Ḥ-M-D Explained

(ar|ح-م-د, he|ח-מ-ד) is the triconsonantal Semitic root of many Arabic and some Hebrew words. Many of those words are used as names. The basic meaning expressed by the root is "to praise" in Arabic and "to desire" in Hebrew.^{[1] [2]}

Usage

Concepts

Arabic

• Hamd - "praise", a song or poem in praise of Allah
• Mahmad - "desire, desirable thing, pleasant thing, beloved, goodly, lovely, pleasant, desirable, precious ones, precious things, precious treasures, treasures, valuable"
• Mahmud - "desirable, precious thing, pleasant thing"

Hebrew

• Ḥemda Hebrew: rtl=yes|חֶמְדָּה - "desire, delight, beauty".
• Nehmad Hebrew: rtl=yes|נֶחְמָד - "nice, cute, pleasant, lovely"
• Ḥamud Hebrew: rtl=yes|חָמוּד - "cute, lovely, sweet, pretty"
• Maḥmad Hebrew: rtl=yes|מַחְמָד - "something desirable", as in hayat maḥmad Hebrew: rtl=yes|חַיַּת מַחְמָד "pet" ("desirable animal"), maḥmad eino Hebrew: rtl=yes|מַחְמַד עֵינוֹ "someone's beloved" ("desire of his eyes")
• Ḥemed Hebrew: rtl=yes|חֶמֶד - "grace, charm"
• Ḥamad Hebrew: rtl=yes|חָמַד - "desired, coveted", as in lo taḥmod Hebrew: rtl=yes|לֹא תַחְמֹד "Thou shalt not covet"

Names

• Ahmed - "highly praised
• Hamid - "[the one] given praise"
• Muhammad/Mahmud - "praiseworthy"
• ‘Abd al-Hamid - "servant of the Most Praised"
• Ḥamoudi Hebrew: rtl=yes|חֲמוּדִי - Hebrew colloquial name, lit. 'cutie'
• Hemed Hebrew: rtl=yes|חֶמֶד - a village in Gush Dan, Israel

Notes and References

1. A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic by Hans Wehr, edited by J. Milton Cowan, fourth edition, 1979, p. 238
2. A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament by William L. Holladay, 1971, p. 108