שְׁמִינִית
𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤕
shᵉmîynîyth
H8067 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A feminine noun most commonly denoting 'the eighth'; in context, used as a musical term indicating either a lyre or musical setting associated with the number eight, such as an eight-stringed instrument, octave range, or possibly a specific musical mode. The precise reference of the term is debated, but it is consistently linked to musical performance or instruction.
Semantic Range
eighth (as ordinal), musical setting related to 'the eighth', instrument with eight strings, possible octave or specific liturgical instruction
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root שׁ־מ־נ (שָׁמֵן or שְׁמוֹנָה), meaning 'eight'. שְׁמִינִית is the feminine form of the ordinal שְׁמִינִי ('eighth'), extended for grammatical agreement, likely referring to something 'of the eighth' in a musical or liturgical context.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Appears in Psalm superscriptions (e.g. Ps 6, Ps 12; 1 Chr 15:21) likely as a technical term in musical performance. The precise musical reference, whether to an instrument with eight strings, an eight-note scale, or an octave, is unclear. In post-biblical Hebrew the word retained numerically-derived meanings, but the specific musical usage is largely restricted to biblical texts. Later translations sometimes render the term as 'on the Sheminith,' leaving the Hebrew untranslated, or speculate with 'on the eighth' or 'for the octave.' The term is not indicative of religious or ethnic identity and does not have theological overtones.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of שְׁמִינִי; probably an eight-stringed lyre; Sheminith.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שׁמנ (š-m-n) — eight, eighth, octave
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4925 | מִשְׁמַנָּה | Mishmannah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8067-01 |
הַ/שְּׁמִינִ֗ית | hasheminit | HTd/Aobsa |
the Sheminith | the eighth | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8067-01 |
Psalms 6:1 | הַ/שְּׁמִינִ֗ית | hasheminit | HTd/Aobsa |
the Sheminith | the eighth |
H8067-01 |
Psalms 12:1 | הַ/שְּׁמִינִ֗ית | hasheminit | HTd/Aobsa |
the Sheminith | the eighth |
H8067-01 |
1 Chronicles 15:21 | הַ/שְּׁמִינִ֖ית | hasheminit | HTd/Aofsa |
the Sheminith | the eighth |