listen and repeat

If you’re familiar with Jewish prayer in its original Hebrew, you probably know the phrase וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ ( listen and repeat) – and you shall teach them to your children. The root of ושננתם ( listen and repeat) is שׁ.נ.נ (sh.n.n) meaning learning by repetition. It’s also the root of the word מִשְׁנָה ( listen and repeat) – Mishnah.

Modern Hebrew employs that root to refer to someone who has apparently learned enough to make wisecracks and witty statements: this person is שָׁנוּן ( listen and repeat) if a male and שְׁנוּנָה ( listen and repeat) if a female – in both cases, witty.

For example:

אָדָם שָׁנוּן לְעִתִּים קְרוֹבוֹת מַצְלִיחַ אָבָל הַרְבֵּה פְּעָמִים גַּם נוֹפֵל.

 listen

Wit or sharpness is שְׁנִינוּת ( listen and repeat).