🔼The name Addi: Summary
- Meaning
- My Witness, My Era
- Etymology
- From the verb עדד ('adad), to pass by or over.
🔼The name Addi in the Bible
The name Addi occurs only once in the Bible, namely in Luke 3:28, where it is applied to the great-great-great-grandfather of Zerubbabel, who was an ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth. The genealogy of Matthew doesn't mention this Addi because Matthew' lineage of the Christ goes through Solomon and Luke goes through Nathan.
The name Addi is most probably a Hellenized version of any of the Hebrew names that in English usually are transliterated as Iddo.
🔼Etymology of the name Addi
The name Addi most probably derives from the verb עדד ('adad), to pass by or over with respect to times and eras:
עדד
Root עדד ('adad) describes a repeated passing by or over, or a repeated encountering. Noun עדה ('idda) describes any well-worn item.
Verb עדה ('ada I) means to advance or pass on. Nouns עד ('ad) and ועד (w'ad) describe the difficult concept of a future era advancing upon the now, or else the prey or booty upon which a predator advances. The conjunction עד ('ad) or עדי ('ady) means "as far as" or until.
The same verb, namely עדה ('ada II) is used to mean to adorn or ornament oneself — that is: to have items approach the canvas of one's bulk in order to testify of some social rank or perhaps the trade or order one belongs to. Noun עדי ('adi) means ornamentation: fancy or declarative things worn on one's body or clothes.
Verb יעד (ya'ad) means to meet, habitually and repeatedly rather than incidentally. Noun עדה ('eda) means congregation or some other joint collective. Nouns מועד (mo'ed), מועד (mo'ad) and מועדה (mu'ada) describe a place (or time) of meeting.
Verb עוד ('ud) means to return and repeat. Noun עוד ('od) denotes an addition, repetition or continuance. Nouns עד ('ed), עדה ('eda), עדה ('eda), עדת ('edut), עדות ('edut) and תעודה (te'uda) all mean witness or testimony in various nuances, and verb עוד ('ud) means to bear witness.
The letter י (yod) upon which our name ends, may either create an adjective (such-and-such-like), a possessive form (my such and such), or may be a remnant of יה (Yah), which is short for יהוה, which is the name YHWH, or Yahweh.
🔼Addi meaning
For a meaning of the name Addi, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads My Witness (taking it from the verb עוד, 'ud). Spiros Zodhiates (The Complete Wordstudy Dictionary) confirms our name is the same as Iddo but offers no translation of either.