שישה

Hebrew

Hebrew cardinal numbers

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Cardinal : שִׁישָּׁה (shishá)     Ordinal : שִׁשִּׁי‎ (shishí)

Etymology

Root
שׁ־שׁ־ה‎ (š-š-h)

From Proto-Canaanite *šiššat, from Proto-Northwest Semitic *šiṯṯatu, from Proto-Semitic *šidṯatum. Compare Phoenician 𐤔𐤔𐤕‎ (ššt) and Arabic سِتَّة‎ (sitta).

Pronunciation

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃiʃ.ʃah/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃiʃ.ʃɔ/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃiˈʃa/

Numeral

שִׁישָּׁה • (shishá) m, defective spelling שִׁשָּׁה‎, construct שֵׁשֶׁת‎ (shéshet), feminine שֵׁשׁ‎ (shésh)

1. six

Usage notes

• In Modern Hebrew, when the numbers three through ten modify a definite masculine noun and are directly preceding it, the construct form is used:

  ‏שִׁשָּׁה סְפָרִים‎ ― shishá s'farím ― six books

  ‏שֵׁשֶׁת הַסְּפָרִים‎ ― shéshet has'farím ― the six books

• The construct form is not used for higher numbers ending in six, such as twenty-six:

  ‏עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה הַסְּפָרִים‎ ― 'esrím v'shishá has'farím ― the twenty-six books

• In colloquial Modern Hebrew, the form שֵׁשׁ‎ (shésh) is often used regardless of gender.

Coordinate terms

• Last: חמישה / חֲמִשָּׁה‎ (khamishá)
• Next: שִׁבְעָה‎ (shiv'á)

Derived terms

• שֵׁשׁ בֵּשׁ‎ (shesh besh)