# Etel



## veredgerber

Hello, can someone help me locate the correct Hebrew spelling of the girl's name, Etel?


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## cremba

i believe it has to be אתל
do u need to locate it anywhere in literature?


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## veredgerber

Todah rabah!  I am interested in its origins, it seems to also be considered Hungarian? If you know of any usages that would be wonderful. Thanks again, vg


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## cfu507

cremba said:


> i believe it has to be אתל
> do u need to locate it anywhere in literature?


 
The name in Hebrew is אטל. I have a relative who is called Etel. I'll ask her if she knows something.


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## Nunty

Is Etel a diminutive of Etta?


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## berndf

You can't answer this without knowing the family background. In some countries _Etel_ exists as a variant spelling for _Ethel _which is not of Hebrew origin at all. _Ethel_ is derived vom Anglo-Saxon and Old English _eðel_ or _æþel_, _noble_, akin to German _edel_. See also _Eðelhard_ (_noble heart_), an Anglo-Saxon male name.

In Yiddish you find Ethel/Etel (with the aforementioned Anglo-Saxon etymology) spelled עטעל. Could אטל be an adapation to modern Hebrew spelling?


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## cfu507

Nun-Translator said:


> Is Etel a diminutive of Etta?


I don't know, but the short version of Etel is Eti with tet: אטי.
אתי would be for Esther with taf: אסתר.


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## Nunty

אני לא בטוחה, אבל נדמה לי שפעם שמעתי שם שביידית כותבים אותו *אטע*. אם כך, יתכן גם אטע'ל. אבל לא זוכרת ממש.


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## berndf

Nun-Translator said:


> אני לא בטוחה, אבל נדמה לי שפעם שמעתי שם שביידית כותבים אותו אטע. אם כך, יתכן גם *אטע'ל*. אבל לא זוכרת ממש. _(highlighting mine)_


In Yiddish I would normally read this as "atel" or "otel". I would still argue that Yiddish spelling should be עטעל. Googling will give you a few examples of this spelling of the name.


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## Nunty

I agree about the Yiddish spelling, berndf. Sorry; my Yiddish is "contaminated" by Hebrew, which is why I used the _geresh-lamed_ instead of _ayin-lamed_ for the diminutive ending. As for the initial letter, yes - you are probably right.


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## berndf

Nun-Translator said:


> my Yiddish is "contaminated" by Hebrew


You just produced an example supporting my case that the name of cfu507's relative, אטל, is probably a Hebrew adptation of עטעל: The initial ע is replaced by א (as you did). Interconsonantic ע representing _e_ are usually omitted when assimilating Yiddish words into Hebrew.


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