שבתאי
Hebrew
Etymology
From שבת (“Sabbath, Shabbat, Saturday”). The Hebrew name of the planet is derived from the name of the day of the week, ultimately through analogy with the Roman name for Saturday, which is still named after the Roman god Saturn in some European languages. Originally in Latin the sixth day of the week (seventh in Jewish tradition) was dedicated to the god Saturn (see dies Saturni), but after the Christianization of the Roman Empire it was renamed "Sabbath" (dies Sabbati), as in Hebrew. Today, European languages are split in their name for the day, with the majority using a derivative of שבת, and a few, including English, retaining the dedication to Saturn. The name "שבתאי" is a calque of sorts of the name "Saturn," reinterpreting the planet's name as being taken from the word for Saturday instead of the Roman god.
Proper noun
שַׁבְּתַאי • (shabtái) m
- (astronomy) Saturn (planet).
- (rare) a male given name
See also
- (planets of the Solar System) חַמָּה (khamá), נוגה / נֹגַהּ (nógah), אֶרֶץ (érets), מַאֲדִים (ma'adím), צֶדֶק (tsédek), שַׁבְּתַאי (shabtá'i), אוּרָנוּס (uránus) or אוֹרוֹן (orón), נֶפטוּן (néptun) or רַהַב (raháv)