סריס חמה

Hebrew

Root
ס־ר־ס (s-r-s)

Root
ח־מ־ם (kh-m-m)

Pronunciation

• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /sɔˈʀis ħamˈmɔ/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /saˈʁis χaˈma/

Noun

סְרִיס חַמָּה • (sarís ḥammá) m

1. (Jewish law, potentially offensive) a male who is sexually underdeveloped or develops female secondary sex characteristics during puberty, either naturally or by illness
   • Mishneh Torah, Marriage 2:13-14

     וְאֵלּוּ הֵן סִימָנֵי סָרִיס. כָּל שֶׁאֵין לוֹ זָקָן. וּשְׂעָרוֹ לָקוּי. וּבְשָׂרוֹ מַחֲלִיק. וְאֵין מֵימֵי רַגְלָיו מַעֲלִים רְתִיחָה. וּכְשֶׁמֵּטִיל מַיִם אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה כִּפָּה. וְשִׁכְבַת זַרְעוֹ דִּיהָה. וְאֵין מֵימֵי רַגְלָיו מַחְמִיצִין. וְרוֹחֵץ בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים וְאֵינוֹ מַעֲלֶה בְּשָׂרוֹ הֶבֶל. וְקוֹלוֹ לָקוּי וְאֵינוֹ נִכָּר בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשָּׁה: וְסָרִיס זֶה הוּא הַנִּקְרָא סְרִיס חַמָּה בְּכָל מָקוֹם. אֲבָל הַבֵּן שֶׁחָתְכוּ אוֹ נִתְּקוּ אוֹ מִעֲכוּ גִּידָיו אוֹ בֵּיצָיו כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָעַכּוּ"ם עוֹשִׂין הוּא הַנִּקְרָא סְרִיס אָדָם. וּכְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה בֶּן י"ג שָׁנָה וְיוֹם אֶחָד נִקְרָא גָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵין זֶה מֵבִיא סִימָן לְעוֹלָם

     And these are the signs of a saris: He doesn't have a beard. His hair is weak. His flesh is smooth/hairless. His urine doesn't make foam. And when he urinates, it doesn't form an arch. And his semen is thin. And his urine doesn't ferment. And he washes in the rainy season without his flesh producing steam. And his voice is week and he can't be identified as male or female. A saris of this type is referred to as a saris chammah. When, however, the genitals of a male have been cut, severed or crushed, as the gentiles do, the person is called a saris ʾadam. When such a person reaches the age of thirteen and one day, he is considered to be of age, for he will never manifest signs of maturity.

Usage notes

• Potentially offensive when used in regards to intersex persons in day-to-day contexts.

Hypernyms

• סְרִיס (sarís)