Can any Hebrew speakers answer this for me? Some name-sites have the meaning of [name_f]Susannah[/name_f] down as [name_f]Lily[/name_f] (which what I always thought) but some others say [name_f]Rose[/name_f]- which is it? Could it be both?
[name_m]Per[/name_m] BehindtheName: “From Σουσαννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name ש”וֹש”ַנָּה ([name_f]Shoshannah[/name_f]). This was derived from the Hebrew word ש”וֹש”ָן (shoshan) meaning “lily” (in modern Hebrew this also means “rose”), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn “lotus”.”
When the name was derived from the word, the word meant “lily”. The modern word apparently means “rose”. I consider it to mean “lily”.
This may help: A Lily by Any Other Name « Ask The Rabbi « Ohr Somayach
I’ve almost always heard [name_f]Lily[/name_f], but some do say [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Rose[/name_f] would usually be vered in Hebrew? I read recently that in Biblical Hebrew, shoshana would have referred to lily, not rose, but I can’t verify.
Thanks guys! So, maybe it does mean both lily and rose, although I still not sure how that works.
Can anyone else shed any more light on this?
This is a bit late but in modern Hebrew shoshana and vered both mean rose while shoshan means lily. I believe shoshana meant lily in biblical Hebrew.