golem

Where does the word "golem" come from? It comes from Hebrew golem, passing through Yiddish before entering English (1800s-1900s).

Golem’s story begins in Hebrew: golem meant “a shapeless mass.” Meaning "shapeless mass" or "unfinished substance". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Yiddish as goylem. Applied to legends of an animated being made from clay. It reached English by 1800s-1900s as golem. The legend of Rabbi Judah Loew, said to have made a clay golem to protect Prague's Jews, spread through the 1915 novel by Gustav Meyrink. Today, golem means in Jewish folklore, an artificial being made from clay and brought to life.

1. Stage 1 · Hebrew · ancient golem "a shapeless mass", meaning "shapeless mass" or "unfinished substance".
2. Stage 2 · Yiddish · medieval goylem "an animated clay figure", applied to legends of an animated being made from clay.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s-1900s golem "an artificial being brought to life", the legend of Rabbi Judah Loew, said to have made a clay golem to protect Prague's Jews, spread through the 1915 novel by Gustav Meyrink.