# The Name Benjamin: Etymological Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-benjamin-etymological-question/150457 "2003-01-23T15:53:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-benjamin-etymological-question/150457/21 "2003-01-23T20:45:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > \*\*OK, back with some more fodder. I just found a Hebrew-English online dictionary [here](http://www.dictionary.co.il/), and under the entry “left” (in the heading ‘Directions’) it gives the word _shmol_ - or shin-mem-alef-lamed. There is a _shva_ under the _shin_, which according to this [site](http://www.geocities.com/fmisrael/alphabet.html) is either the ‘eh’ sound or silent. > > Question: How does one tell the difference? \*\* OK, firstly, the first letter in the word is a _sin_, not a _shin_. The _sin_ has an “s” sound while a _shin_ has an “sh” sound. Both letters have the same form (so it’s easy to be confused between the two. The practical way to tell the difference is to look at the dot on top of the letter. For the _shin_ the dot is on the right and for the _sin_ it’s on the left. (Mnemonic: A sin is never right.) As for the _sheva_, the rules for when it is silent or pronounced are complicated and really beyond the scope of this board. However, WRT this word, a _sheva_ at the start of a word is always pronounced. So, the proper pronounciation of the word is _s’mol_. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Continuing on, there seems to be a diacritical mark above the _mem_ but the second site doesn’t identify it as such. \*\* The only mark above the _mem_ would be the _cholom_ (which produces the long “O” sound). The _cholom_ can be written with a _vuv_ or without. > [@](#): > > \*\* > Question: What’s it doing there, and does it affect either the _mem_ or the following _alef_? \*\* An _alef_ without a vowel is silent. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-benjamin-etymological-question/150457/22 "2003-01-23T20:49:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > OK, back with some more fodder. I just found a Hebrew-English online dictionary [here](http://www.dictionary.co.il/), and under the entry “left” (in the heading ‘Directions’) it gives the word _shmol_ - or shin-mem-alef-lamed. There is a _shva_ under the _shin_, which according to this [site](http://www.geocities.com/fmisrael/alphabet.html) is either the ‘eh’ sound or silent. > > Question: How does one tell the difference? Not really an “eh”. Some people pronounce it as “ih” and some as an intermediate between “uh” (as in “put”) and “eh”. The rules are quite technical, but generally at the beginning of word it is not silent. So smol is technically incorrect. But most people pronounce it as silent, possibly due to the influence of Yiddish & English ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-benjamin-etymological-question/150457/23 "2003-01-23T20:56:46Z")
I’m in no position to debate linguistics, Hebrew or otherwise, but would just add that the term “right _hand_” (as well as “left hand”) is commonly used when just “right” would suffice. So while “right hand” is not a literal translation, it might not necessarily carry any connotations of “handedness.” But the question does interest me, since the original word in question is also my first name. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-benjamin-etymological-question/150457/24 "2003-01-23T21:00:16Z")
Re: shin vs. sin… d’ohh! :smack: Right there on the cited page, too. Same for the cholom. Don’t know why I didn’t see that. :smack: again. Basically, then, “son of the left (hand)” would be Bensemol. Cool. Thanks, you guys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-benjamin-etymological-question/150457.md?page=1)