Mary

Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek name or , found in the Septuagint and New Testament. The latter reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation of the name (Masoretic pronunciation ), as attested by the Septuagint. The vowel "a" in a closed unaccented syllable later became "i", as seen in other names such as "Bil'am" (Balaam) and "Shimshon" (Samson). Etymology The name may have originated from the Egyptian language; it is likely derivative of the root , meaning "love; beloved" (compare , "Merit-Amun", i.e. "beloved of Amun"). The name was early etymologized as containing the Hebrew root , meaning "bitter" (cf. myrrh), or , meaning "rebellious". St. Jerome (writing ), following Eusebius of Caesarea, translates the name as "drop of the sea" ( in Latin), from the Hebrew (cf. Isaiah 40:15) and .