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Proper name

A reference page linking a name, group, or concept to the materials that discuss it.

A name identifying a particular individual, place or other entity.

Modern linguistic diagram highlighting a proper name referring to a particular entity. ʾEl is an illustrative written example, not a portrait of a deity or an archaeological witness
Modern linguistic diagram highlighting a proper name referring to a particular entity. ʾEl is an illustrative written example, not a portrait of a deity or an archaeological witnessIL Archive · CC BYLicense · Image source

Text

A proper name identifies an entity, unlike a general term for a class. El can be the name of a distinct deity in a text, while a related form elsewhere may simply mean “god”. Determining the usage requires the surrounding text; the spelling alone does not settle the question. [1] [2]

References and notes

  1. Cambridge Dictionary, English Grammar Today: Nouns Types of nouns: the general common/proper distinction. The Semitic example is editorial explanation. Return to the text ↑
  2. Heath D. Dewrell & Andrew M. Garbarino, Names of God in the Hebrew Bible, Oxford Bibliographies (2023) Available introduction: El as common noun or proper name, and Elohim and Yahweh. The cited literature was not read in full. Return to the text ↑

Research history

Substantive changes are retained here. Minor copy edits remain in the internal operational log.

  1. Edition 2 · 10 October 2026 · editor:aladmin

    Substantive record update

    Read this revision in its original language (Arabic)

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Cite this record

IL Archive, «Proper name», Edition 2, https://ilarchive.com/en/entities/proper-name