Parashot
/pəˈrɑːʃoʊt/noun
The plural of parashah, referring to designated sections of the Torah or other Jewish scripture.
Did you know?In Jewish tradition, dividing the Torah into parashot created a ritual rhythm in which the entire text could be publicly read and completed over a year or, in some traditions, three years.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
פרשׁ (p-r-sh)
“To separate, divide, distinguish, or explain; the underlying Semitic root associated with the later noun.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
פָּרָשָׁה (parashah)
“A section or division of a text, especially a section of the Torah.”
Late Antiquity
Hebrew
פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת (parashiyyot)
“Sections or divisions, including the Torah passages assigned for public reading.”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
פָּרָשׁוֹת (parashot)
“Plural form used for Torah portions and other scriptural divisions.”
Modern English
English
parashot
“An English scholarly and Jewish-community plural for parashah, meaning Torah portions.”