Miriam

English

Etymology 1

From Hebrew מִרְיָם (Miryam), possibly from Aramaic מרים (Maryām, “bitter”), from a root מר (m-r) meaning "to be bitter". The meaning of this name which is the Old Testament equivalent of Mary has been debated for centuries. Some other explanations are mutiny / rebellion / disobedience from a root מרי (m-r-y).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɪɹɪəm/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪɹɪəm
• Rhymes: -ɪəɹiəm

Proper noun

Miriam

2. (biblical) The sister of Moses and Aaron and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 15:20:

     And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

3. Synonym of Mary, mother of Jesus, chiefly in contexts emphasizing her historical or Jewish identity.
4. A female given name from Hebrew.

Derived terms

• Mim
• Mims

Translations

sister of Moses and Aaron

• Arabic: مَرْيَم (ar) f (maryam)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 米利暗 (mai⁵ lei⁶ am³)

  Hokkien: 米利暗 (Bí-lī-àm), Mi-lí-ám

  Mandarin: 米利暗 (Mǐlì'àn)

• Coptic: ⲙⲣⲓϩⲁⲙ (mriham), ⲙⲣⲓⲁⲙ (mriam)
• Danish: Mirjam
• Dutch: Mirjam (nl)
• Estonian: Mirjam
• Finnish: Mirjam (fi)
• French: Miryam (fr) f
• German: Miriam (de) f, Mirjam (de) f
• Greek: Μαρία (el) f (María)
• Gujarati: મરિયમ f (mariyam)
• Hausa: Maryamu
• Hawaiian: Miriama
• Hebrew: מִרְיָם (he) f (mir'yám)
• Hindi: मरियम (hi) f (mariyam)
• Latin: Maria (la)
• Maore Comorian: Mariama
• Maori: Miriama
• Norwegian: Mirjam (no)
• Portuguese: Miriã (pt) f
• Russian: Мириа́м (ru) f (Miriám)
• Spanish: María (es), Miriam
• Swedish: Mirjam (sv)
• Turkish: Meryem (tr)

Mary, mother of Jesus — see Mary,‎ Virgin Mary

female given name

• Arabic: مَرْيَم (ar) f (maryam)
• Catalan: Míriam f
• Czech: Miriam f
• Danish: Miriam, Mirjam
• Dutch: Miriam (nl), Mirjam (nl), Myriam
• Estonian: Mirjam
• Finnish: Mirjami (fi)
• French: Myriam (fr) f
• German: Miriam (de) f, Mirjam (de) f
• Hausa: Maryamu
• Hawaiian: Miliama
• Hebrew: מִרְיָם (he) f (mir'yám)
• Hindi: मरियम (hi) f (mariyam)
• Indonesian: Mariam
• Italian: Miriam (it) f
• Maori: Miriama
• Norwegian: Miriam (no), Mirjam (no)
• Portuguese: Miriam f
• Russian: Мариа́мна f (Mariámna), Мари́я (ru) f (Maríja), Ма́рья (ru) f (Márʹja)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: Mìrjam (sh) f

• Spanish: Míriam (es) f, Mirian (es) f, Míryam f, Miryan f, María (es) f
• Swahili: Mariamu
• Swedish: Mirjam (sv), Miriam
• Turkish: Meryem (tr)

Etymology 2

Proper noun

Miriam

1. Alternative spelling of Meriam

Czech

Alternative forms

• Miriama, Mirjam

Proper noun

Miriam f (indeclinable, relational adjective Miriamin)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Miriam

Danish

Proper noun

Miriam

1. a female given name, variant of Mirjam

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɪr.jɑm/, (spelling pronunciation) /ˈmɪ.ri.ɑm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Mir‧iam

Proper noun

Miriam f

1. a female given name, variant of Mirjam

Faroese

Proper noun

Miriam f

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• son of Miriam: Miriamarson
• daughter of Miriam: Miriamardóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Miriam
accusative	Miriam
dative	Miriam
genitive	Miriamar

German

Alternative forms

• Mirjam

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɪʁi̯aːm]

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Mi‧ri‧am

Proper noun

Miriam f

1. (biblical) Miriam
2. a female given name

Italian

Proper noun

Miriam f

1. a female given name.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Miriam

1. a female given name, variant of Mirjam

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Miriã, Míriam, Míriã

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew מִרְיָם. Doublet of Maria.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.ɾi.ɐ̃/ [ˈmi.ɾɪ.ɐ̃], (faster pronunciation) /ˈmi.ɾjɐ̃/

Proper noun

Miriam f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Miriam

Related terms

• Maria

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmiriam/

Proper noun

Miriam f

1. a female given name

Derived terms

• Miriamin

References

• “Miriam”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Miriam c (genitive Miriams)

1. a female given name, variant of Mirjam