ראש

Hebrew

Root
ר־א־שׁ (r-ʾ-sh)
11 terms

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʁoʃ/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /roʃ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʀoʃ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *raʔš-. Cognate with Akkadian 𒊕 (rēšum) and Arabic رَأْس (raʔs).

Noun

רֹאשׁ • (rosh) m (plural indefinite רָאשִׁים, singular construct רֹאשׁ־, plural construct רָאשֵׁי־, feminine counterpart ראשה) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. (anatomy) head
   • Tanach, Song of Songs 2:6, with translation of the King James Version:

     שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת לְרֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי׃

     His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

2. head, chief, leader, chairperson
3. head, beginning, start; the top, or leading part.
4. headcount; census
   • Old Testament, Book of Exodus 30:12
   • Old Testament, Book of Numbers 1:2,49; 4:2,22; 26:2; 31:49
5. primary: first, beginning
6. The more succulent, aroma-rich part of a plant, brush or tree bark.
   • Tanach, Song of Songs 4:14, with translation of the King James Version:

     נֵרְדְּ וְכַרְכֹּם קָנֶה וְקִנָּמוֹן עִם כָּל־עֲצֵי לְבוֹנָה מֹר וַאֲהָלוֹת עִם כָּל־רָאשֵׁי בְשָׂמִים׃

     Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.

Usage notes

Stands in direct contrast to זנב (zanáv) – the tail, i.e. trailing part.

Declension

Declension of רֹאשׁ

	isolated forms		with possessive pronouns
Number:	State:	form	Person:	singular		plural
				m	f	m	f
singular	indefinite	רֹאשׁ	first	רֹאשִׁי		רֹאשֵׁנוּ
	definite	הָרֹאשׁ	second	רֹאשְׁךָ	רֹאשֵׁךְ	רֹאשְׁכֶם	רֹאשְׁכֶן
	construct	רֹאשׁ־	third	רֹאשׁוֹ	רֹאשָׁהּ	רֹאשָׁם	רֹאשָׁן
plural	indefinite	רָאשִׁים	first	ראשיי / רָאשַׁי		רָאשֵׁינוּ
	definite	הָרָאשִׁים	second	רָאשֶׁיךָ	ראשייך / רָאשַׁיִךְ	רָאשֵׁיכֶם	רָאשֵׁיכֶן
	construct	רָאשֵׁי־	third	רָאשָׁיו	רָאשֶׁיהָ	רָאשֵׁיהֶם	רָאשֵׁיהֶן

Derived terms

• טָמַן רֹאשׁוֹ בַּחוֹל (tamán roshó bakhól)
• יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ (yoshév rosh)
• כְּאֵב רֹאשׁ (kəʾḗḇ rōš)
• מֵרֹאשׁ (merósh)
• עַל רֹאשׁ הַגַּנָּב בּוֹעֵר הַכּוֹבַע (al rosh ha-ganáv bo'ér ha-kóva)
• רֹאשׁ הַפִּין (rosh ha-pin)
• רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (rōš hašānā́)
• רֹאשׁ חוֹדֶשׁ (rōš ḥṓḏeš)
• רֹאשׁ עִיר (rōš ʿīr)
• רֹאשׁ עִירִיָּה (rōš ʿīriyyā́)
• ראש כחול / רֹאשׁ כָּחֹל (rosh kakhól)
• רֹאשׁ מֶמְשָׁלָה (rósh memshalá)
• רִאשׁוֹן (rīšṓn)
• רָאשִׁי (rashí)
• ראשי תיבות / רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת (rashéi teivót)
• שׁוֹמֵר רֹאשׁ (shomér-rósh)

References

• H7218 in Strong, James (1979), Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Further reading

• ראש on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Etymology 2

Noun

רֹאשׁ • (rōš) m (singular construct רֹאשׁ־)

1. hemlock

Anagrams

• אשר