Hamsa
/ˈhæm.sə/noun
A palm-shaped amulet, often decorated with an eye, used in parts of the Middle East and North Africa as a protective symbol.
Did you know?The hamsa is used across Jewish, Muslim, and other Middle Eastern traditions, although its precise historical origins predate—and cannot be assigned exclusively to—any one religion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫamš-
“Five”
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
ḥāmēš
“Five”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
khamsa
“Five; feminine form of the numeral”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
khamsa
“A five-fingered hand, associated with protection and the warding off of harm”
20th Century
English
hamsa
“A Middle Eastern protective amulet shaped like an open hand”
Modern English
English
hamsa
“A palm-shaped talisman, commonly linked with protection from the evil eye”