etrog

Etrog (, plural: ; Ashkenazi Hebrew: , plural: ) is the yellow citron or Citrus medica used by Jews during the week-long holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species. Together with the lulav, hadass, and aravah, the etrog is taken in hand and held or waved during specific portions of the holiday prayers. Special care is often given to selecting an etrog for the performance of the Sukkot holiday rituals. Etymology The romanization of the Hebrew as etrog from Sephardi Hebrew is widely used. The Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation is esrog or esrig. It has been transliterated as etrog or ethrog in scholarly works. The Hebrew word is thought to derive from the Persian name for the fruit, wādrang, which first appears in the Vendidad. Related words are Persian turunj and Aramaic ʾaṯruggā. The rare Aramaic form etronga is significant because it retains the nun (letter) of wādrang. The nun (n) can also be seen in the English word 'orange'. Taxonomy In Modern Hebrew, etrog is the name for any variety or form of citron, whether kosher for the ritual or not. In general usage, though, the word is often reserved to refer only to those varieties and specimens used ritually as one of the four species. Some taxonomic experts, like Hodgson and others, have mistakenly treated etrog as one specific variety of citron. The various Jewish rites utilize different varieties, according to their tradition or the decision of their respective posek.