Adoshem

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Pronunciations

Adoshem (ah-doh-SHEM) listen

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Definitions

  • n. God.

Example Sentences

  • "We used adoshem when practicing chanting tfillah or thillim or Torah or Haftarah outside of liturgical settings so that we would get the notes etc correct without actually saying holy name." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • portmanteau of two names for God: Adonai and Hashem

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

Notes

  • Use of Hashem to mean God "comes from the belief that the name of God [Adonai] should only be said in prayer and with reverence" (Eisenberg). However, where the same number of syllables as Adonai are needed, such as in liturgical musical pieces, Adoshem is sometimes used.

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