שעה

שעה

Hebrew

Root
שׁ־ע־ה‎ (š-ʿ-h)

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʃaˈ(ʔ)a/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): [ʃɔːˈʕɔː]

Etymology 1

From Aramaic שעתא‎ (šāʿəṯā). Cognate with Arabic ساعة‎ (sāʿa).

Noun

שָׁעָה • (sha'á) f (dual indefinite שעתיים \\ שְׁעָתַיִם‎, plural indefinite שָׁעוֹת‎, singular construct שְׁעַת־‎, plural construct שְׁעוֹת־‎)

1. An hour: a period of time, defined variously (depending on time period, and on religious versus secular purposes), but currently usually sixty minutes.

   ‏מָה הַשָּׁעָה?‎‎ ― ma hasha'á? ― What time is it? (literally, “what is the hour?”)

2. (by extension) The time.
   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avot 2:3:

     ‏הֱווּ זְהִירִין בָּרָשׁוּת, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין לוֹ לְאָדָם אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן; נִרְאִין כְּאוֹהֲבִין בִּשְׁעַת הֲנָאָתָן, וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין לוֹ לָאָדָם בִּשְׁעַת דָּחֳקוֹ.‎‎

     hevú z'hirín barashút, she'ein m'kar'vín ló l'adám 'elá l'tsórekh 'atsmán; nir'ín k'ohavín bish'át hana'atán, v'ein 'om'dín ló la'adám bish'át dokhokó.

     Beware of government, for they befriend a man only for their own benefit; they act friendly when it benefits them, but they do not stand by a man in his time of need.

Derived terms

• השעות הקטנות‎ (hashanót k'tanót)
• שָׁעוֹן‎ (sha'ón)

See also

• דַּקָּה‎ (daká, “minute”)
• שְׁנִיָּה‎ (sh'niyá, “second”)

Further reading

• H8160 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

שָׁעָה • (sha'á) (pa'al construction)

1. (Biblical Hebrew or literary) To look, gaze at or about.
   • 2 Samuel 22:42, with translation of the English Standard Version:

     ‏יִשְׁעוּ וְאֵין מֹשִׁיעַ אֶל־יְהוָה וְלֹא עָנָֽם׃‎‎

     They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

2. (Biblical Hebrew) To have respect.
   • Genesis 4:5, with translation of the King James Version:

     ‏וְאֶל־קַיִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֹו לֹא שָׁעָה […] ‎‎

     But unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect […]

Anagrams

• עשה‎

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Yiddish

Alternative forms

• שאָ‎ (sho) – Soviet phonetic spelling

Etymology

From Hebrew שָׁעָה‎.

Pronunciation

• (YIVO) IPA^(key): /ʃɔ/
• (Poylish) IPA^(key): /ʃʊ/, [ʃu]

Noun

שעה • (sho) f, plural שעהן‎ (shoen)

1. hour