Where does “šámes” come from?
šámes (Czech) comes from Yiddish שמשׂ, from Hebrew שמש, from Proto-Semitic śamš- — the Sun.
šámes (Czech): shamash
Ancestry of “šámes”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Yiddish | שמשׂ | sexton, synagogue caretaker; candle used to light... |
| 2 | Hebrew | שמש | sun; servant; sexton |
| 3 | Proto-Semitic | śamš- | the Sun |