Profiat (Hebrew: פרופייט,[1] Occitan: Prophègue or Profag,[2] Latin: Profatius,[3] French: Profait[2]) was a name used by Jews in Provence and northern Spain. In modern times the name has been transcribed as Peripoth, Peripetus, Periphot, Prifoth, Prevot, Parfait, Pourpeth, Peripedes, and Prophiat. In combination with "En" (meaning "Senior") the name occurs as "Enprofiat" (אנפרופיית).

Profiat
GenderMasculine
Origin
Language(s)Hebrew, Latin, or Provençal
Region of originProvence and northern Spain

The form in Benjamin of Tudela's travels, and which Grätz explained as "from Perpignan,"[4] is a mistake for פרופייג. According to Buxtorf, Saenger,[5] and Neubauer, "Profiat" is derived from the Latin "Profeta," and is a translation of the Hebrew "navi" (נביא), an epithet occasionally used in connection with learned rabbis. The word "navi," however, never occurs as a proper name in Hebrew documents, and the explanation is, therefore, doubtful.

Isaac Bloch and Heinrich Gross hold that the proper pronunciation of the name is "profet." The name is the same as Barfat, both originating in the Provençal "Perfetto."[6][7]

People with the given name Profiat

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References

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  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainGottheil, Richard (1905). "Profiat". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. p. 210.

  1. ^ Also written in Hebrew as פריפוט, פריפט, פרופיית, פרופת, or פריפוטו; also as פרופייג or פורפאייג, with the substitution of g for t, not uncommon in Romance languages.
  2. ^ a b Gross, H. (1882). "Zur Geschichte der Juden in Arles (Fortsetzung)". Monatsschrift für die Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums (in German). XXXI (14): 499. JSTOR 44654706.
  3. ^ Guttmann, J. (1899). "Aus der Zeit der Renaissance". Monatsschrift für die Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums (in German). XLIII (6): 254. JSTOR 44851826. Profacius Etiam Judæus
  4. ^ Grätz, Heinrich (1871). Geschichte der Juden von den ältesten Zeiten bis auf die Gegenwart (in German). Vol. VI. Leipzig: O. Leiner. p. 399.
  5. ^ Saenger, Max (1855). "Ueber die Aussprache und Bedeutung des Namens פרופייט". Monatsschrift für die Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums (in German). IV: 197–202.
  6. ^ Bloch, Isaac (1885). "Notes sur les Israélites de l'Algérie". Revue des études juives (in French). X: 255.
  7. ^ Gross, H. (1897). Gallia judaica: dictionnaire géographique de la France d'après les sources rabbiniques (in French). Translated by Gross, Moïse. Paris: L. Cerf. pp. 371–372.