Rosh Hashanah
/ˌrɔːʃ həˈʃɑːnə/noun
The Jewish New Year festival observed on the first and second days of the Hebrew month of Tishri.
Did you know?The name comes from the biblical phrase “head of the year,” while later Jewish tradition associates the festival with divine judgment, remembrance, and the sounding of the shofar.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*raʔš
“Head, top, beginning, or chief”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (rōʾš haššānāh)
“Head of the year; the beginning of the year”
Second Temple period
Hebrew
ראש השנה
“A designation for the beginning of the year in Jewish religious usage”
Mishnaic Hebrew
Hebrew
Rosh Hashanah
“The New Year observance and its associated legal and ritual discussions”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
ראש השנה
“The Jewish New Year festival, marked by prayer, judgment themes, and the shofar”
Modern English
English
Rosh Hashanah
“The Jewish New Year festival, commonly observed in September or October”