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# Rosh Hashanah

🏷 Semitic festival pun · name — by Gerry · Aug 2020 · 136 words

The new year’s festival Rosh HaShanah is worded so that it means “start of the year”, but also “disguised leader”: ראש rˀš rosh means “head”, with the derivations “beginning” & “ruler” (see Rose). שנה šnh shanah can mean “the year”, but also “disguising”, both derived from šn for “copying” & “change” (see number 2).

#### Hebrew rˀš = head, beginning, leader; šnh = change, year, disguise

Rosh Hashanah : the Jewish holiday marking the start of the liturgical year; From Yiddish ראָש־השנה‎ (ròsh-(h)ashóne), from Hebrew רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה‎ (rosh hashaná, literally “head of the year”). — English (Wikt)

ראש rˀš rosh : head, beginning, best, bodyguard, captain, chief, company, finest, first, leader, master, summit, top, topmost — Old Hebrew (Strong)

שנה šnh shanah : year — Hebrew (Jastrow)

שנה šnh shanah : alter; double; change; be given to change; disguise; be diverse; pervert; duplicate — Old Hebrew (Strong)

🏷 Semitic festival pun · name