Shomer
/ˈʃoʊ.mər/noun
A Hebrew word meaning a guardian, watchman, or person who keeps watch.
Did you know?In Jewish tradition, a shomer can be a guardian of a body, a cemetery, or a sacred duty, and the root ש־מ־ר carries the ancient idea of keeping, guarding, and preserving.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PSem
*šmr
“to guard, keep, watch over”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
שָׁמַר (shamar)
“to keep, guard, observe, preserve”
Mishnaic Hebrew
Hebrew
שׁוֹמֵר (shomer)
“one who watches, guards, or keeps”
Modern Hebrew
Hebrew
שומר (shomer)
“guardian, watchman, keeper”
Modern English
English
shomer
“a Hebrew term used in English for a guardian or watchman, especially in Jewish contexts”