ראש

Hebrew

Root
ר־א־שׁ (r-ʾ-sh)

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʁoʃ/
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /roʃ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ʀoʃ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *raʔš-. Cognate with Akkadian 𒊕 (rēšum) and Arabic رَأْس (raʔs).

Noun

רֹאשׁ • (rosh) m (plural indefinite רָאשִׁים, singular construct רֹאשׁ־, plural construct רָאשֵׁי־, feminine counterpart ראשה)

1. (anatomy) head
2. head, chief, leader, chairperson
3. head, beginning, start; the top, or leading part.
4. headcount; census
   • Old Testament, Book of Exodus 30:12
   • Old Testament, Book of Numbers 1:2,49; 4:2,22; 26:2; 31:49
5. primary: first, beginning
6. The more succulent, aroma-rich part of a plant, brush or tree bark. [1]

Usage notes

Stands in direct contrast to זנב (zanáv) – the tail, i.e. trailing part.

Declension

Declension of רֹאשׁ

Number	Isolated forms		With possessive pronouns
	State	Form	Person	singular		plural
				m.	f.	m.	f.
singular	indefinite	רֹאשׁ	first	רֹאשִׁי		רֹאשֵׁנוּ
	definite	הָרֹאשׁ	second	רֹאשְׁךָ	רֹאשֵׁךְ	רֹאשְׁכֶם	רֹאשְׁכֶן
	construct	רֹאשׁ־	third	רֹאשׁוֹ	רֹאשָׁהּ	רֹאשָׁם	רֹאשָׁן
plural	indefinite	רָאשִׁים	first	ראשיי / רָאשַׁי		רָאשֵׁינוּ
	definite	הָרָאשִׁים	second	רָאשֶׁיךָ	ראשייך / רָאשַׁיִךְ	רָאשֵׁיכֶם	רָאשֵׁיכֶן
	construct	רָאשֵׁי־	third	רָאשָׁיו	רָאשֶׁיהָ	רָאשֵׁיהֶם	רָאשֵׁיהֶן

Derived terms

• טָמַן רֹאשׁוֹ בַּחוֹל (tamán roshó bakhól)
• יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁ (yoshév rosh)
• כְּאֵב רֹאשׁ (kəʾḗḇ rōš)
• מֵרֹאשׁ (merósh)
• עַל רֹאשׁ הַגַּנָּב בּוֹעֵר הַכּוֹבַע (al rosh ha-ganáv bo'ér ha-kóva)
• רֹאשׁ הַפִּין (rosh ha-pin)
• רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (rōš hašānā́)
• רֹאשׁ חֹודֶשׁ (rōš ḥṓḏeš)
• ראשי תיבות / רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת (rashéi teivót)
• ראש כחול / רֹאשׁ כָּחֹל (rosh kakhól)
• רֹאשׁ מֶמְשָׁלָה (rósh memshalá)
• רֹאשׁ עִיר (rōš ʿīr)
• רֹאשׁ עִירִיָּה (rōš ʿīriyyā́)
• רִאשׁוֹן (rīšṓn)
• רָאשִׁי (rashí)
• שׁוֹמֵר רֹאשׁ (shomér-rósh)

References

• H7218 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Further reading

• ראש on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Etymology 2

Noun

רֹאשׁ • (rōš) m (singular construct רֹאשׁ־)

1. hemlock

Anagrams

• אשר