מצה

Hebrew

Etymology

Uncertain; it has traditionally been linked to מָצַץ (“to suck”) (with a literal meaning of "something that is sucked up or drained [out]", presumably referring to the leaven), but this derivation is not without its problems. Various alternate etymologies have been suggested, including that it may be a non-Semitic loanword (compare Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-bread or cake”)) or that it may be

from the root נ־צ־ה relating to haste (meaning "something that is prepared in haste").

.מצה מרובעת

Root
מ־צ־ץ (m-ts-ts)

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /maˈt͡sa/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

מַצָּה • (matsá) f (plural indefinite מַצּוֹת, singular construct מַצַּת־, plural construct מַצּוֹת־) [pattern: קַטְלָה]

1. matzo

   המצה נחשבת למאכל יהודי, ובחג הפסח מצווה לאכלה ולהתנזר מחמץ.

   The matzo is considered to be a Jewish food, and on Passover one is commanded to eat it and to abstain from chametz.

Derived terms

• מַצָּה עֲשִׁירָה (matzá ashirá)
• מַצָּה שְׁרוּיָה (matsá sh'ruyá)

Descendants

• → Yiddish: מצה (matse)
  • → Dutch: matze

Noun

מַצָּה • (matsá) f

1. (biblical) dispute, quarrel, strife
   • Tanach, Proverbs 17:19, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     אֹהֵב פֶּשַׁע אֹהֵב מַצָּה

     'ohév pésha' 'ohév matsá
     ʾōhēḇ péšaʿ ʾōhēḇ maṣṣā

     He loveth transgression that loveth strife;

References

• “מצה” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• מצה on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Anagrams

• צמה

Yiddish

Etymology

From Hebrew מַצָּה (matsá).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡sə/

Noun

מצה • (matse) f, plural מצות (matses)

1. matzo

Derived terms

• מצה ברײַ (matse bray)

Descendants

• → Dutch: matze