ምሕረት

Ge'ez

Etymology

Probably from Proto-Semitic *r-ḥ-m, via metathesis. Compare Arabic رَحِمَ (raḥima), Hebrew רָחַם (rakhám).

Alternatively, linked to Hebrew מָחַל (makhál, “forgive”), but this is semantically further and still requires a phonological shift; or to Egyptian mrj (“to love”), but this is likewise dubious.

Noun

ምሕረት • (məḥrät) m or f (plural ምሕረታት)

1. compassion, pity, commiseration
   • Exodus 20:6

     ወእገብር ፡ ምሕረተ ፡ ለለ፲፻ለእለ ፡ ያፈቅሩኒ ፡ ወትእዛዝየ ፡ እለ ፡ የዐቅቡ ፡ ወለእለ ፡ የዐቅቡ ፡ ሕግየ ።

     wäʾgäbr məḥrätä lälä1000läʾlä yafäḳruni wätʾəzazyä ʾəlä yäʿäḳbu wäläʾlä yäʿäḳbu ḥəgyä .

     but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Further reading

• Dillmann, August (1865) “ምሕረት”, in Lexicon linguae aethiopicae cum indice latino (in Latin), Leipzig: T. O. Weigel, column 158