Tetragrammaton Hear it!

Tetragrammaton definition

Tetra·gram·ma·ton (te′trə gramə 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.

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

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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