עזה

Hebrew

Etymology

Commonly explained as a feminine of עַז‎ ('áz, “strong”), but as can be seen from the Ancient Greek transliteration Γάζα (Gáza) and Arabic غَزَّة‎ (ḡazza), the initial sound was originally Proto-Semitic *ḡ, so the origin was likely another root. Alternatively compare ج ز ر‎ (j-z-r), meaning amongst other things words related to “bridge”, a reference to Gaza’s strategic position as the main crossing point on the trade route to Egypt.

Compare also transliterations of the Bronze Age Canaanite name into Egyptian including

qADAAtiiT14N25

(qꜣḏꜣtj) in Papyrus Anastasi I and

gADAtwN25

(gꜣḏꜣtw) in the Annals of Thutmosis III.[1], and Akkadian

𒌷𒄩𒍝𒋾𒆠 (URU ḫa-za-tiki /⁠āl ḫazzati⁠/, literally “city of Gaza”) in the Amarna Letters (e.g., EA289 line 17, with variant spellings).[2]

Pronunciation

Proper noun

עַזָּה • ('áza) f [pattern: קַטְלָה]

  1. Gaza
    • Tanach, 1 Kings 5:4, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:
      ‏כִּי־ה֞וּא רֹדֶ֣ה ׀ בְּכָל־עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֗ר מִתִּפְסַח֙ וְעַד־עַזָּ֔ה בְּכָל־מַלְכֵ֖י עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְשָׁל֗וֹם הָ֥יָה ל֛וֹ מִכָּל־עֲבָרָ֖יו מִסָּבִֽיב׃‎‎
      For he had dominion over all the region on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River; and he had peace on all sides round about him.
    • a. 230 C.E., Tosefta, Sotah 3:4:
      ‏רבי אומר תחלת קלקלתו היתה בעזה אף עונשו לא היתה אלא בעזה‎‎
      Rabbi says: The beginning of his corruption was in Gaza, so his punishment was nowhere else but in Gaza.
    • 2019 April 9, Rami Younis, “כשאתם מצביעים, חשבו על המליונים שתחת מצור בעזה וסגר בגדה [When you vote, think about the milions under siege in Gaza and under curfew in the West Bank]”, in Local Call‎:
      ‏חשבו על הצלפים המוסריים בעולם שיורים בילדים ונשים שמפגינים בעזה.‎‎
      Think about world's most moral snipers who shoot children and women protesting in Gaza.

References
  1. Aḥituv, Shmuel (1984), “Gaza”, in Canaanite Toponyms in Ancient Egyptian Documents, Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, The Hebrew University, →ISBN, page 97–98
  2. Rainey, Anson F. (2015) The El-Amarna Correspondence, volume 1, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1120-1121

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