𐤔𐤇𐤕

Phoenician

Etymology

From Northwest Semitic. Compare Biblical Hebrew שִׁחֵת (šiḥēt, “to spoil, ruin, corrupt, destroy”), Aramaic שְׁחַת (šĕḥat, “to corrupt, mutilate, destroy”) and Classical Syriac ܫܵܚܹܬ (šāḥēt, “to rust, decay”).

Verb

𐤔𐤇𐤕 (šḥt)

1. to decay, rust
2. to corrupt, ruin, destroy, smash
   • 9th century BC, Kilamuwa Stela:

     𐤅𐤌𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤇𐤕 𐤄𐤎𐤐𐤓 𐤆 𐤉𐤔𐤇𐤕 𐤓𐤀𐤔 𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤑𐤌𐤃 𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤇𐤕 𐤓𐤀𐤔 𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤇𐤌𐤍

     wmy yšḥt hspr z yšḥt rʾš bʿl ṣmd wyšḥt rʾš bʿl ḥmn

     and whoever destroys this inscription may his head be destroyed by Baal Samad and may his head be destroyed by Baal Hamon

     (literally, “and-whoever destroy-s inscription this destroy-s head Baal Samad and-destroy-s head Baal Hamon”)