Yolanda Pena

Linguistics

Dr. Walts

16 March 2015

Biography of the Word “Hallelujah”

            I decided to do my biography of a word project on the Hebrew word “hallelujah”.  As a Christian we often use the word not just in church but in everyday life as a means to praise God for something good that has happened to us.  I also have noticed that this word although is mainly used by people of the faith of Judaism and Christianity, it is also commonly used by many others from different religions as well as those without any religious background. 

In researching my word I noticed that in the majority of my sources the meaning and definition of the word did not vary, much.  For example, according to the Oxford English Dictionary the word “hallelujah” comes from:  “Etymology:  < Hebrew hallĕlū-yāh ‘praise (ye) Jah (= Jehovah)’; the verb is the imperative plural of hallēl.”  In searching the word in the Webster’s dictionary the meaning was also very similar.  According to the Webster’s dictionary the etymology is “Hebrew hallĕlūyāh praise (ye) the Lord, Date: 14^th century, used to express praise, joy, or thanks.  Main Entry:  hallelujah, Function:  noun, Date:  13th century,  

:  a shout or song of praise or thanksgiving.”  The word is derived from another Hebrew word “hallel” and when I searched the word “hellel” in the The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, “Hallel (Heb. “praise”).  A name given by the Jews to Pss. 113-18, and less frequently to other groups of Pss.  Between 104 and 150.  Pss. 113-18 were also sometimes called the ‘Egyptian Hallel’, from the tradition that they were sung during the killing of the *Passover lambs.  They were recited at all the principal Jewish festivals, and may have been the hymn sung by Christ and the Apostles after the *Last Supper (Mt. 26.30).  The title, the ‘Great Hallel”, was used esp. of Ps. 136.”  Therefore the word “hallel” dates back to the Bible’s Old Testament Psalms which date back to the reign of King David the King of Israel.  Many of the Psalms have been credited to King David who lived c.1040- c. 970 BCE.  There is also reference that the “hallel” dates back to the time of Moses from the first five books of the Bible, dating back to the first Passover when the children of Israel were liberated from slavery out of Egypt.

            The word “hallelujah” also has many variations of how it is written and/or pronounced.  Some of the spellings are:  halleluiah, hallelujah, alleluia, halleluyah, and hallelujah.  These alternative forms of the word “hallelujah” have to do mainly with how different people pronounce the word.  They write the word according to the pronunciation.  The only word which is the Greek form of the Hebrew work “hallelujah” is the word “alleluia”.  According to the Compact Bible Dictionary “alleluia [al e LOO yuh] (praise the Lord).  A Greek form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah used to express joy, praise, and thanksgiving.  The words “Praise the Lord,” found often in the Psalms, is a translation of the Hebrew Hallelujah.”  Therefore the Hebrew word “hallelujah” is found twenty-four times in the book of Psalms 111-117 and also 145-150 in the Hebrew Bible.  These Psalms either start or end the Psalm with the word “hallelujah”.  The Greek word “alleluia” is found four times in the Book of Revelation in the Greek translation of the Bible. 

            In modern English we use the word “hallelujah” as a way to express joy and excitement when something good happens to us.  For example, if someone has been looking for a job for a long time and finally gets their dream job, it is common to respond with “hallelujah!”  This for many people of faith can be a way to express thanksgiving to God for the new job, but a non-religious person can also respond with “hallelujah” as a way to express joy and happiness for the dream job they have been hoping for, and not necessarily as a thanksgiving to God but just as a common expression.  The word has also been used in many songs throughout the centuries.  The most common oratorio which has been performed by many orchestras and choirs is George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” commonly referred to as “Handel – Messiah” and/or “Hallelujah Chorus”.  Handel wrote this oratorio in 1741.  It is performed every year on Christmas by many church choirs since it is considered one of the best-known choral works.  My husband and I are members of our church choir and our choir and orchestra performs this piece every year for our Christmas Concert as an expression of praise and adoration to God. 

            Therefore, the word “hallelujah” is an expression of thanksgiving and praise to God and although it is sometimes used as a way to express joy and thanksgiving for something expected, it is usually used as a form of adoration to God.  Even in slang and swearing dictionaries the word appears as an expression of praise to God.  It is no wonder the word “hallelujah” is a word that is derived from the Bible especially the Book of Psalms which is an expression of praise and thanksgiving to Yahweh/Jehovah/God/Lord, the different names given to the God of the Bible.

                                                                  Bibliography

Cross, F. L., and Elizabeth A. Livingstone. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.

            London: Oxford UP, 1974. Print.

Home:  Oxford English Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.

https://books.google.com

https:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah

http://www.etymoline.com/index.php?term=hallelujah

The Encyclopaedia Britannica. A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General

            Information. 11th Edition.. Eleventh ed. Vol. 12. Cambridge: UP, 1910. Print.

Youngblood, Ronald F., F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison. Compact Bible Dictionary. Nashville,

 TN: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 2004. Print.

"Webster's Third New International Dictionary." TheFreeDictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 01

            Mar. 2015.

My Phonetics and Phonology Project of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz's "Sonnet 145", is a good illustration of the study of sound in speech (phonetics) and the study and use of sound patters to create meaning (phonology). When you read the sonnet in its original language (Spanish) it has the sounds, rhymes, structural patterns, and message of an Italian Sonnet. When a sonnet is translated into another language it loses one or the other, in this case (English) the sonnet loses the end rhyme that the original Spanish has.  Below is the sonnet being sung, and even though, it is sung in its original language, the sound is also a little different. It is very interesting to maintain the essence of the original work when you translated into a different language.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was a 17th century Spanish nun whose work continues to be read, studied, and translated. She was a prodigy in a time period where women did not have the opportunity of education. She continues to be an inspiration to many.

Este que ves