Sabat
/ˈsæb.ət/noun
An archaic or variant form of “sabbat,” especially referring to a witches’ gathering or the Jewish Sabbath.
Did you know?In medieval and early modern Europe, “sabbat” became associated with the supposed nocturnal assemblies of witches, even though its deeper origin is the Hebrew term for Sabbath.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
šabbāṯ
“Sabbath; a day of cessation or rest”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sábbaton
“Sabbath or day of rest”
Late Antiquity
Latin
sabbatum
“Sabbath”
12th–14th Century
Old French
sabat
“Sabbath; later, in polemical usage, an alleged gathering of heretics or witches”
Early Modern English
English
sabat / sabbat
“A supposed witches’ assembly; also a variant spelling connected with Sabbath”
Modern English
English
sabat
“A rare or archaic variant of “sabbat””
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