שמנת

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
שׁ־מ־ן (š-m-n)

Modern derivation from the root ש־מ־ן (sh-m-n) (compare שמן (shémen, oil), שומן (shumán, fat)); possibly formed under the influence of Yiddish שמאַנט (shmant) and/or German Schmand. For the Semitic root compare Akkadian 𒉌𒄑 (šamnu, Ì.GIŠ, oil), Arabic سَمْن (samn, ghee), Ugaritic 𐎌𐎎𐎐 (šmn, oil).

Pronunciation

Noun

שַׁמֶּנֶת (shaménet) f (no plural forms, singular construct שַׁמֶּנֶת־) [pattern: קַטֶּלֶת]

  1. Cream: the oily part of milk that rises to the top.
  2. = שמנת חמוצה (shaménet khamutzá): sour cream.

Usage notes

  • Since sour cream is often called שמנת (instead of the more explicit שמנת חמוצה (shaménet khamutzá)), ordinary cream is sometimes called שמנת מתוקה (shaménet m'tuká, sweet cream) to differentiate it. (Compare English sweet cream.)

Derived terms

References

  • שַׁמֶּנֶת” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, The New Dictionary), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם) (1984), →ISBN, volume 3 of 3 (ק to ת), page 1387.
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