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Glite Dictionary
Rosh Hodesh

Rosh Hodesh

9.9
The start of each month in the Jewish calendar observed with special prayers and customs
  • noun
  • /roʊʃ hoʊˈdɛʃ/
  • Jargon
: Rosh Jodesh
  • The beginning of every Jewish month is marked by Rosh Hodesh observances.

Examples

  • Rosh Hodesh is celebrated with special prayers and readings in synagogues.

  • Many families gather for a festive meal on Rosh Hodesh.

  • Today is Rosh Hodesh.

  • We celebrate Rosh Hodesh with special prayers.

  • Rosh Hodesh is celebrated with special prayers and readings in synagogues.

  • Many families gather for a festive meal on Rosh Hodesh.

  • The beginning of every Jewish month is marked by Rosh Hodesh observances.

Synonyms

Rosh Chodesh
vsRosh Hodesh
  • Jargon
1 9.9

The start of each month in the Jewish calendar when people say special prayers and gather

has the same meaning but uses an alternate traditional spelling

Surface Forms

Rosh Hodesh singular

Morphology

Rosh + Hodesh

The two constituents are Hebrew morphemes rather than English words, so an average B1 learner would not know them from English; however, if a learner did know their literal meanings (rosh = head, hodesh = month) they could plausibly infer 'head of the month' → the beginning of the month. The specialised religious/ceremonial sense and customs attached to the term are culturally specific and not fully predictable from the literal parts, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Rosh Hodesh comes from the Hebrew words Rosh and Hodesh, which mean 'head' and 'month'. People watched for the new moon to see the start of each month. So Rosh Hodesh became the special day with prayers and customs to mark the month, and today it means 'the beginning of the month'.