Samech
/ˈsɑː.mɛk/noun
The fifteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, traditionally representing the sound /s/ and having the numerical value 60.
Did you know?In Kabbalistic tradition, samekh is associated with the idea of sustaining or supporting creation, while its circular form suggests wholeness and enclosure.
Etymological Timeline
Second Millennium BCE
Proto-Sinaitic
𐤎 (probable ancestor)
“A possible ancestral sign; its original pictorial meaning is uncertain, so it cannot securely be translated.”
Iron Age
Phoenician
𐤎 samek
“The Phoenician letter-name and sign corresponding to Hebrew samekh; the name is traditionally connected with the Semitic root for “support.””
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
סָמֶךְ samekh
“The fifteenth Hebrew letter, /s/, with the traditional sense “support” or “prop.””
Late Antiquity
Rabbinic Hebrew
סמך סמך
“The letter continued to be called samekh; the related root סמך retained meanings such as “to support,” “lean upon,” and “rely on.””
19th Century
English
samekh / samech
“English scholarly transliterations adopted from Hebrew, with “samech” representing one spelling variant.”
Modern English
English
samech
“A name for the Hebrew letter ס, commonly pronounced approximately “SAH-mekh” or “SAY-mekh.””