Passover
UK[ˈpɑːsˌəʊvə]US[ˈpæsˌoʊvər]
n
A Jewish festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
n
The lamb sacrificed and eaten on the eve of this festival.
Morpheme Breakdown
pass
over
pass
to go by
over
above, across
Etymology
The term "Passover" is a direct translation of the Hebrew "Pesach," which refers to the pivotal event in the Exodus story where God, inflicting the final plague upon Egypt, "passed over" the houses of the Israelites marked with lamb's blood. The English name was formed by combining the verb "pass" with the adverb/preposition "over" to precisely convey this core narrative of divine protection and sparing. This calque, or loan translation, entered English through its use in early Bible translations, solidifying the link between the literal action described and the name of the festival itself. Thus, the modern abstract meaning of a religious commemoration is built directly upon the concrete image of a decisive, protective crossing.
Analysis
Structure: pass (to go by) + over (above, across)
'Pass' originates from Middle English 'passen', from Old French 'passer', from Latin 'passus' (step, pace). 'Over' originates from Old English 'ofer', from Proto-Germanic 'uberi', from Proto-Indo-European 'uper' (over).
Examples
Our family gathers for a special meal on the first night of Passover.
The story of the Exodus is read from the Haggadah during the Passover Seder.
They prepared the house meticulously to remove all leavened bread before Passover began.