ش

Meaning

Character

The thirteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is preceded by س (s) and followed by ص (ṣ).

Symbol

The twenty-first letter in traditional abjad order, which is used in place of numerals for list numbering (abjad numerals). It is preceded by ر (r) and followed by ت (t).

Concepts

F

Feb.

Sep.

S

disfigure

Shin

disgrace

street

Synonyms

ف

ف

ف

ف

ف

أ

س

س

أ

أ

س

أ

أ

Translations

F

FB

ST

Φ

Σ

F

S

S

F

S

F

S

F

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃiːn/

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *šinn- (“tooth”), the source of سن (sinn). The association of "tooth" with this letter was the result of folk etymology and based on the corresponding Phoenician letter, 𐤔 (š), having a shape resembling a tooth. The letter originally depicted a composite bow, which usually has the tips curving away from the archer when unstrung.
Related to Classical Syriac ܫ, Hebrew ש, Phoenician 𐤔 (š), Russian ш (š), Aramaic ܫ. More at Shin. It is the only letter of the Arabic alphabet with three dots with a letter corresponding to a letter in the Northwest Semitic abjad or the Phoenician alphabet.