גן
Hebrew
Etymology 1
Probably a nominal from the same root as the Ancient Hebrew verb גָּנַן (“to defend, to protect”), and so having the etymological sense of "a protected thing". Compare Arabic جَنَّة (janna).
Pronunciation
- (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA(key): /ɡan/
Audio: (file)
Noun
גַּן • (gan) m (plural indefinite גַּנִּים, singular construct גַּן־, plural construct גַּנֵּי־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]
- a garden
- Tanach, Song of Songs 5:1, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
- בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה
- báti l-ganí aḥotí kalá
- I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride
Usage notes
- The definite form of this noun is הַגָּן (hagán).
Derived terms
- גינה / גִּנָּה
- גַּן בּוֹטָנִי
- גַּן יְלָדִים
- גַּן עֵדֶן
- רָמַת גַּן (ramat gan)
Related terms
Etymology 2
From German Gen. Accepted by the Academy of the Hebrew Language for similarity to the root ג־נ־ן (g-n-n), which forms words relating to gardening and kindergartens. The German term was coined by Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen from Ancient Greek γενεά (geneá, “generation, descent”) from the aorist infinitive of γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”).
Pronunciation
- (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA(key): /ɡen/
Noun
גֶּן • (gen) m (plural indefinite גֶּנִים, singular construct גֶּן־)
Yiddish
Etymology
Noun
גן • (gan) m, plural גנים (ganem)
- (especially in Judaic contexts) garden
Synonyms
- גאָרטן (gortn)
Derived terms
- גן־עדן (gan-eydn)