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{{short description|Eighteenth letter of the Semitic scripts}}
{{Infobox Semitic letter|letname=Tsade|previouslink=Pe (Semitic letter)|previousletter=Pe|nextlink=Qoph|nextletter=Qoph|archar=ص|sychar=ܨ|hechar=צ|amchar=𐡑|gechar=ጸ|phchar=𐤑|grchar=[[Ϻ]], [[Ψ]], [[ϡ]]|cychar=[[Tse (Cyrillic)|Ц]], [[Che (Cyrillic)|Ч]], [[Џ]], [[Ѱ]]|ipa={{IPA link|sˤ}} ({{IPA link|t͡s}})|num=18|gem=90}}
'''Tsade''' (also spelled '''{{lang|sem-Latn|ṣade}}''', {{lang|sem-Latn|'''ṣādē'''}}, '''{{lang|sem-Latn|ṣaddi}}''', '''{{Transliteration|ar|ṣad}}''', '''tzadi''', '''sadhe''', '''tzaddik''') is the eighteenth [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]] of the [[Semitic abjads]], including [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician]] ''ṣādē'' 𐤑, [[Hebrew alphabet|Hebrew]] ''ṣādī'' {{Script|Hebr|צ}}, [[Aramaic alphabet|Aramaic]] ''ṣāḏē'' 𐡑, [[Syriac alphabet|Syriac]] ''ṣāḏē'' ܨ, [[Ge'ez script|Ge'ez]] ''ṣädäy'' ጸ, and [[Arabic alphabet|Arabic]] ''ṣād'' {{Script|Arabic|ص}}. It is related to the [[Ancient North Arabian]] 𐪎‎‎, [[Ancient South Arabian script|South Arabian]] {{lang|sem-x-oldsoara|𐩮}}, and [[Geʽez script|Ge'ez]] {{lang|gez|ጸ}}. The corresponding letter of the [[Ugaritic alphabet]] is 𐎕  ''ṣade''.

Its oldest phonetic value is debated, although there is a variety of pronunciations in different modern Semitic languages and their dialects. It represents the coalescence of three [[Proto-Semitic]] "[[emphatic consonant]]s" in [[Canaanite language|Canaanite]]. [[Arabic language|Arabic]], which kept the phonemes separate, introduced variants of {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ṣād}} and {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|[[ṭāʾ]]}} to express the three (see {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|[[ḍād]]}}, {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|[[ẓāʾ]]}}). In Aramaic, these emphatic consonants coalesced instead with ''[[Ayin|ʿayin]]'' and ''[[Teth|ṭēt]]'', respectively, thus Hebrew ''ereṣ'' {{lang|he|rtl=yes|ארץ}} (earth) is ''araʿ'' {{Script|Hebr|ארע}} in Aramaic.

The Phoenician letter is continued in the [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] [[San (letter)|san]] (Ϻ) and possibly [[sampi]] (Ϡ),  and in [[Old Italic alphabet|Etruscan]] 𐌑 ''Ś''. It may have inspired the form of the letter [[Tse (letter)|tse]] in the [[Glagolitic alphabet|Glagolitic]] and [[Cyrillic alphabet]]s.

The letter is named "'''tsadek'''" in Yiddish,<ref>{{cite book |last=Weinreich |first=Uriel |date=1968 |title=Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish-English Dictionary |location=New York |publisher=McGraw-Hill Book Co. |page=453 |isbn=07-0690380-3}}</ref> and Hebrew speakers often give it a similar name as well. This name for the letter probably originated from a fast recitation of the alphabet (i.e., "''tsadi'', ''[[qoph]]''" → "''tsadiq'', ''qoph''"), influenced by the Hebrew word ''[[tzadik]]'', meaning "righteous person".<ref>{{Cite web
  | title=The Letter Tsade: Righteousness and Modesty
  | url=http://www.arachim.org/Index.asp?ArticleID=794&CategoryID=164
  | language=he
  | access-date=5 December 2010
  | archive-date=31 May 2024
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531100351/https://www.arachim.org/ArticleDetail.asp?ArticleID=794
  | url-status=live
  }}</ref>

==Origins==
The origin of {{Transliteration|sem|ṣade}} is unclear. It may have come from a [[Proto-Sinaitic script]] based on a pictogram of a plant, perhaps a [[Cyperus papyrus|papyrus plant]], or a [[fish hook]] (in [[Modern Hebrew]], {{lang|he|צד}} ''{{Transliteration|he|tsad}}'' means "[he] hunt[ed]", and in Arabic {{lang|ar|صاد}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|ṣād}}'' means "[he] hunted"). The form of the Arabic letter ''ṣād'' may be formed from a ligature of dotless ''nūn'' and the bottom part of the letter ''ṭa''.

==Arabic ṣād==
{{See also-text|the derived letter {{noitalic|{{lang|ar|[[Ḍād|ض]]}}}} ({{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ḍād}}).}}

{{Infobox grapheme
| name = Ṣād صاد
| letter = ص
| script = [[Arabic script]]
| type = [[Abjad]]
| language = [[Arabic language]]
| phonemes = {{IPA link|sˤ}}
| alphanumber = 14
| direction = Right-to-left
| fam2 = 𐡑
| fam3 = 𐢙
| fam1 = [[𐤑]]
| equivalents = ṣ
}}The letter is named ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ṣād}}'' and in [[Modern Standard Arabic]] is [[Arabic phonology|pronounced]] {{IPA|/sˤ/}}.

It is written in several ways depending in its position in the word:
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ص}}

[[Chapter 38 of the Quran]] is named for this letter, which begins the chapter.

The phoneme is not native to  [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman Turkish]], or [[Urdu]], and its pronunciation in Arabic loanwords in those languages is not distinguishable from {{lang|ar|[[س]]}} {{IPA|/s/}} or {{lang|ar|[[ث]]}} {{IPA|/θ/}}, all of which are pronounced {{IPAblink|s}}.

==Hebrew tsadi==
{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6|<small>[[Orthography|Orthographic]] variants</small>
|-
!rowspan=2|<small>position<br/>in<br/>word</small>
!colspan=3|<small>Various print fonts</small>
!rowspan=2|<small>[[Cursive Hebrew|Modern Cursive<br/>Hebrew]]</small>
!rowspan=2|<small>[[Rashi script|Rashi<br/>script]]</small>
|-
!|<small>Serif</small> !! <small>[[Sans-serif]]</small> !! <small>[[Monospaced]]</small>
|-
|width=15%|<small>non-final</small>
|width=17%|<span style="font:30pt 'Times New Roman', 'SBL Hebrew', David, Narkisim, 'New Peninim MT', 'Taamey Frank CLM', serif;">צ</span>
|width=17%|<span style="font:28pt Arial, 'DejaVu Sans Condensed', 'DejaVu Sans', Tahoma, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', Alef, sans-serif;">צ</span>
|width=17%|<span style="font:30pt 'Courier New', 'Miriam Fixed', 'Miriam Mono CLM', FreeMono, monospace;">צ</span>
|width=17%|[[File:Hebrew letter Tsadik handwriting.svg|class=skin-invert-image|25px]]
|width=17%|[[File:Tsadik-nonfinal (Rashi-script - Hebrew letter).svg|class=skin-invert-image|40px]]
|-
|width=15%|<small>final</small>
|width=17%|<span style="font:30pt 'Times New Roman', 'SBL Hebrew', David, Narkisim, 'New Peninim MT', 'Taamey Frank CLM', serif;">ץ</span>
|width=17%|<span style="font:28pt Arial, 'DejaVu Sans Condensed', 'DejaVu Sans', Tahoma, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', Alef, sans-serif;">ץ</span>
|width=17%|<span style="font:30pt 'Courier New', 'Miriam Fixed', 'Miriam Mono CLM', FreeMono, monospace;">ץ</span>
|width=17%|[[File:Hebrew letter Tsadik-final handwriting.svg|class=skin-invert-image|21px]]
|width=17%|[[File:Tsadik-final (Rashi-script - Hebrew letter).svg|class=skin-invert-image|40px]]
|}

Hebrew spelling: <big>{{lang|he|צָדִי}}</big> or <big>{{lang|he|צָדֵי}}</big>.

===Name===
In [[Hebrew]], the letter's name is ''tsadi'' or ''ṣadi'', depending on whether the letter is transliterated as Modern Israeli "ts" or Tiberian "ṣ". Alternatively, it can be called ''tsadik'' or ''ṣadik'', spelled צָדִּיק, influenced by its Yiddish name ''tsadek'' and the Hebrew word ''tzadik''.

===Variations===
{{Transliteration|he|Ṣadi}}, like [[kaph]], [[mem]], [[Pe (Semitic letter)|pe]], and [[Nun (letter)|nun]], has a final form, used at the end of words. Its shape changes from {{Script/Hebrew|צ}} to {{Script/Hebrew|ץ}}.

===Pronunciation===
In [[Modern Hebrew]], {{lang|he|צ}} tsade represents a [[voiceless alveolar affricate]] {{IPAslink|t͡s}}. This is the same in [[Yiddish]]. Historically, it represented either a [[pharyngealisation|pharyngealized]] {{IPA|/sˤ/}} or an affricate such as the Modern Hebrew pronunciation or [[Geʽez]] {{IPAblink|t͡sʼ}};<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Steiner |first=Richard |date=1982 |title=Affricated Sade in the Semitic Languages |journal=The American Academy for Jewish Research, Research Monograph Series |volume=3}}</ref> which became {{IPAblink|t͡s}} in [[Ashkenazi Hebrew]]. A [[geresh]] can also be placed after tsade ({{Script/Hebrew|צ׳&nbsp;;&nbsp;ץ׳}}), which is pronounced {{IPAblink|t͡ʃ}} (or, in a [[hypercorrection|hypercorrected]] pronunciation, a pharyngealized {{IPAblink|ʃˤ}}), e.g. {{Script/Hebrew|צִ׳יפְּס}} chips.

Ṣade appears as {{IPA|[sˤ]}} in [[Yemenite Hebrew]] and other Jews from the [[Middle East]], and sometimes appears in the Modern Hebrew pronunciation of Yemenite Jews.

[[Sephardi Hebrew]] pronounces {{Script|Hebr|צ}} like a regular [[s]], and this is the sound value it has in [[Judaeo-Spanish]], as in "masa" ([[Matzah|matzo]]) or "sadik" ([[tzadik]]), and rarely appears in this form in the Modern Hebrew pronunciation of Sephardic Jews.

===Significance===
In [[gematria]], {{Transliteration|he|ṣadi}} represents the number 90. Its final form represents 900, but this is rarely used, [[taw]], taw, and [[Qoph|qof]] (400+400+100) being used instead.

As an abbreviation, it stands for ''ṣafon'', north.

{{Transliteration|he|Ṣadi}} is also one of the seven letters that receive special crowns (called [[Tag (Hebrew writing)|''tagin'']]) when written in a [[Sefer Torah]]. See [[Shin (letter)|shin]], [[‘ayin]], {{Transliteration|he|[[Ṭeth|tet]]}}, [[Nun (letter)|nun]], [[zayin]], and [[gimmel]].

=== In relation with Arabic ===
Hebrew {{lang|he|[[צ]]}} {{Transliteration|he|tsadi}} corresponds to the letters {{lang|ar|ظ}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ẓāʾ}}, {{lang|ar|ص}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ṣād}}, and {{lang|ar|ض}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ḍād}} in Arabic
; Examples:
* {{lang|ar|ظ}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ẓāʾ}}: the word for "thirst" in Classical Arabic is {{lang|ar|[[:wikt:ظمأ|ظمأ]]}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ẓamaʾ}} and {{lang|he|[[:wikt:צמא|צמא]]}} {{Transliteration|he|tsama}} in Hebrew.
* {{lang|ar|ص}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ṣād}}: the word for "Egypt" in Classical Arabic is {{lang|ar|[[:wikt:مصر|مصر]]}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|miṣr}} and {{lang|he|[[:wikt:מצרים|מצרים]]}} {{Transliteration|he|mitsrayim}} in Hebrew.
* {{lang|ar|ض}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ḍād}}: the word for "egg" in Classical Arabic is {{lang|ar|[[:wikt:بيضة|بيضة]]}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|bayḍah}} and {{lang|he|[[:wikt:ביצה|ביצה]]}} {{Transliteration|he|betsah}} in Hebrew.

When representing this sound in transliteration of Arabic into Hebrew, it is written as {{lang|he|[[צ]]}} {{Transliteration|he|tsade}} or {{lang|he|ס׳‎}} samekh with a geresh.

==Syriac sade==
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ܨ‎}}

==Character encodings==
{{charmap
|05E6|name1=Hebrew Letter Tsadi
|05E5|name2=Hebrew Letter Final Tsadi
|0635|name3=Arabic Letter Sad
|0728|name4=Syriac Letter Sadhe
|0811|name5=Samaritan Letter Tsaadiy
}}

{{charmap
|10395|name1=Ugaritic Letter Sade
|10851|name2=Imperial Aramaic Letter Sadhe
|10911|name3=Phoenician Letter Sade
}}

==See also==
*[[Ṣ]]
*[[Z#Usage|Z → Usage]]
*[[Tse (Cyrillic)]]

==Notes==
<references />

==External links==
{{commons category|Tsade (letter)}}{{Arabic language}}{{Hebrew language}}
{{Northwest Semitic abjad}}

[[Category:Phoenician alphabet]]
[[Category:Arabic letters]]
[[Category:Hebrew letters]]
[[Category:Urdu letters]]
[[Category:Letters with final form]]