Shammai
/ˈʃæmaɪ/noun
A Jewish sage of the late Second Temple period, best known as the stricter counterpart to Hillel.
Did you know?Shammai is an attested Hebrew personal name, likely built on a Semitic root meaning “to hear” or “name,” but its exact etymology is uncertain and not securely established.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew / Second Temple period
Hebrew
שַׁמַּאי (Shammai)
“A male personal name, later borne by the famous sage Shammai.”
Greek / Latin transcription
Greek
Σαμμαΐ / Sammai
“A transliterated form of the Hebrew name in Jewish and Christian texts.”
Latin / Medieval transmission
Latin
Shammai
“The name passed into scholarly and religious writing through transliteration.”
Modern English
English
Shammai
“The standard English form of the name of the Jewish sage.”