Wordwyrt

shibboleth

/ˈʃɪbəˌleθ/SHIH-buh-leth
/ˈʃɪbəˌlɛθ/SHIH-buh-leth

Meaningan ear of corn, or a stream

Common meaning: a test-word or slogan that marks out a group

Journey through time

  1. Hebrewshabal‘to grow, to flow’source
  2. Hebrewmeaning shiftsto grow, to flow → an ear of corn, a streamshibboleth‘an ear of corn, a stream’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsan ear of corn, a stream → a test-word or slogan that marks out a groupshibboleth‘a test-word or slogan that marks out a group’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Hebrew shabal ‘an ear of corn, or a stream’.

Roots

  • shabal Hebrew “an ear of corn, or a stream”

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