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Glite Dictionary
Rosh Hashona

Rosh Hashona

7.9
A Jewish new year holiday marked by prayer and the sounding of a ram's horn
  • noun
  • /roʊʃ hɑːˈʃoʊnə/
  • Jargon
translation icon : Rosh Hashaná
  • The sound of the shofar is a distinctive part of Rosh Hashona services.

Examples

  • Many families gather together to celebrate Rosh Hashona with traditional foods.

  • During Rosh Hashona, people reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the new one.

  • Happy Rosh Hashona!

  • Let's celebrate Rosh Hashona!

  • During Rosh Hashona, people reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the new one.

  • Many families gather together to celebrate Rosh Hashona with traditional foods.

  • The sound of the shofar is a distinctive part of Rosh Hashona services.

Synonyms

Rosh Hashana
vsRosh Hashona
  • Jargon
3 7.2

A Jewish holiday that marks the New Year with prayer and the sound of a ram's horn

is the same celebration but phrased with minor wording changes
Jewish New Year
vsRosh Hashona
1 5.3

A solemn Jewish festival that marks the start of the year with prayers and the blowing of a horn

is the traditional name form used in the other descriptions
Rosh Hashanah
vsRosh Hashona
  • Jargon
7.5

A Jewish festival that marks the new year with prayer and the blowing of a ram's horn

is the same festival but described with slightly different wording
Rosh Hashonah
vsRosh Hashona
  • Jargon
7.2

A Jewish New Year festival in early autumn marked by prayer and the blowing of a ram's horn

is the general festival term without stressing the seasonal timing

Surface Forms

Rosh Hashona singular

Morphology

Rosh + Hashona

The constituent elements are Hebrew loanwords rather than English lexemes, but their literal composition (rosh = 'head', hashona/hanah ≈ 'of the year') yields 'head of the year', which directly signals the start of the year and thus the New Year festival. Full cultural nuance (services, shofar blowing) requires background knowledge, but the core meaning 'Jewish New Year' is transparently derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Rosh Hashona comes from Hebrew words Rosh and Hashona that mean 'head of the year'. The image to remember is the sound of the shofar, a ram's horn, used to wake people to pray and think about the past year, so the name and the horn explain why the day marks the Jewish 'New Year' and a time to think and change.