Matthew

• Mathew (rare)
• (Gospel of Matthew): Matt., Matth. (biblical abbreviations)

From earlier Matheu, from Old French Mathieu, from Latin Matthaeus, from Ancient Greek Ματθαῖος (Matthaîos), from Aramaic מַתַּי (mattay). Compare Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (mattiṯyāhū, literally “gift of the Lord”). Doublet of Mattathias.

• enPR: măthʹ-yo͞o, IPA^(key): /ˈmæθjuː/, /-(j)ɪu̯/

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Matthew (plural Matthews)

1=Gospel of Matthew

1. A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
   • 1771, Tobias George Smollett, The Expedition of Humphry Clinker, Harper&Brothers, published 1836, page 231:

     - - - My name is Matthew Bramble, at your service. The truth is, I have a foolish pique at the name of Matthew, because it savours of those canting hypocrites, who in Cromwell's time, christened all their children by names taken from the Scripture."

   • 1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, →ISBN, page 184:

     People with incorruptible names like Matthew are always calling people named Charles, Charlie. I wish my folks had named me Matthew. Matt is the worst that can be made of it.

2. A surname originating as a patronymic.
3. Matthew the Evangelist, one of the twelve Apostles. A publican or tax-collector at Capernaum and credited with the authorship of the Gospel of Matthew.

   Synonym: Levi

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 9:9:

     And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

4. (biblical) The Gospel of St. Matthew, the first book of the New Testament of the Bible. Traditionally the first of the four gospels, a book attributed to Matthew the Evangelist.

• St. Matthews

• Matthean
• Matthias
• pet forms: Mat, Matt, Matty, Mattie
• surnames: Matheson, Mathieson, Matthews

• Matthew principle