The term originates from the Hebrew word שִׁבֹּלֶת (shee-BOH-let), which literally means the part of a plant containing grains (an ear of corn or a stalk of grain). The modern usage derives from an account in the Hebrew Bible, in which pronunciation of this word was used to distinguish Ephraimites, whose dialect lacked a “sh” phoneme (as in shoe), from Gileadites whose dialect did include such a phoneme.
Recorded in the Book of Judges, chapter 12, after the inhabitants of Gilead inflicted a military defeat upon the tribe of Ephraim (around 1370–1070 BC), the surviving Ephraimites tried to cross the Jordan River back into their home territory and the Gileadites secured the river's fords to stop them. In order to identify and kill these refugees, the Gileadites put each refugee to a simple test:
Gilead captured the fords of the Jordan ahead of Ephraim; and when the men of Ephraim were trying to escape, they would say, “Let me cross over”; then the men of Gilead would ask each one, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he would reply, “No!” they would say to him, “Please say Shibboleth.” But he would say, “Sibboleth,” as he was unable to say the word correctly. Then they would seize him and slay him at the fords of the Jordan. So 42,000 Ephraimites fell at that time. —Judges 12:5–6, NWT (2013)
Modern usage
There are cases where groups who speak different languages or dialects use a type of shibboleth to discover hiding members of an opposing group. Researchers today use the term “shibboleth” to describe this use of language.
In American English, a shibboleth has a wider meaning, referring to any pre-planned word or phrase used to distinguish members of a group from outsiders. The use of the word is less used in British English. It is also sometimes used in a broader sense to mean “jargon” (which identifies speakers as members of a particular group or subculture).
Culture can also be a part of this phenomenon. For example, people from the same country tend to have the same memories of popular songs, television shows, and well-known or important events. One-hit wonders prove particularly effective, in the United Statessports statistics are popular shibboleths. Much the same is true of alumni of a particular school, veterans of military service, and other groups. Discussing such memories is a common way of bonding. In-jokes can be a similar type of shared-experience shibboleth.
Do you have a shibboleth?
Do you have something that you use as a shibboleth? I have one that’s a punchline to a joke my brother and I made up when we were young.
