מצה

Uncertain; it has traditionally been linked to מָצַץ (“to suck”) (with a literal meaning of "something that is sucked up or drained [out]", presumably referring to the leaven), but this derivation is not without its problems. Various alternate etymologies have been suggested, including that it may be a non-Semitic loanword (compare Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-bread or cake”)) or that it may be נ־צ־ה relating to haste (meaning "something that is prepared in haste").^[1][2]

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /maˈt͡sa/

• Audio:

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מַצָּה • (matsá) f (plural indefinite מַצּוֹת, singular construct מַצַּת־, plural construct מַצּוֹת־) [pattern: קַטְלָה]

1. matzo, unleavened bread

   המצה נחשבת למאכל יהודי, ובחג הפסח מצווה לאכלה ולהתנזר מחמץ.

   The matzo is considered to be a Jewish food, and on Passover one is commanded to eat it and to abstain from chametz.

   • Tanach, Exodus 13:7, with translation of Aryeh Kaplan:

     מַצּוֹת יֵאָכֵל אֵת שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים וְלֹא־יֵרָאֶה לְךָ חָמֵץ וְלֹא־יֵרָאֶה לְךָ שְׂאֹר בְּכׇל־גְּבֻלֶךָ׃

     matsót ye'akhél et shiv'át ha-yamím v'lo yera'é l'kha khaméts v'lo yera'é l'khá s'ór b'khol gvulékha.

     Since matzot must be eaten for [these] seven days, no leaven may be seen in your possession. No leaven may be seen in all your territories.

   • a. 217 C.E., Mishnah. Pesachim, section 10.4:

     שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻלּוֹ מַצָּה.

     she-b'khol halelót ánu okhlín khaméts umatzá, haláyla hazé khuló matsá.

     On all other nights we eat leavened food and matzo, on this night only matzo.

   • a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud. Pesachim, 35a:

     דְּבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם יוֹצֵא בָּהֶן יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ בְּמַצָּה — חַיָּיבִין עַל חִימּוּצוֹ כָּרֵת

     dvarím she'adám yotsé bahén y'dé khovató b'matsá — khayavín al khimutsó karét

     Those materials through which one can fulfill his obligation of matzo — they are liable to be cut off for eating when leavened.

• מַצָּה עֲשִׁירָה (matsá ashirá)
• מַצָּה שְׁרוּיָה (matsá sh'ruyá)

• → Yiddish: מצה (matse)
  • → Dutch: matze

מַצָּה • (matsá) f

1. (biblical) dispute, quarrel, strife
   • Tanach, Proverbs 17:19, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אֹהֵב פֶּשַׁע אֹהֵב מַצָּה

     'ohév pésha' 'ohév matsá
     ʾōhēḇ péšaʿ ʾōhēḇ maṣṣā

     He loveth transgression that loveth strife;

• “מצה” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

• מצה on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

• צמה

From Hebrew מַצָּה (matsá).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡sə/

מצה • (matse) f, plural מצות (matses)

1. matzo

• מצה ברײַ (matse bray)

• → Dutch: matze