Avital (given name)
Avital (Hebrew: אֲבִיטַל ’Ăḇîṭāl) is a Hebrew given name of Old Testament origin. Traditionally a female given name, its modern usage is unisex.
 Dew, the symbolic meaning of the name. | |
| Language(s) | Hebrew |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | my father is [the] dew, dewy |
| Other names | |
| Alternative spelling | Avital |
Etymology
"Abital" translates to dewy (as in, morning dew)[4] or my father is [the] dew (Ab-i means "my father"; -i is possessive pronoun for "my").[5]
The name refers to dew, the phenomenon of water droplets that occur on exposed objects in the morning or evening due to condensation.
Place name
The surname could potentially be a place name for the Avital moshav in Israel, named in 1953.[6]
Alternatively, Mount Avital/Tall Abu an Nada (Hebrew: הר אביטל, Har Avital, Arabic: تل أبو الندى, Tall Abu an Nada) is a mountain that is part of a dormant volcano in the Golan Heights.[7][8] It does not appear to have any correlation with the Avital moshav, being over an hour's drive away.[9]
Biblical character
The name was popularized by minor biblical character Abital, who is mentioned in the book of Samuel as one of King David's wives (II Samuel 3:4).
Abital gave birth to David's fifth son, Shephatiah, another minor biblical character.[10][11]
People
As given name (female)
- Avital Sharansky, a Ukrainian activist and public figure in the Soviet Jewry Movement.
- Avital Ronell, an American professor.
- Avital Leibovich, director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Israel.
- Avital Abergel, an Israeli actress.
As given name (male)
- Avital Boruchovsky, an Israeli chess player.
- Avital Inbar, an Israeli author.
- Avital Selinger, an Israeli volleyball player.
- Avital Tamir, an Israeli musician.
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As surname
- Mili Avital, an Israeli actress, writer, and director.
- Shay Avital, Major General (Ret.) in the IDF and former head of the Special Operations Forces Command (Depth Corps).
- Omer Avital, an Israeli-American jazz bassist, composer and bandleader.
- Avi Avital, an Israeli mandolinist.
- Tsion Avital, an Israeli philosopher of art and culture.
- Eden Avital, an Israeli footballer.
- Colette Avital, a Romani-Israeli diplomat and politician.
- Dr. Doron Avital, an Israeli politician.
- Shmuel Avital, an Israeli politician.
References
- Hubbard, Rob (9 March 2016). "Avi Avital and his mandolin bring the world to Minneapolis". Twin Cities. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Davis, Barry. "Avital's bass flow". The Jerusalem Post. Jpost Inc. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- "Tamir Avital - Men's Water Polo". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. Cal Athletics. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford paperback reference. Oxford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. Retrieved 2018-11-17.
- "Abital". Retrieved 2013-06-27.
- Bitan, Hanna: 1948-1998: Fifty Years of 'Hityashvut': Atlas of Names of Settlements in Israel, Jerusalem 1999, Carta, p. 1, ISBN 965-220-423-4
- South Lebanon and Vicinity 1976
- Golan Heights and vicinity 1994
- "Mount Avital to Avital". Mount Avital to Avital. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- 2 Samuel 3:4
- "Abital (fl. 1000 BCE)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Gale Research Inc. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2013.(subscription required)
