What are the more common abbreviations one might see printed before or after a person's name, and what do they mean? Please include honorifics (R'=Rabbi) as well as memorial - or prayerful - suffixes (eg., zt"l or shlit"a). I'm particularly interested in some of the lesser known ones that appear quite often, sometimes in connection with famous names and printed in the title page of Sefarim.
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2http://bit.ly/foIfil – msh210 Mar 13 '11 at 04:54
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Somewhat related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/4305. – msh210 Oct 03 '11 at 01:27
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I voted to closed because of this: http://meta.judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/959/ – Adam Mosheh Mar 25 '12 at 18:33
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@adammosheh It might be polite to look at how long the question has been open and how much participation it has received before acting to initiate a movement to close it. But I might be biased. – Seth J Mar 25 '12 at 20:20
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Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/29587 – msh210 Jun 25 '13 at 23:04
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Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/34388 – msh210 Jan 05 '14 at 04:29
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http://www.safa-ivrit.org/dialects/ultradox.php?t=acronyms – termsofservice Jan 24 '14 at 02:20
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1Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/68989 – msh210 Mar 07 '16 at 16:20
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Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/75250 – msh210 Aug 10 '16 at 19:44
2 Answers
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Before a name:
- הבחור החשוב - הבה"ח Habachur hashuv; "The important young man"
- המלומד בניסים = המלוב"ן Hamulumad benisim; (one) who has practiced many miracles - used for sfaradic Rabis who deal with "Torat Hanistar"
- רב/רבי = ר׳; rav/rabi; "rabbi...". OR רבינו; rabeinu; "our rabbi"
- הרב = הר׳; harav; "the rabbi".
- הרב רבי/רבינו = הר״ר; harav rabi/rabeinu; "Our Rabbi, Rav...".
- הרב החשוב = הרה״ח; harav hechashuv; "the important rabbi". OR הרב החסיד; harav hechassid; "the rabbi and chassid".
- הרב הגאון = הרה״ג; harav hagaon; "the genius/esteemed rabbi".
- הרב הצדיק = הרה"צ; harav hatzaddik; "the righteous rabbi".
- הרב הקדוש = הרה"ק; harav hakadosh; "the holy rabbi".
- הרב התמים = הרה״ת; harav hatamim; "the tamim rabbi".
- כבוד קדושת = כ״ק; k'vod k'dushas; "his holy honor...", (used for chasidic rabbis).
- אדונינו מורינו (ו)רבינו = אדמו״ר; adonenu morenu (v')rabenu; "our master, teacher, and rabbi", (a Hassidic rebbe, or "grand rabbi").
- אדוני אבי מורי ורבי = אאמו״ר; avi adoni mori rabi; "my father, master, teacher, and rabbi".
- מורינו (ורבינו) הרב רבי = מוהר"ר; moreinu (v'rabeinu) harav rabbi; "our teacher (and our rabbi,) rabbi...".
- מורי (ו)רבי = מו״ר; mori (v')rabi; "my teacher (and) rabbi".
- מורי (ו)חמי = מו״ח; mori (v')chami; "my teacher and father-in-law".
- מורינו = מו׳; morenu; "our teacher" or מורי; mori "my teacher".
- מר = מ׳; mar; "mister".
- פה נטמן = 1פ״נ or פה נקבר; po nitman or po nikbar; (both) "here lies". (Used on headstones).
- רבן של כל בני הגולה = רשכבה"ג; rabban shel kol b'nei hagolah "rabbi of all the diaspora".
- צדיק יסוד עולם = ציס"ע; tzaddik yesod olam; "a righteous man, support of the world".
- סיני ועוקר הרים = סוע"ה; sinai v'oker harim.
- מנשים באוהל תבורך = מנב״ת; minashim ba'ohel tevorach.
- יבלחטו"א or יבדל(ו) לחיים טובים וארוכים אמן = יבלטו"א = yibadel(oo) l'chaim tovim varuchim amen; "[to] separate for long, good life, amen". (Used when listing names, to separate those who are alive from those who are not.)
- יבלחט"א or יבדל(ו) לחיים טובים וארוכים = יבלט"א = yibadel(oo) l'chaim tovim varuchim; "[to] separate for long, good life". (Used when listing names, to separate those who are alive from those who are not.)
- אדוני אבי זקני = אא"ז; adoni avi zekeini; "my master, my grandfather".
- אדוני אבי מורי = אא"מ; adoni avi mori; "my master, my father, my teacher".
- אב בית דין = אב"ד; av beis din; "the head of the court of Jewish Law".
- אב בית דין קהילת = אבד"ק; av beis din kehilas; the head of the Jewish court of Law of... [insert community here]".
- הגאון מורינו = הג״מ; hagaon moreinu; "the genius, our teacher".
- עטרת ראשי = עט"ר; ateres roshi; "my head's crown". (Used for a parent, rarely mother.) OR עטרת ראשינו; ateres rosheinu; "Our head's crown". (Used for a Rabbi).
- ירום הודו = יר"ה; yarum hodo; "His Royal Highness". (Used for Non-Jewish kings).
- many on this list preceded by כבוד = כ; k'vod... "the honorable...".
After a name:
- יבלחט"א or יבלט"א (as above)
- שו״ב = shochet uvodek A ritual slaughterer and inspector of the kashrus of animals"
- דומו״צ, מו״צ (dayan u) moreh tzedek. One who rules on halachic matters.
- ע״ה2 = alav/aleha hashalom "Peace is upon him/her"
- ע״ה2 = eved Hashem "servant of God" (Used after referencing righteous biblical characters who are thus described in the Bible.)
- 2אבינו עליו השלום = אע"ה; avinu alav hashalom; "Our father, may peace be upon him". Or: אבינו עבד השם; avinu eved Hashem; "Our father, servant of God". (Used after referencing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)
- ז״ל2, zal = zichrono/ah livracha or zichro/rah livracha "May his/her/their memory be a blessing"
- זצ״ל2, zatzal = zecher tzadik livracha "May the memory of this tzaddik be a blessing"
- זצוק״ל2 = zecher tzadik v'kadosh livracha
- זצוקללה״ה2 = zecher tzadik v'kadosh livracha l'chayei ha'olam habah
- זי״ע(א)2 = z'chuso yagen alenu (amen)
- מה״מ = melech hamashiach "King Messiah" (Used by people who believe that Rabbi to be Moshiach)
- נבג״מ2 = nishmaso b'ginze m'romim
- נ״ע2 = nocho eden or nishmaso eden
- נ״י3 = nero yair "His candle should light the way"
- ש"ן or שי"ן = sheyair nero "that his candle should light the way" or sheyichyeh netzach "that he should live for eternity"
- עקד"ה2 = Al kiddush Hashem; "(died) for the sanctification of God's name" - usually used after הי"ד
- שלי״ט3 = sheyichye l'yamim tovim "That he should live good days"
- שליט״א3 = sheyichye l'yamim tovim aruchim (or l'orech yamim tovim amen) "That he should live good, long days"
- שתליט"א3 = shetichye l'(orech) yamim tovim aruchim "That she should live good, long days"
- הי"ו3 = Hashem yechayehu veyishmerehu "May God let him live and watch over him"
- ה"י3 = Hashem yishmerehu "May God watch over him"
- כ״ץ = kohen tzedek (used for a Kohen, sometimes as a family name)
- סג״ל = s'gan leviyah or s'gan lakohanim (used for a Levi, sometimes as a family name)
- יצ״ו = yishm'rehu tzuro vichayehu "His Rock should watch over him and let him live"
- ס"ט = seifeh tav (Sephardic equivalent of נ"י or the like - not sephardi tahor, as is a popular misconception) "May he come to a good end." - see end of this post by Marc Shapiro
- מ"ה = ma'or hagola "Illuminator of the Diaspora" (Has this ever been applied to anyone but Rabenu Gershom?)
- נר״ו3= natreih Rachmana u'parkeih; "may g-d preserve and redeem him".
- הי"ד2 = Hashem yiykom dam(o|a(m|n)) "May G-d avenge his/her/their blood"(Usually used for people who were killed "al kiddush Hashem")
- בהמח"ס = בעל המחבר ספר (Ba'al HaMehaber Sefer; "author of the (following) book")
- תחי'3 = tichy[e]; may she live
- שי'3 = 'שיחי - Sheyichye; may he live
- 2תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים = תנצב"ה Tehei nishmato tzrura betzror hachaim; "may his soul be bound in the bundle of life" - based on the posuk in Shmuel 1 (25,29).
1 Not to be confused with the two other meanings of this abbreviation: פיקוח נפש = From wikipedia "principle in Jewish law that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious consideration." OR פדיון נפש = pidyon nefesh; self evaluation
2 Only used for people who are deceased.
3 Only used for people who are alive.
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6Please edit this, fixing mine and adding more. I've made it a "community wiki" so some users who normally can't edit others' answers can edit it and so I get no reputation (I think) if it's accepted. – msh210 Mar 13 '11 at 04:56
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3If anyone is curious about ס"ט and the curious comment about Sephardi Tahor - see here: http://seforim.blogspot.com/2007/09/marc-shapiro-what-do-adon-olam-and-mean.html – Seth J Mar 14 '11 at 17:36
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Out of curiosity, is there more than one example (contemporary or not) for whom מה״ם was used? I've never seen it attached to various false messiahs of centuries past, but maybe only because the works of their followers are not extant. – yoel Oct 03 '11 at 13:50
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@yoel, nor have I. It's of course a false designation and (as far as we two know) uniquely applied, and perhaps it doesn't belong on the list: feel free to remove it. I added it only because I thought people might see it and wonder what it means. – msh210 Oct 03 '11 at 14:40
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2@msh210 might as well leave it, as I've seen it appellated on the Internet often enough, r"l. In a century or so we can remove it or come up with a bacronym that places it on the other list below. – yoel Oct 03 '11 at 14:54
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Does anyone besides the ט"ז (Ta"Z, aka Turei Zahav, aka R' David HaLevi, c. 1586 – 20 February 1667) use "מו״ח" (in reference to his father-in-law, the ב"ח, or Ba"ḥ, aka Bayith Ḥadash, aka R' Yoel Sirkis, 1561-1640)? – Seth J Oct 03 '11 at 15:12
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@SethJ, see the footnotes at http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=30450&st=&pgnum=419. – msh210 Oct 03 '11 at 15:26
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1@yoel, re "that places it on the other list below": I know you're kidding (not really planning to ascribe a meaning to an acronym unintended by its users), but I can't let this slide. Putting that acronym on the list below (I assume you mean the "derogatory ones" answer) would mean assigning a derogatory description to Rav Schneerson zatzal, one of last generation's g'dolim. Certainly some other g'dolm, notably Rav Shach zatzal, did the same, but, unless one's a talmid of Rav Shach and has a m'sora to do so, I doubt it's his place to. – msh210 Oct 04 '11 at 14:23
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2@msh210 you're very right. There is an enormous difference between a heretic who proclaims themselves Moshiach and a tzadik and godol hador whose followers do so, largely posthumously. I was kidding, but I (would like to think I) was kidding about meshichists and if the Lubavitcher Rebbe ztz'l got hit with collateral damage from that there is no limit to my regret. Thank you for calling me out on it. – yoel Oct 04 '11 at 14:48
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@JoelSpolsky I'm not sure that's used for Bar Mitzvah boys exclusively, see here – HodofHod Nov 02 '11 at 06:11
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1@HodofHod The first thing I thought when I saw the Roshei Teivos for "Eved Hashem" was "Am Haaretz" :) I don't think that is used too often/ – ertert3terte Feb 14 '12 at 21:27
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1@ShmuelBrill I've never seen it at all; I just translated what was already there. I'm not certain that its not a mistaken "alav hashalom". – HodofHod Feb 14 '12 at 21:29
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@Inkbug, welcome to Mi Yodeya and thanks for your contribution! I hope you stick around and enjoy the site. – msh210 Jul 16 '12 at 07:49
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@ba ס"ט for סימן טומאה is clearly a pejorative play on one of the other ס"ט abbreviations about the suspected forger who is the subject (not the author) of the book linked. Is it used anywhere else recorded? Does it really count as a common or conventional abbreviation? – WAF Aug 01 '12 at 04:31
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I wouldn't have added it if I didn't think I remembered it elsewhere, but I didn't see it anywhere else when I was looking for a source. Now that I think about it, it's possible I was wrong; if you want, I can edit it back (but it would, of course, be more simple for you to edit it). – b a Aug 01 '12 at 05:44
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Rel: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/11692/why-does-ateres-roshi-mean-my-parent?rq=1 – termsofservice Jan 24 '14 at 02:49
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