Hebrew

Proper noun

בִּלְשָׁן • ‎(bilshán)

1. Bilshan

Etymology 2

From a Midrashic interpretation of מָרְדֳּכַי בִּלְשָׁן ‎(mordokhái bilshán, “Mordecai [and] Bilshan”), from Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7, as referring to one person, with בִּלְשָׁן ‎(bilshán) meaning “one who knows many language” and coming from לָשׁוֹן ‎(lashón, “language”) with the root ל־שׁ־ן, because Mordecai is said to have known seventy languages. The first vowel was changed to match the noun pattern forming names of professions.

Noun

בַּלְשָׁן • ‎(balshán) m ‎(feminine counterpart בַּלְשָׁנִית)

1. linguist