Definition

1. Noun:
   • The 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet: "Samekh" is the name of a specific character in the Hebrew writing system. It represents a consonant sound.

Usage

• "Samekh" is used exclusively as a proper noun to identify this specific letter. It is typically mentioned in contexts related to linguistics, language learning, religious texts, or the study of writing systems.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The word "simcha" (joy) begins with the letter samekh.
  • In the Hebrew alphabet, samekh comes after nun and before ayin.

Advanced Usage

• Linguistic Description: In phonetic terms, "samekh" represents the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/, identical to the sound represented by the letter "sin" in modern Hebrew.
• Gematria: In Jewish mysticism (Kabbalah), each Hebrew letter has a numerical value. "Samekh" has the numerical value of 60.

Variants and Related Words

• ס: This is the Hebrew character for "samekh".
• Sin (שׂ): Another Hebrew letter that represents the /s/ sound in modern Hebrew, distinguished from "samekh" in historical pronunciation and spelling rules.

Synonyms

• There are no direct synonyms for "samekh" as it is the unique name for a specific letter. In a broad linguistic context, one could refer to it as "a Hebrew letter" or "the /s/ sound letter".

Related Phrases

• "From Aleph to Tav": This Hebrew idiom, meaning "from beginning to end," references the first and last letters of the alphabet. "Samekh" is one of the letters within this sequence.

Noun

1. the 15th letter of the Hebrew alphabet