شام

See also: سام

Arabic

Etymology 1

Proper noun

شَام • (šām) m

1. only used in الشَّام (aš-šām)

Etymology 2

Root
ش ي م (š y m)
6 terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃaː.ma/

Verb

شَامَ • (šāma) I (non-past يَشِيمُ (yašīmu), verbal noun شَيْم (šaym))

1. to have sheathed, to have hidden, to have concealed
2. to watch, to observe
3. to expect, to conjecture

Conjugation

Conjugation of شَامَ (I, hollow, a ~ i, full passive (?), verbal noun شَيْم)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						شَيْم šaym
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						شَائِم šāʔim
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَشِيم mašīm
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	شِمْتُ šimtu	شِمْتَ šimta	شَامَ šāma		شِمْتُمَا šimtumā	شَامَا šāmā		شِمْنَا šimnā	شِمْتُمْ šimtum	شَامُوا šāmū
	f		شِمْتِ šimti	شَامَتْ šāmat			شَامَتَا šāmatā			شِمْتُنَّ šimtunna	شِمْنَ šimna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَشِيمُ ʔašīmu	تَشِيمُ tašīmu	يَشِيمُ yašīmu		تَشِيمَانِ tašīmāni	يَشِيمَانِ yašīmāni		نَشِيمُ našīmu	تَشِيمُونَ tašīmūna	يَشِيمُونَ yašīmūna
	f		تَشِيمِينَ tašīmīna	تَشِيمُ tašīmu			تَشِيمَانِ tašīmāni			تَشِمْنَ tašimna	يَشِمْنَ yašimna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَشِيمَ ʔašīma	تَشِيمَ tašīma	يَشِيمَ yašīma		تَشِيمَا tašīmā	يَشِيمَا yašīmā		نَشِيمَ našīma	تَشِيمُوا tašīmū	يَشِيمُوا yašīmū
	f		تَشِيمِي tašīmī	تَشِيمَ tašīma			تَشِيمَا tašīmā			تَشِمْنَ tašimna	يَشِمْنَ yašimna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَشِمْ ʔašim	تَشِمْ tašim	يَشِمْ yašim		تَشِيمَا tašīmā	يَشِيمَا yašīmā		نَشِمْ našim	تَشِيمُوا tašīmū	يَشِيمُوا yašīmū
	f		تَشِيمِي tašīmī	تَشِمْ tašim			تَشِيمَا tašīmā			تَشِمْنَ tašimna	يَشِمْنَ yašimna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		شِمْ šim			شِيمَا šīmā				شِيمُوا šīmū
	f		شِيمِي šīmī							شِمْنَ šimna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	شِمْتُ šimtu	شِمْتَ šimta	شِيمَ šīma		شِمْتُمَا šimtumā	شِيمَا šīmā		شِمْنَا šimnā	شِمْتُمْ šimtum	شِيمُوا šīmū
	f		شِمْتِ šimti	شِيمَتْ šīmat			شِيمَتَا šīmatā			شِمْتُنَّ šimtunna	شِمْنَ šimna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُشَامُ ʔušāmu	تُشَامُ tušāmu	يُشَامُ yušāmu		تُشَامَانِ tušāmāni	يُشَامَانِ yušāmāni		نُشَامُ nušāmu	تُشَامُونَ tušāmūna	يُشَامُونَ yušāmūna
	f		تُشَامِينَ tušāmīna	تُشَامُ tušāmu			تُشَامَانِ tušāmāni			تُشَمْنَ tušamna	يُشَمْنَ yušamna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُشَامَ ʔušāma	تُشَامَ tušāma	يُشَامَ yušāma		تُشَامَا tušāmā	يُشَامَا yušāmā		نُشَامَ nušāma	تُشَامُوا tušāmū	يُشَامُوا yušāmū
	f		تُشَامِي tušāmī	تُشَامَ tušāma			تُشَامَا tušāmā			تُشَمْنَ tušamna	يُشَمْنَ yušamna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُشَمْ ʔušam	تُشَمْ tušam	يُشَمْ yušam		تُشَامَا tušāmā	يُشَامَا yušāmā		نُشَمْ nušam	تُشَامُوا tušāmū	يُشَامُوا yušāmū
	f		تُشَامِي tušāmī	تُشَمْ tušam			تُشَامَا tušāmā			تُشَمْنَ tušamna	يُشَمْنَ yušamna

Verb

شَامَّ • (šāmma) III (non-past يُشَامُّ (yušāmmu), verbal noun مُشَامَّة (mušāmma))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Conjugation

Conjugation of شَامَّ (III, geminate, no passive, verbal noun مُشَامَّة)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						مُشَامَّة mušāmma
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُشَامّ mušāmm
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	شَامَمْتُ šāmamtu	شَامَمْتَ šāmamta	شَامَّ šāmma		شَامَمْتُمَا šāmamtumā	شَامَّا šāmmā		شَامَمْنَا šāmamnā	شَامَمْتُمْ šāmamtum	شَامُّوا šāmmū
	f		شَامَمْتِ šāmamti	شَامَّتْ šāmmat			شَامَّتَا šāmmatā			شَامَمْتُنَّ šāmamtunna	شَامَمْنَ šāmamna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُشَامُّ ʔušāmmu	تُشَامُّ tušāmmu	يُشَامُّ yušāmmu		تُشَامَّانِ tušāmmāni	يُشَامَّانِ yušāmmāni		نُشَامُّ nušāmmu	تُشَامُّونَ tušāmmūna	يُشَامُّونَ yušāmmūna
	f		تُشَامِّينَ tušāmmīna	تُشَامُّ tušāmmu			تُشَامَّانِ tušāmmāni			تُشَامِمْنَ tušāmimna	يُشَامِمْنَ yušāmimna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُشَامَّ ʔušāmma	تُشَامَّ tušāmma	يُشَامَّ yušāmma		تُشَامَّا tušāmmā	يُشَامَّا yušāmmā		نُشَامَّ nušāmma	تُشَامُّوا tušāmmū	يُشَامُّوا yušāmmū
	f		تُشَامِّي tušāmmī	تُشَامَّ tušāmma			تُشَامَّا tušāmmā			تُشَامِمْنَ tušāmimna	يُشَامِمْنَ yušāmimna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُشَامَّ, أُشَامِّ, أُشَامِمْ ʔušāmma, ʔušāmmi, ʔušāmim	تُشَامَّ, تُشَامِّ, تُشَامِمْ tušāmma, tušāmmi, tušāmim	يُشَامَّ, يُشَامِّ, يُشَامِمْ yušāmma, yušāmmi, yušāmim		تُشَامَّا tušāmmā	يُشَامَّا yušāmmā		نُشَامَّ, نُشَامِّ, نُشَامِمْ nušāmma, nušāmmi, nušāmim	تُشَامُّوا tušāmmū	يُشَامُّوا yušāmmū
	f		تُشَامِّي tušāmmī	تُشَامَّ, تُشَامِّ, تُشَامِمْ tušāmma, tušāmmi, tušāmim			تُشَامَّا tušāmmā			تُشَامِمْنَ tušāmimna	يُشَامِمْنَ yušāmimna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		شَامَّ, شَامِّ, شَامِمْ šāmma, šāmmi, šāmim			شَامَّا šāmmā				شَامُّوا šāmmū
	f		شَامِّي šāmmī							شَامِمْنَ šāmimna

References

• Freytag, Georg (1833) “شام”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 2, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 473
• Lane, Edward William (1863-1893) “شام”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 1634.
• Wehr, Hans with Kropfitsch, Lorenz (1985) “شام”, in Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart‎^[2] (in German), 5th edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, published 2011, →ISBN, page 690

Burushaski

Etymology

Borrowed from Urdu شام (śām), from Classical Persian شَام (šām).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɕaːm]

Noun

شام (śaam)

1. evening

References

• Bechtholdt, Astrid (2025) “shaam”, in Burushaski Hunza Dictionary (Webonary), Dallas, Texas, USA: SIL International, published 2017.

Gujarati

Noun

شام • (śām) f

1. Lisan ud-Dawat spelling of શામ (śām)

Khalaj

Noun

شام (şâm) (definite accusative شامؽ, plural شاملار)

1. Arabic spelling of şâm (“evening, supper”)

Declension

Declension of شام

	singular	plural
nominative	شام	شاملار
genitive	شامؽݧ	شاملارؽݧ
dative	شامقا	شاملارقا
definite accusative	شامؽ	شاملارؽ
locative	شامچا	شاملارچا
ablative	شامدا	شاملاردا
instrumental	شاملا	شاملارلا
equative	شاموارا	شاملاروارا

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic الشَّام (aš-šām).

Proper noun

شام • (Şâm)

1. Damascus (the capital city of Syria; an ancient settlement, the ancient capital of various polities, most notably the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 744 CE and Aram-Damascus, existing from the 12th to 8th centuries BCE)

   Synonyms: دمشق (Dimişk), شام شریف (Şam-i Şerif)

2. (historical) Syria (an eyalet in the Ottoman Empire)
3. (historical) Syria (a vilayet in the Ottoman Empire)

Descendants

• → Abkhaz: Шьам (Šam), Шьамтәыла (Šamtʷʼəla)
• → Ladino: Sham
• Turkish: Şam

Etymology 2

From Persian شام (šâm).

Noun

شام • (şâm)

1. evening
2. night

Descendants

• Turkish: şam

References

• Mallouf, Nassif (1856) “Damas”, in Dictionnaire français-turc, 2nd edition, Paris: Maisonneuve, page 146
• Sezen, Tahir (2017) “Şâm”, in Osmanlı Yer Adları [Ottoman Place Names]‎^[3], 2nd edition, Ankara: T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü, page 711

Persian

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈʃaːm/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɑːm]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɑːm]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʃɑːm]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʃɔːm]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɒːm]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɔm]

Readings
Classical reading?	šām
Dari reading?	šām
Iranian reading?	šâm
Tajik reading?	šom

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Iranian *xšáfnyah.

Noun

Dari	شام
Iranian Persian
Tajik	шом

شام • (šâm)

1. dinner, supper (evening meal)

   برای شام چی داریم؟ (more literary) ― barâ-ye šâm či dârim? ― What do we have for dinner?

   شام چی داریم؟ (more colloquial) ― šâm či dârim? ― What do we have for dinner?

2. (archaic) dusk
3. (archaic) evening

   Synonym: عصر ('asr)

Related terms

• شب (šab)

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: şam
• → Gujarati: شام (shām)
• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: शाम (śām)

  Urdu: شام (śām)

• → Khalaj: şâm
• → Ottoman Turkish: شام (şâm)
  • Turkish: şam

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic شَام (šām).

Proper noun

Dari	شام
Iranian Persian
Tajik	Шом

شام • (šâm)

1. Levant (a cultural region of Western Asia consisting of the eastern Mediterranean countries, i.e. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus)
   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume III, verse 89:

     سوی شامست این نشان و این خبر / در ره قدسش ببینی در گذر

     suy-e šâm-ast in nešân o in xabar / dar rah-e qods-aš be-bini dar gozar

     This sign and this information lies in the direction of Syria: you will see it as you pass on the way to Jerusalem.

2. Damascus (the capital city of Syria; an ancient settlement, the ancient capital of various polities, most notably the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 744 CE and Aram-Damascus, existing from the 12th to 8th centuries BCE)

   Synonym: دمشق (damešq)

Descendants

• → Urdu: شام (śām)

Punjabi

Pronunciation

• (Standard Punjabi) IPA^(key): /ʃäːm/

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *kʷséps

Proto-Indo-Iranian *kšápā

Proto-Iranian *xšápā

Proto-Iranian *-yah

Proto-Iranian *xšáfnyah

Classical Persian شَام (šām)bor.

Punjabi شام (śām)

Borrowed from Classical Persian شَام (šām).

Noun

شام • (śām) f (Gurmukhi spelling ਸ਼ਾਮ)

1. evening, night

Declension

Declension of شام

	singular	plural
direct	شام (śām)	شاماں (śāmāṉ)
oblique	شام (śām)	شاماں (śāmāṉ)
vocative	شامے (śāme)	شامو (śāmo)
ablative	شاموں (śāmoṉ)	شاماں (śāmāṉ)
locative	شامی (śāmī)	شامِیں (śāmīṉ)
instrumental	شامِیں (śāmīṉ)	شامے (śāme)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Classical Persian شام (šām, “Greater Syria; Levant”), from Arabic الشَّام (aš-šām, “Levant; Damascus”).

Proper noun

شام • (śām) m

1. Syria (a country in West Asia in the Middle East)
2. (by extension) Levant (a cultural region of Western Asia consisting of the eastern Mediterranean countries, i.e. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus)

Further reading

• Iqbal, Salah ud-Din (2002) “شام”, in vaḍḍī panjābī lughat‎ (in Punjabi), Lahore: ʻAzīz Pablisharz
• Bashir, Kanwal (2012) “شام”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Hyattsville, MD: Dunwoody Press
• “ਸ਼ਾਮ”, in Punjabi-English Dictionary, Patiala: Punjabi University, 2025

Soqotri

Alternative forms

• شهام (šhɛm)

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *šim-. Akin to Mehri [script needed] (hemm), Shehri [script needed] (šum).

Noun

شام (šɛm) m (dual شامي (šɛ́mi), plural شاهم (šóhom))

1. name
   • 2014, “A Merciful Woman and Diheko”, in Vitaly Naumkin, compiler, Corpus of Soqotri Oral Literature, volume 1, page 144, line 5:

     ويهاه ملاك وميه شام دحاكو.

     wa-yhe maľák wa-məy šɛm diḥéko

     He was an angel, and his name was Diheko.

References

• Naumkin, Vitaly, et al. (2014) “Glossary”, in Corpus of Soqotri Oral Literature, volume 1, Leiden: Brill, →DOI, →ISBN, page 660
• Naumkin, Vitaly, et al. (2018) “Glossary”, in Corpus of Soqotri Oral Literature, volume 2, Leiden: Brill, →DOI, →ISBN, page 593
• Leslau, Wolf (1938) “šem”, in Lexique Soqotri (sudarabique moderne) avec comparaisons et explications étymologiques (in French), Wiesbaden: Libraire C. Klincksieck, page 418

Urdu

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ʃɑːm/

• Audio (Pakistan):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːm

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian شام (šām).

Noun

شام • (śām) f (Hindi spelling शाम)

1. evening, night

Declension

Declension of شام

	singular	plural
direct	شام (śām)	شامیں (śāmẽ)
oblique	شام (śām)	شاموں (śāmõ)
vocative	شام (śām)	شامو (śāmo)

References

• “شام”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “شام”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.

Etymology 2

Picture dictionary

شام

شام

لبنان

فلسطین

اسرائیل

اردن

مصر

سعودی عرب

عراق

ترکی

قبرص

بحیرہ روم

بحیرہ
احمر

درائے
نیل

درائے
فرات

Picture dictionary

شام

ترکی

قبرص

لبنان

شام

فلسطین

اسرائیل

اُردن

مصر

کردستان

عراق

کویت

ایران

سعودی
عرب

بحرین

قطر

متحدہ عرب امارات

عمان

یمن

شام

شام

اسرائیل

اسرائیل

گلیل

گلیل

ہندوستان

ہندوستان

Borrowed from Classical Persian شام (šām, “Greater Syria; Levant”), from Arabic الشَّام (aš-šām, “Levant; Damascus”).

Proper noun

شام • (śām) m (Hindi spelling शाम)

1. Syria (a country in West Asia in the Middle East)
2. (by extension) Levant (a cultural region of Western Asia consisting of the eastern Mediterranean countries, i.e. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus)

See also

• (Middle East) مَشْرِقِ وُسْطیٰ (maśriq-i vustā); سَعُودی عَرَب (sa'ūdī 'arab), مِصْر (misr) عِراق ('irāq), اِیران (īrān), اُرْدُن (urdun), شام (śām), تُرْکِیَہ (turkiya), قِبْرِص (qibris) فِلِسْطِین (filistīn) اِسْرائِیل (isrāīl) لِبْنان (libnān) یَمَن (yaman) عُمان ('umān) مُتَّحِدَہ عَرَب اِمارات (muttahida 'arab imārāt) قَطَر (qatar) بَحْرِین (bahrīn) کُوَیت (kuvait) ^{(Category: ur:Middle East)}

Uyghur

Other scripts

Perso-Arabic	شام
Latin	‍Sham‍
Cyrillic	Шам

Etymology

From Arabic الشَّام (aš-šām).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɑm/

Proper noun

شام • (sham) (plural شاملار (shamlar))

1. Damascus (the capital city of Syria; an ancient settlement, the ancient capital of various polities, most notably the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 744 CE and Aram-Damascus, existing from the 12th to 8th centuries BCE)
2. Levant (a cultural region of Western Asia consisting of the eastern Mediterranean countries, i.e. Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus)