Borrowed from Aramaic שִׁלְשֶׁלְתָּא (šilšeltā, “chain”), from Akkadian 𒉠𒂡𒂡 (/šeršerratu/, “chains”), likely onomatopoeic of rattling chains; cognates with (Hebrew שַׁרְשֶׁרֶת (sharshéret), Classical Syriac ܫܝܫܠܬܐ (šēšaltā), Amharic ሰንሰለት (sänsälät), Old Armenian շղթայ (šłtʻay), Sumerian 𒋢𒂡𒂡 (/šeršer/, “chains”) likely derived from the common Semitic.