Ancient Hebrew reveals a similar linguistic pattern. In the Genesis narrative, the word adam is a collective noun meaning “humankind” and comes from the Hebrew word adamah which means “ground.” Linguistically, at least, there is an intrinsic connection between the ground, our humanity, and humility. In other words, humility begins by remembering where we come from. Humility begins by remembering that to be human is to be dirt. Humility begins by remembering that we are “dust and to dust [we] shall return.”
