Morenun.
/məˈreɪnuː/, /mɒˈreɪnuː/, U.S. /məˈreɪnu/ Judaism.
A learned teacher, a rabbi; a Talmudic scholar.Chiefly used as an honorific title for a learned man who did not receive the traditional rabbinical formal ordination conferred originally in the Holy Land.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > aspects of faith > law > Jewish law > Talmudic scholar, rabbi > [noun]
rabbic1390
rabbin?1545
Talmudist1569
Talmudician1577
R1614
Talmudic1624
Morenu1650
tanna1718
Rav1809
Talmid Chacham1863
rebbe1881
lamdan1907
tannaite1919
1650 E. Chilmead tr. L. Modena Hist. Rites of Jews ii. iii. 69 In Germany, and Italy, they are to be honoured..with the Title..of..Morenu,..that is to say, Master... These men, that is to say, the Cacham, Rab, or Morenu, decide all Controversies concerning the Things that are either Lawful or Prohibited, and all other Differences.
1731 tr. Relig. Ceremonies & Customs Several Nations I. i. ii. iii. 54 The Cacham Rau, or Morenu, passes judgement upon all manner of differences..and judges of all matters relating to religion.
1866 Chambers's Encycl. VIII. 70/1 Nothing but the degree of ‘Morenu’, our Teacher, bestowed upon a candidate who proves his erudition in the written and oral Law and all its bearings..is wanted to render him eligible for the post of a rabbi.
1905 Jewish Encycl. IX. 16/1 It can not be determined definitely why a special title was applied to rabbis, or why the term ‘morenu’ was chosen.
1962 B.-Z. Abrahams tr. Glückel of Hameln Life ii. 18 Rabbi David Hanau, the great scholar who bore the distinguished title ‘Morenu’.
1997 Oxf. Dict. Jewish Relig. 479/2 Morenu may originally have applied to those learned in the laws of marriage and divorce.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1650