shiva

See also: Shiva

English

Alternative forms

• shibah, shiv'ah, shivah, shive

Etymology

From Hebrew שִׁבְעָה (shiv'á, “seven”), referring to the number of days that shiva spans.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɪvə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: shiver (non-rhotic)

Noun

shiva (countable and uncountable, plural shivas)

1. (Judaism) A weeklong period of formal mourning for a close relative.
   • 1974 February 2, “Jewish Gay Group”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 32, page 2:

     Did you know that some parents sit shiva […] for 30 days if their child is discovered to be gay?

   • 1986, Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film)

     Seymour: Audrey, quick! We've got to do an emergency [flower] arrangement.

     […]

     Mr. Mushnik: The Shivas are our most important funereal account. A big, enormous family, they're dropping off like flies!

Derived terms

• sit shiva

Translations

period of mourning

• Hebrew: שִׁבְעָה (he) f (shiv'á)
• Portuguese: shivá m or f
• Russian: ши́ва f (šíva)
• Yiddish: שבֿעה f (shive)

Further reading

• Shiva (Judaism) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia