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Tetragrammaton

(te′trə gram′ə tän′)

noun

the four consonants of the ancient Hebrew name for God (variously transliterated JHVH, IHVH, JHWH, YHVH, YHWH), that was considered too sacred to be spoken aloud: the word Adonai (Lord) is substituted for this name in utterance, and the vowels of Adonai or Elohim (God) are inserted in Hebrew texts, so that the modern reconstructions are Yahweh, Jehovah, etc.

Origin: ME < Gr tetragrammaton < tetra-, four + gramma, a letter: see gram

See Tetragrammaton in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

The four Hebrew letters usually transliterated as YHWH or JHVH, used as a biblical proper name for God.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English Tetragramaton

Origin: , from Greek tetragrammaton, four-letter word

Origin: , from neuter of tetragrammatos, four-lettered

Origin: : tetra-, tetra-

Origin: + gramma, grammat-, letter; see gerbh- in Indo-European roots

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