entry
rabbi
/ˈɹæ.baɪ/Jewish teacher or legal scholar
From Hebrew rav (master).
from Late Latin rabbi
+1 more sourcefrom Greek rhabbi
from Middle English raby
from Late Latin rabbi
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Late Latin rabbi
+1 more sourcefrom Greek rhabbi
from Middle English raby
from Late Latin rabbi
+1 more sourceThis is one of those words that still carries its original bow. In Hebrew, rav meant something like “master” or “great one,” and the ending -i turns that into “my master” — a tiny suffix that sounds almost shy, yet it turns the whole word into a respectful address. Greek scribes wrote it as ῥαββί, Latin clerics took it over, and by the early 14th century English was using it for Jewish teachers and legal scholars. The same reverential root family turns up in related forms like rav and rebbe, so the word feels less like a label than a hand slightly raised in deference. It’s a reminder that some titles are not just names for office; they are little grammatical bows that survived two millennia.
The Story
This is one of those words that still carries its original bow. In Hebrew, rav meant something like “master” or “great one,” and the ending -i turns that into “my master” — a tiny suffix that sounds almost shy, yet it turns the whole word into a respectful address. Greek scribes wrote it as ῥαββί, Latin clerics took it over, and by the early 14th century English was using it for Jewish teachers and legal scholars. The same reverential root family turns up in related forms like rav and rebbe, so the word feels less like a label than a hand slightly raised in deference. It’s a reminder that some titles are not just names for office; they are little grammatical bows that survived two millennia.
Modern Usage
A senior officer or mentor; in some slang usage, an experienced guide
Popularized by: informal policing and military slang, later recorded in dictionaries and online usage
Kin & Kindred
From 'rav'·master; great one
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From '-i'·my; first-person singular possessive suffix
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary