Jacob

The story

1. Biblical Hebrew · derived fromיַעֲקֹב
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromἸάκωβος
3. Late Latin · derived fromIācōbus
4. Middle English · inherited fromIacob
5. English todayJacob

From Middle English Iacob, from Late Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of James, Yaakov, and Yakub.

Words from the same roots