ʾādām

Semantic range

1. 1humankind collectively
2. 2a human being
3. 3the proper name Adam

Through most of Genesis 1–3 the word carries the definite article — hāʾādām, "the man" or "the human" — which is a title before it is a name, and the wordplay with ʾădāmāh (ground, soil) is unmistakable: the human is the earthling, formed from the earth. English cannot easily carry it; some translators reach for "the human from the humus."

That etymology is not a diminishment. The whole point of Genesis 2:7 is that dust plus divine breath yields a living soul — the dignity comes from the combination. The Restoration adds a further dimension in Moses 6:8–9 and Abraham 1:3, where Adam is named as the first of a covenant line and as one who bore the priesthood.

See also

• אֲדָמָהʾădāmāh
• נֶפֶשׁnephesh