# ܫܡܫܐ
## Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
### Etymology 1

From Aramaic שִׁמְשָׁא (šimšā), from Proto-Semitic *śamš-; compare Arabic شَمْس (šams), Hebrew שֶׁמֶשׁ (shémesh) and Akkadian 𒌓 (šamšum).

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard) IPA: [ˈʃɪm.ʃɑː]

#### Noun

ܫܸܡܫܵܐ • (šimšā) f or m (plural ܫܸܡ̈ܫܵܬ݂ܵܐ (šimšāṯā))
* (astronomy) sun
    ܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܝܠܵܗ̇ ― šimšā ìlāh ― It is sunny (literally, “She/It is the sun”)
    ܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܒܸܙܪܵܩܵܐ ܝܠܵܗ̇ ― šimšā bizrāqā ìlāh (literally, “The sun is shining”)
    ܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܕܢܝܼܚ ܠܵܗ̇ ― šimšā dnīḥ lāh (literally, “The sun has risen”)
* (alchemy) gold
    Synonym: ܕܲܗܒ݂ܵܐ (dahḇā)
* sunlight/sunshine

##### Usage notes

* This word is often written as “ܫ̣ܡܫܐ” in unvocalized texts in order to distinguish itself from “ܫܲܡܵܫܵܐ (šammāšā, “deacon”)”.

##### Derived terms

* ܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܕܣܲܗܪܵܐ (šimšā dsahrā, “moonlight”)

#### Proper noun

ܫܸܡܫܵܐ • (šimšā) m
* Shamash

### Etymology 2

Agent noun from ܡܫܲܡܸܫ (mšammiš, “to serve”); compare Arabic شَمَّاس (šammās), Hebrew שַׁמָּשׁ (shamásh).

#### Pronunciation

* (Standard) IPA: [ʃɑmˈmɑ.ʃɑː]

#### Noun

ܫܲܡܵܫܵܐ • (šammāšā) m (plural ܫܲܡܵܫܹ̈ܐ (šammāšē), feminine ܫܲܡܵܫܬܵܐ (šammāštā))
* servant, attendant
* (Christianity) minister, deacon (ordained minister of an order ranking below that of priest)
* (informal, as a title of respect) Used to describe one who is educated

##### Usage notes

* This word is often written as “ܫܡ̇ܫܐ” in unvocalized texts in order to distinguish itself from “ܫܸܡܫܵܐ (šimšā, “sun”)”.

#### Proper noun

ܫܲܡܵܫܵܐ • (šammāšā) ?
* a surname originating as an occupation

## Classical Syriac
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *śamš-. The sense of "lizard" is a calque of Ancient Greek σαύρᾱ ἡλιακή (saúrā hēliakḗ).

#### Pronunciation

* (Classical Edessan) IPA: [ˈʃɛm.ʃɑ]
* (Eastern Syriac) IPA: [ˈʃɪm.ʃɑ]
* (Western Syriac) IPA: [ˈʃɛm.ʃo]

#### Noun

ܫܡܫܐ • (šemšā) c (plural ܫܡܫܐ)
* (astronomy) sun, star
* (alchemy) gold
* kind of lizard

##### Usage notes

This word is usually masculine.

##### Inflection
#### Proper noun

ܫܡܫܐ • (šemšā) c
* Sun

### Etymology 2

From the root ܫ ܡ ܫ, related to serving; compare Arabic شَمَّاس (šammās), Hebrew שַׁמָּשׁ (šammāš).

#### Pronunciation

* (Classical Edessan) IPA: [ʃamˈmɑ.ʃɑ]
* (Eastern Syriac) IPA: [ʃamˈmɑ.ʃɑ]
* (Western Syriac) IPA: [ʃɑˈmo.ʃo]

#### Noun

ܫܡܫܐ • (šammāšā) m (plural ܫܡܫܐ, singular feminine counterpart ܫܡܫܬܐ)
* servant, attendant
* (Christianity) minister, deacon, (rare) priest

##### See also

* ܡܫܡܫܢܐ (məšamšānā)

### References

* “šmš”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2012-07-24
* “šmš$^2$”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, retrieved 2012-07-24
* Costaz, Louis (2002) Dictionnaire syriaque-français ∙ Syriac–English Dictionary ∙ قاموس سرياني-عربي, 3rd edition, Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, page 373b
* Payne Smith, Jessie (1903) A Compendious Syriac Dictionary Founded Upon the Thesaurus Syriacus of R. Payne Smith, D.D., Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 586a
* Sokoloff, Michael (2009) A Syriac Lexicon: A Translation from the Latin, Correction, Expansion, and Update of C. Brockelmann's Lexicon Syriacum, Winona Lake, Indiana, Piscataway, New Jersey: Eisenbrauns; Gorgias Press, pages 1576b–1577a

### Anagrams

* ܫܫܡܐ