Eli
Eli (pronounced
el-lee) is a variant on the name of
God as spoken in
Aramaic. In
Semitic languages, the "al" and "el" sounds are often merged, (as in "ael") thus the Aramaic "Eli" is directly related to the Arabic
Allah and the Hebrew
Elohim, and the older "El" (
Assyrian (ilu),
Phoenician,
Hebrew,
Aramaic,
Arabic, and
Ethiopic.
Jesus on the cross reportedly said "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani" which
means "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." It is a controversial quote however, and under serious dispute.
See also: