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-zaráḥ ha-shémesh u-va ha-shámesh v-el m'qomó sho'éf zoréaḥ 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 rabbí yitsḥáq: shémesh b-shabbát — ts'daqá la-'aniyyim

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

Derived terms

• אֵין כָּל חָדָשׁ תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (en kol chadásh táchat haShámesh)
• בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ (beyt shemésh)
• דּוּד שֶׁמֶשׁ (dud shémesh)
• מַעֲרֶכֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ (maʿarékhet-hashémesh)
• עיט שמש (ʿáyit shémesh)
• שִׁמְשִׁי (shimshi)
• שְׁעוׄן שֶׁמֶשׁ (shʿón shémesh)
• מִשְׁקְפֵי שֶׁמֶשׁ m pl (mishq'féiy-shémesh, “sunglasses”)

Etymology 2

Root
שׁ־מ־שׁ (š-m-š)

Noun

שַׁמָּשׁ • (shamásh) m [pattern: קַטָּל]

1. public servant
2. (Judaism) sexton
3. (Judaism) special candle reserved for use to light a menorah
4. (Mishna) waiter

Synonyms

• (waiter): מלצר

Descendants

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

See also

• שליח ציבור
• גבאי

Further reading

• (specialized candle): Hanukkah menorah

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

שִׁמֵּשׁ • (shimésh) third-singular masculine past (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of שימש.

Yiddish

Noun

שמש • (shames)

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