Amen
Amen (Hebrew: אָמֵן, ʾāmēn; Ancient Greek: ἀμήν, amḗn; Classical Syriac: ܐܡܝܢ, 'amīn;[1] Arabic: آمين, ʾāmīn) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation[2] which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament.[3] It is used in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim practices as a concluding word, or as a response to a prayer.[2] Common English translations of the word amen include "verily", "truly", "it is true", and "let it be so".[4][5] It is also used colloquially, to express strong agreement.[2]
This article is about the interjection. For other uses, see Amen (disambiguation).Pronunciations[edit]
In English, the word amen has two primary pronunciations, ah-MEN (/ɑːˈmɛn/) or ay-MEN (/eɪˈmɛn/),[6] with minor additional variation in emphasis (e.g., the two syllables may be equally stressed instead of placing primary stress on the second). In Anglophone North American usage, the ah-men pronunciation is used in performances of classical music and in churches with more formalized liturgy.
The ay-men pronunciation is a product of the Great Vowel Shift (i.e., it dates from the 15th century); it is associated with Irish Protestantism and with conservative evangelical denominations generally. It is also the pronunciation typically used in gospel music.[7]