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Added 9 October 2026

shiva

/ˈʃɪvə/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shiva at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

(Judaism) a period of seven days of mourning after the death of close relative.
the family is sitting shiva
The auspicious one; a major divinity in the later Hindu pantheon.

Origin

From Hebrew שִׁבְעָה (shiv'á, “seven”), referring to the number of days that shiva spans. The pronunciation is likely in part from Yiddish שבֿעה (shive).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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