Khamsa
/ˈxæm.sə/noun
A hand-shaped amulet traditionally used in North Africa and the Middle East as protection against the evil eye.
Did you know?The khamsa is also called the Hand of Fatima in Islamic contexts and the Hand of Miriam in Jewish contexts, showing how one amulet crossed religious and cultural boundaries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḫamš-
“Five; the reconstructed ancient Semitic numeral root”
Ancient Arabic
Arabic
ḫams
“Five, the masculine form of the Arabic numeral”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḫamsa
“Five, the feminine form; the word later became the name of the five-fingered amulet”
Medieval Period
Arabic
خَمْسَة
“Five; also associated with the protective hand symbol in Arabic-speaking regions”
20th Century
English
khamsa
“A hand-shaped protective amulet, especially in discussions of Middle Eastern, North African, Jewish, and Islamic traditions”