Bar?

Q: What do the words, bar/bat/bas/ben literally mean?

A: Bat and bas are different pronunciations of the same Hebrew word.  They mean “daughter.”  Bar means “son.”  The word bar is synonymous with the modern Hebrew equivalent “ben.” 

Some familiar terms that employ these words are:

Bar Mitzvah- son of a commandment (mitzvah)

Bar daat- knowledgable man

Ben Torah- student of Torah

Ben brit – a child of the covenant (B’nai Brith is the plural form)

Bat/bas mitzvah- Daughter of commandment