Shalom
/ʃəˈloʊm/noun
A Hebrew word meaning peace, used in English as a greeting, farewell, or expression of well-being.
Did you know?In Hebrew, shalom can function as both “hello” and “goodbye,” reflecting a wish that someone remain in a state of peace and wholeness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*šalām-
“Peace, wholeness, or completeness”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
שָׁלוֹם (šālôm)
“Peace, welfare, سلام, or completeness”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
سَلَام (salām)
“Peace and safety; a cognate of Hebrew šālôm”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σαλάμ (salám)
“A transliteration of the Semitic peace-greeting in Jewish and Christian texts”
20th Century
English
shalom
“An English borrowing used as a greeting, farewell, or expression of peace”