שׁוּשַׁנְכִי
𐤔𐤅𐤔𐤍𐤊𐤉
Shushanekhi
H7801 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The term refers to an inhabitant or collective inhabitants of Shushan (Susa), the prominent ancient city, particularly in the context of the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible. Used to specify a group identified by their association with Shushan, most likely in a geographic, rather than ethnic or religious, sense.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Shushan, person associated with Susa; collective Shushankites; residents of Susa (in Persian empire administrative contexts)
Root / Etymology
The word derives from an Aramaic adaptation of the place name שׁוּשַׁן (Shushan/Susa), with the Aramaic gentilic suffix -כִי (kîy) denoting origin, belonging, or association. The root is that of the place name שׁוּשַׁן, itself of foreign (non-Semitic, possibly Elamite or Old Persian) origin, and thus not traceable to a standard Hebrew or Aramaic triliteral root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
שׁוּשַׁנְכִי appears only in the Aramaic portions of Ezra (Ezra 4:9), alongside other gentilic terms for regional peoples under Achaemenid Persian administration. It specifically identifies people associated with Shushan (Susa), the administrative center of Elam and a major Persian capital. There is no evidence that this term carried ethnic or religious significance beyond a geographic association. In later translation traditions, the English term 'Susanchite' is often used, but this word itself is an English neologism to mirror the Hebrew/Aramaic. The identification of 'Shushankite' as a group reflects administrative divisions under Persian rule and does not denote an ethnic nation or tribe. This term contrasts with terms like שׁוּשָׁנִי (Shushani), which serves as a Hebrew gentilic with the same meaning but appears in other biblical contexts and periods. Use of this term is tied to the Persian administration and reflects the texture of foreigners recorded in official decrees.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) of foreign origin; a Shushankite (collectively) or inhabitants of some unknown place in Assyrian; Susanchites.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שושן (š-w-š-n) — Shushan, Susa, belonging to Shushan
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7799 | שׁוּשַׁן | lily blossom |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7801-01 |
שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔/א | shushanekhaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the men of Susa | the Shushanites | that Shushanekhi | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7801-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | שֽׁוּשַׁנְכָיֵ֔/א | shushanekhaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the men of Susa | the Shushanites | that Shushanekhi |