שווא

See also: שוואָ and שווה

Hebrew

ניקוד

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Syriac ܫܘܳܝܳܐ (š'waya, literally even, equal), in Syriac a term for a sign consisting of two vertical dots used to separate parts of a sentence.[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

שווא / שְׁוָא • (shva, šəwɔʾm

  1. shva (a Hebrew nikud vowel sign written as two vertical dots beneath a letter, in Israeli Hebrew indicating either the phoneme /e/ or the complete absence of a vowel) (ִ◌ְ)
  2. schwa (unstressed vowel sound)
Descendants
  • Dutch: sjwa
  • German: Schwa
  • Polish: szwa
  • Chinese: 涮音

References

  • שוא” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

  1. ^ אהרן דותן (דויטשר) (Aron Dotan a.k.a. Aron Deutscher) (1953) “שמותיו של השוא בראשיתו של הדקדוק העברי (The names of the schwa at the beginning of Hebrew grammar)”, in Lĕšonénu: A Journal for the Study of the Hebrew Language and Cognate Subjects / לשוננו: כתב-עת לחקר הלשון העברית והתחומים הסמוכים לה[1], volume י"ט (19), number קובץ מיוחד תשי"ד (special file 2014), Academy of the Hebrew Language, pages 13-30

Etymology 2

Root
שׁ־ו־א (sh-w-ʾ)
1 term

Related to Arabic سَوَاء (sawāʔ, in vain, equal).

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Noun

שווא / שָׁוְא • (shávm

  1. falsehood, futility
  2. (literary) emptiness, vanity, uselessness, pointlessness
    • Tanach, Exodus 20:7, with translation of the King James Version:
      לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה ה׳ אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא אֶת שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא׃
      Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Derived terms
  • לשווא / לַשָּׁוְא (lasháv)
  • מַחֲזֵה שָׁוְא (makhazé sháv, false delusion)
  • מַצָּג שָׁוְא (matság sháv, false pretense)

References

Yiddish

Pronunciation

  • (Northeastern) IPA(key): /ˈʃeɪ̯və/
  • (Poylish) IPA(key): /ˈʃaɪ̯və/
  • (Ukrainish) IPA(key): /ˈʃɛɪ̯və/

Noun

שווא • (sheyvef, plural שוואס (sheyves)

  1. (archaic) alternative form of שוואָ (shvo)

References

  • Justus van de Kamp et al., “שווא” in Jiddisch-Nederlands Woordenboek [Yiddish-Dutch Dictionary], Amsterdam: Stichting Jiddische Lexicografie, 1987-present (ongoing). [2].

Noun

שווא • (shvom or f, plural שוואען (shvoen) or שוואים (shvoem)

  1. (nonstandard) Unpointed form of שוואָ (shvo).