसमाईल (hi) m (ismāīl)
• Hungarian: Izmael (hu)
• Irish: Ísmeáéil m
• Italian: Ismaele
• Japanese: イシュマエル (Ishumaeru)
• Kazakh: Ысмайыл (Ysmaiyl)
• Korean: 이스마엘 (Iseuma'el)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: Îsmaîl (ku) m

• Latin: Ismahel m, Ismael m
• Macedonian: Исмаил m (Ismail)
• Malay: Ismail
• Maore Comorian: Ismaila
• Marathi: इसमाईल m (ismāīl)
• Persian: اسماعیل (fa) (esmâ'il)
• Portuguese: Ismael m
• Rohingya: Ismail
• Russian: Измаи́л (ru) m (Izmaíl), Исмаи́л (ru) m (Ismaíl)
• Scottish Gaelic: Ismael m
• Somali: Ismaaciil
• Spanish: Ismael (es) m
• Swedish: Ismael
• Tagalog: Ismael
• Tajik: Исмоил (tg) (Ismoyil)
• Tamil: இஸ்மாயீல் (ta) (ismāyīl), இஸ்மவேல் (ismavēl)
• Turkish: İsmail (tr)

male given name

• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܐܝܼܫܡܲܥܹܝܠ m (īšmaˁēl)
• Bengali: ইসমাঈল (ismail)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 伊斯邁爾／伊斯迈尔 (Yīsīmài'ěr)

• Ewe: Ismael m
• Finnish: Ismo (fi)
• Galician: Ismael (gl) m
• Hausa: Isma'ilu
• Hindi: इसमाईल (hi) m (ismāīl)
• Hungarian: Izmael (hu)
• Kazakh: Ысмайыл (Ysmaiyl)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: Îsmaîl (ku) m, Simaîl (ku) m, Simo (ku) m, Simko (ku) m

• Macedonian: Исмаил m (Ismail)
• Malay: Ismail
• Marathi: इशमेल m (iśmel), इसमाईल m (ismāīl)
• Persian: اسماعیل (fa) (esmâ'il)
• Portuguese: Ismael m
• Russian: Измаи́л (ru) m (Izmaíl), Исмаи́л (ru) m (Ismaíl)
• Somali: Ismaaciil
• Spanish: Ismael (es) m

Noun

Ishmael (plural Ishmaels)

1. An outcast.
   • 1932, Frank Richards [pen name], “Bunter's Night Out”, in The Magnet:

     His new friend was evidently a young Ishmael — his hand against every man and every man's hand against him.

Anagrams

• Melisha, misheal