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Glite Dictionary
shem

shem

9.9
A boy or man used as slang in South Africa
  • noun
  • South African
: chico
  • As a bright and curious shem, he often asked many questions in class.

Examples

  • Only a baal shem can perform this "shortening of the way," this magical leap across space and time.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • So the story went of Rabbi Elijah of Chelm, a baal shem of the Renaissance.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Death, in its Hebrew spelling, is only one superfluous letter removed from Truth, and the golem is longing for someone to erase that letter from its forehead or take away the shem with the ineffable name.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • In the practice of Neterian mysticism (mysticism here refers to spiritual practice beyond religion), the study and shems (following) of the neteru (gods and goddesses) really means discovering their essential nature that already exists in the universe and within ourselves.

    Blog text (14)

  • The young shem enjoyed playing soccer with his friends after school.

  • Every Saturday, the local shem would sell goods at the market.

Synonyms

bwana
vsshem
  • UK
2 9.9

A polite word for a man in charge in East Africa

is informal South African slang rather than a respectful form
mang
vsshem
  • Slang
1 9.9

An informal word for a man used in Caribbean English

is South African slang rather than Caribbean usage

Surface Forms

shem singular
shems plural
shem's singular

Etymology

Shem is South African slang that probably comes from local street speech and nicknames, used as a short, friendly name for a 'boy' or 'man'. So you can remember shem as a casual way to say 'guy' or 'mate'.