Chamsa
/ˈtʃæm.sə/noun
A hand-shaped amulet, also called a hamsa, traditionally used as a protective symbol in parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
Did you know?The chamsa’s five-fingered form is commonly associated with protection from the evil eye, although its symbolism appears across Jewish, Muslim, and other regional traditions rather than belonging exclusively to one religion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫamš-
“Five; a reconstructed Semitic numeral root”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
ḥāmēš
“Five”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḫamsa
“Five, feminine form of the numeral”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
khamsa
“A five-fingered hand; the name of the protective amulet”
Modern English
English
chamsa
“A hand-shaped protective amulet, variant of hamsa”