חשמל

Hebrew

Root
ח־שׁ־מ־ל (ḥ-š-m-l)

Etymology

Unknown. Possible cognate with Akkadian 𒋤𒉘 (elmešu). The modern sense of electricity was coined by Judah Leib Gordon in 1880, based on the fact that Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron, “amber, alloy of gold and silver”), from which electricity is derived, was used to translate the term in the Septuagint.

Pronunciation

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Noun

חַשְׁמַל • (khashmál) m (singular construct חַשְׁמַל־)

1. (biblical) Meaning uncertain. Often translated as: electrum, amber
   • Tanach, Ezekiel 1:4, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃

     umitokháh k'éin hakhashmál mitókh ha'ésh.
     ūmittōḵāh kəʿēn haḥašmal mittōḵ hāʾēš.

     and out of the midst thereof as the colour of electrum, out of the midst of the fire.

   • Tanach, Ezekiel 1:27, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ בֵּית־לָהּ סָבִיב מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָעְלָה

     va'ére k'éin khashmál k'mar'e-'ésh beit-láh savív mimar'é motnáv ul'má'la
     wāʾḗre kəʿēn ḥašmal kəmarʾē-ʾēš bēṯ-lāh sāḇīḇ mimmarʾē moṯnāw ūləmā́ʿlā

     And I saw as the colour of electrum, as the appearance of fire round about enclosing it, from the appearance of his loins and upward;

   • Tanach, Ezekiel 8:2, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וּמִמָּתְנָיו וּלְמַעְלָה כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹהַר כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַלָה׃

     umimotnáv ul'má'la k'mar'e-zóhar k'éin hakhashmála.
     ūmimmoṯnāw ūləmáʿlā kəmarʾē-zṓhar kəʿēn haḥašmálā.

     and from his loins and upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of electrum.

2. electricity

Derived terms

• הַפְסָקַת חַשְׁמַל (hafsakát khashmál)
• חַשְׁמַלִּי (khashmalí)
• חַשְׁמַלִּית (khashmalít)
• חַשְׁמַל סְטָטי (khashmal stati)

References

• H2830 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible