אמינות (aminut) — authenticity; credibility
Etymology
The word אמינות belongs to one of the most productive roots in the Hebrew language: אמ"ן (aleph-mem-nun). This root generates a remarkable cluster of meanings that share a common semantic kernel of stability and reliability: the adjective נֶאֱמָן (ne'eman, "faithful, reliable"), the nouns אֵמוּן and אֱמוּנָה (emun/emuna, "trust, faith"), אֲמָנָה (amana, "covenant"), the adverb אָמְנָם (omnam, "indeed, truly"), the liturgical response אָמֵן (amen, "so be it"), and the word אֱמֶת (emet, "truth") itself — which linguists reconstruct as having evolved from an early form *amintu through consonantal assimilation. The root's most fundamental meaning may be "stability," paralleled in Ancient Egyptian by mn meaning "stability."
The root also produced the word אָמָּן (oman, "craftsman") — though that word is actually a loanword from Akkadian ummanu via Aramaic, ultimately from Sumerian. From it, Rabbinic Hebrew derived אוּמָנוּת (umanut, "craft"). In the 19th century, both forms were extended to mean "artist" and "art," creating ambiguity. Ben-Yehuda resolved this by reserving אוּמָנוּת for "craft" and introducing אָמָנוּת for "art." The same root gave rise to the verb אִמֵּן (imen, "to train"), which developed from the Talmudic phrase "מְאַמֵּן אֶת יָדוֹ" ("trains his hand"), and from it the noun אִמּוּן (imun, "training") in the mid-19th century and מְאַמֵּן (me'amen, "coach, trainer") in the early 20th century.
The word אמינות itself was coined in January 1955 by Daniel Leibel, a member of the editorial board of the Hebrew newspaper Davar. The occasion was a brief news item about a newly discovered Rubens painting in Berlin, where the owner doubted "the אמינות of the painting despite the signature." Lexicographer Ya'akov Kna'ani noticed the word and wrote to the newspaper asking whether it was a new coinage or a misprint for "אמיתות" (truth). The editors replied: "The word אמינות is a coinage of Davar board member Daniel Leibel, and its meaning is 'authenticity.'" The adjective אָמִין (amin, "reliable, credible") was subsequently derived from it.
Key Quotes
"מטיל ספקות בנוגע לאַמינוּת התמונה על אף החתימה הרשוּמה בשוּליה" — Davar newspaper, January 1955
"המלה אמינות היא חידושו של חבר מערכת ׳דבר׳ דניאל לייבל ופירושה ׳אוטנטיות׳" — Davar editorial board, 1955
Timeline
- Biblical period: Root אמ"ן generates נֶאֱמָן, אֱמוּנָה, אָמֵן, and (per reconstruction) אֱמֶת
- Talmudic period: Phrase "מאמן את ידו" appears in tractate Shabbat
- 11th century: Hai Gaon and Rashi interpret the phrase as meaning "teaches/habituates his hand"
- 13th century: "Shibbolei HaLeket" uses אמן at yadav in the context of learning slaughter technique
- 19th century: אָמָּן and אָמָנוּת extended to mean "artist" and "art"; Ben-Yehuda distinguishes אוּמָנוּת from אָמָנוּת
- Mid-19th century: אִמּוּן (training) coined
- Early 20th century: מְאַמֵּן (coach) coined
- January 1955: אמינות coined by Daniel Leibel in Davar
- Post-1955: Adjective אָמִין (reliable) derived from אמינות
Related Words
- אֱמֶת — truth; etymologically related to root אמ"ן
- אֱמוּנָה — faith, faithfulness; from same root
- אָמֵן — amen; liturgical response from same root
- אִמּוּן — training; from same root via Talmudic phrase
- אָמָנוּת — art; distinguished by Ben-Yehuda from אוּמָנוּת (craft)