Shoah

See also: shoah

English

Etymology

From Hebrew שׁוֹאָה (šōʾā, catastrophe).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈʃəʊ.ə/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈʃoʊ.ə/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -əʊə

Proper noun

the Shoah

  1. (history, chiefly Jewish) The systematic mass murder (genocide) of an estimated six million European Jews perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II.
    • 1999, Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon:
      I never knew him, or any of my other relatives who died in the Shoah. But I would gladly dump every ounce of that gold into the ocean, just to give them a decent burial.

Usage notes

  • The term "Holocaust" may be synonymous with "Shoah" or may denote something broader; see the usage note at Holocaust.
  • Chiefly used by Jews; in English, Holocaust is more common.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Hebrew שואה (catastrophe).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Shoah f

  1. Holocaust, Shoah

Usage notes

  • Unlike in English, where usage is more restricted to Jewish speakers, Shoah is more commonly used than Holocauste in French.

Italian

Proper noun

Shoah ?

  1. Shoah
    Synonym: Olocausto

Polish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Hebrew שׁוֹאָה.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʂɔ.a/, /ˈʂɔ.ax/
  • Rhymes: -ɔa, -ɔax
  • Syllabification: Sho‧ah

Proper noun

Shoah n (indeclinable)

  1. (historical, literary) Shoah (mass murder of Jews perpetrated by the Nazi Germany)
    Synonyms: Holocaust, Holokaust

Further reading

  • Shoah in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • Shoah in Polish dictionaries at PWN