'amoraim' originates from Aramaic, specifically the word 'amora', where 'amora' meant 'speaker' or 'interpreter'.

'amora' transformed into the Hebrew plural form 'amoraim', and eventually became the term used in modern English to refer to these scholars.

Initially, it meant 'speaker' or 'interpreter', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'Jewish scholars who commented on the Mishnah'.