שמש

See also: שמשׂ

Aramaic

Verb

שמש • (transliteration needed)

1. to serve

Hebrew

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *śamš-.

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈʃemeʃ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): [ˈʃɛːmɛʃ]

Noun

שֶׁמֶשׁ • (shémesh) f (plural indefinite שְׁמָשׁוֹת, Biblical Hebrew pausal form שָׁמֶשׁ) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. sun

   Synonym: חַמָּה (khamá)

   • Tanach, Ecclesiastes 1:5, with translation of jps:

     וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶל־מְקוֹמוֹ שׁוֹאֵף זוֹרֵחַ הוּא שָׁם׃

     v'zarákh hashémesh uva hashámesh v'el m'komó sho'éf zoréakh hu sham

     The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth.

   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Ta'anit 8b:

     וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: שֶׁמֶשׁ בְּשַׁבָּת — צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים

     v'amár rabí yitskhák: shémesh b'shabát — ts'daká la'aniyím

     and R. Isaac said: Sabbath sun is charity for the poor.

Derived terms

• אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (en kol khadásh tákhat hashámesh)
• בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ (bet shémesh)
• דּוּד שֶׁמֶשׁ (dud shémesh)
• מַעֲרֶכֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ (ma'arékhet hashémesh)
• עיט שמש (áyit shémesh)
• שִׁמְשִׁי (shimshí)
• שְׁעוֹן שֶׁמֶשׁ (sh'ón shémesh)
• מִשְׁקְפֵי שֶׁמֶשׁ m pl (mishk'fé shémesh, “sunglasses”)

Further reading

• השמש on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Etymology 2

Root
שׁ־מ־שׁ (sh-m-sh)

Noun

שַׁמָּשׁ • (shamásh) m [pattern: קַטָּל]

1. public servant
2. (Judaism) sexton
3. (Judaism) shamash (the candle used to light the other eight candles of a Hanukkah menorah or hanukkiah)
4. (Mishna) waiter

Synonyms

• (waiter): מלצר (meltsár)

Descendants

• → English: shamash
• → Yiddish: שמשׂ (shames)
  • → Dutch: sjammes
  • → English: shammes

See also

• שליח ציבור (shalíakh tsibúr)
• גבאי (gabái)

Further reading

• (specialized candle): Hanukkah menorah

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

שִׁמֵּשׁ • (shimésh) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of שימש.

Yiddish

Noun

שמש • (shames)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of שמשׂ (shames).