rabbinical
Meaning
Relating to rabbis, their writings, or their teachings.
Structure
Usage
The interpretation is based on rabbinical commentary from the Middle Ages.
He is studying rabbinical law at the seminary.
There is a rabbinical ruling on that matter.
Etymology
The word 'rabbinical' traces its lineage to the Hebrew honorific title 'rabbi', meaning "my master", which itself derives from the root 'rav' (great, master). This term entered English through post-classical Latin 'rabbinus' and Old French 'rabin'. The English adjective was formed by appending the Latinate suffix '-ical', a common pattern for creating relational adjectives (e.g., 'comical', 'historical'). Thus, the literal construction "pertaining to a rabbi" directly yields the modern meaning concerning the doctrines, traditions, and scholarly authority associated with rabbis. The term specifically distinguishes the traditions developed in the post-biblical period from the scriptural laws of the Torah.
Analysis
- rabbin: From Hebrew, via Latin and French, meaning "my master" or "teacher". It is the core noun denoting a Jewish scholar or teacher. - ical: A suffix of Latin origin (-icalis) used to form adjectives meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by".