שיבולת

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
שׁ־ב־ל (sh-b-l)

Cognate with Akkadian 𒋗𒁍𒌌𒌈 (šubultum, “ear of wheat”), Ugaritic 𐎌𐎁𐎍𐎚 (šblt, “ear of grain”), Aramaic שׁוּבַּלְתָּא/שִׁבַּלְתָּא (šubbaltā/šibbaltā), Classical Syriac ܫܒܠܬܐ (šeb(b)eltāʼ, “ear of grain; flow of a river”), Old South Arabian 𐩪𐩨𐩡𐩩 (s¹blt, “ear of grain”), and Arabic سُنْبُلَة (sunbula), سَبَلَة (sabala).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃiˈbolet/

Noun

שיבולת / שִׁבֹּלֶת • (shibólet, šibbṓleṯ) f (plural indefinite שיבולים / שִׁבֳּלִים, singular construct שיבולת / שִׁבֹּלֶת־, plural construct שיבלי / שִׁבֳּלֵי־)

1. an ear of wheat
   1. a stalk of grain
   2. (botany) a spike
2. shibboleth

Usage notes

• The plural construct form שִׁבֲּלֵי־, is also encountered (see Zechariah 2:14).

Derived terms

• שבולת שועל / שִׁבֹּלֶת שׁוּעָל (shibólet shu'ál, “oat”)

Descendants

• → English: shibboleth
• → French: shibboleth

Noun

שיבולת / שִׁבֹּלֶת • (shibólet, šibbṓleṯ) f (plural indefinite שיבולות / שִׁבּוֹלוֹת, singular construct שיבולת / שִׁבֹּלֶת־)

1. (biblical) a vortex, a flowing stream, a waterflood
   • Tanach, Psalms 69:15, with translation of the King James Version:

     אַל־תִּשְׁטְפֵנִי שִׁבֹּלֶת מַיִם וְאַל־תִּבְלָעֵנִי מְצוּלָה וְאַל־תֶּאְטַר־עָלַי בְּאֵר פִּֽיהָ׃

     Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.