שרה

See also: שׂרה

Hebrew

Root
שׂ־ר־ר (ś-r-r)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *śarār (“to rule”). Cognate with Akkadian 𒊩𒈗 (šarratum, “queen”).

Proper noun

שָׂרָה • (sará) f [pattern: קַטְלָה]

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Sarah

References

• H8283 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Further reading

• שרה on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Noun

שָׂרָה • (sará) f (masculine counterpart שַׂר) [pattern: קַטְלָה]

1. (Biblical Hebrew) lady, princess, queen
2. (government) a female cabinet minister

References

• H8282 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• Weninger, Stefan, editor (2011), The Semitic Languages - An International Handbook, KG, Berlin/Boston: de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 93

Etymology 2

Compare Arabic شَرَى (šarā, “to persevere”).

Verb

שָׂרָה • (sará) third-singular masculine past (pa'al construction)

1. to be or become great, prince-like
2. to contend, struggle, wrestle, overcome
   • Tanach, Genesis 32:28:

     וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יַעֲקֹב יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שִׁמְךָ כִּי אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי־שָׂרִיתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁים וַתּוּכָל׃

     vayómer ló ya'akóv ye'amér 'ód shim'khá kí 'im-yisra'él ki-saríta 'im-'elohím v'im-'anashím vatukhál.

     wayyṓmer lō yaʿăqōḇ yēʾāmēr ʿōḏ šiməḵā kī ʾim-yiśrāʾēl kī-śārī́ṯā ʿim-ʾĕlōhīm wəʾim-ʾănāšīm wattūḵāl.

     Translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     And he said: ‘Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.’

     Translation of Aryeh Kaplan, based on Onkelos and others:

     Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel. You have become great before God and man. You have won.

     Alternative translation of Aryeh Kaplan, based on the Septuagint and others:

     […] You have fought (or struggled) with a divine being and you have won.

     Translation of the King James Version:

     And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

     Young's Literal Translation:

     And he saith, ‘Thy name is no more called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast been a prince with God and with men, and dost prevail.’

     Translation of the American Standard Version:

     And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Conjugation

Conjugation of שָׂרָה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לִשְׂרוֹת action noun: — passive participle: —
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	שָׂרִיתִי		שָׂרִינוּ
	second	שָׂרִיתָ	שָׂרִית	שְׂרִיתֶם1	שְׂרִיתֶן1
	third	שָׂרָה	שָׂרְתָה	שָׂרוּ
present		שׂוֹרֶה	שׂוֹרָה	שׂוֹרִים	שׂוֹרוֹת
future	first	אֶשְׂרֶה		נִשְׂרֶה
	second	תִּשְׂרֶה	תִּשְׂרִי	תִּשְׂרוּ	תִּשְׂרֶינָה2
	third	יִשְׂרֶה	תִּשְׂרֶה	יִשְׂרוּ	תִּשְׂרֶינָה2
imperative		שְׂרֵה	שְׂרִי	שְׂרוּ	שְׂרֶינָה2
notes		Pronounced שָׂרִיתֶם and שָׂרִיתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

References

• H8280 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 3

Root
שׁ־ר־ה (š-r-h)

Verb

שָׁרָה • (shará) third-singular masculine past (pa'al construction)

1. (literary) (intransitive) to soak, permeate
2. (Biblical Hebrew) to let loose

Conjugation

Conjugation of שָׁרָה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לִשְׁרוֹת action noun: שְׁרִיָּה passive participle: שָׁרוּי
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	שָׁרִיתִי		שָׁרִינוּ
	second	שָׁרִיתָ	שָׁרִית	שְׁרִיתֶם1	שְׁרִיתֶן1
	third	שָׁרָה	שָׁרְתָה	שָׁרוּ
present		שׁוֹרֶה	שׁוֹרָה	שׁוֹרִים	שׁוֹרוֹת
future	first	אֶשְׁרֶה		נִשְׁרֶה
	second	תִּשְׁרֶה	תִּשְׁרִי	תִּשְׁרוּ	תִּשְׁרֶינָה2
	third	יִשְׁרֶה	תִּשְׁרֶה	יִשְׁרוּ	תִּשְׁרֶינָה2
imperative		שְׁרֵה	שְׁרִי	שְׁרוּ	שְׁרֶינָה2
notes		Pronounced שָׁרִיתֶם and שָׁרִיתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

References

• H8281 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• “שרה” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Etymology 4

Root
שׁ־י־ר (š-y-r)

Verb

שרה

1. (שָׁרָה, shára) Third-person feminine singular past (suffix conjugation) of שָׁר (shar).
2. (שָׁרָה, shará) Feminine singular present participle and present tense of שָׁר (shar).

Yiddish

Proper noun

שרה • (sore)

1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of שׂרה (sore).