Japheth
/ˈd͡ʒeɪfɛθ/ proper noun
Forms Jafeth Japhet Iapheth Iapetus Japetus
- proper noun (biblical) The third son of Noah, brother to Shem and Ham, who received a blessing from God with Shem, considered to be the ancestor of the Japhetic people(s) (associated approx. with Indo-Europeans and Turkic peoples).
- proper noun (uncommon) A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
Etymology
From Middle English Jafeth (as attested in Wycliffe's Bible), from Old English Iafeth (see e.g. Aelfric of Eynsham) and Middle French Japhet, both from Late Latin Iaphet, Iafeth, from Koine Greek Ἰάφεθ (Iápheth), from Hebrew יֶפֶת (yépheth). Further origin uncertain; folk etymology as well as rabbinical and patristic claims usually point to a meaning like "enlarged", in reference to Genesis 9:27, or "fair" (pale, in reference to complexion).
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “Japheth”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details