Shibboleth: how something is said

Every group of people appear to have sounds that are difficult for them to pronounce.

"th" in Russian ("theater" can sound like "te-a-ter", "ruth" as "roof")
"r" in Chinese ("fried rice" can sound like "flied lice")

What is such a sound in English?

Try pronouncing the following.

ksee-ros
ksee-roks
ksee-los

Note the "ks" sound at the start of a word (in English).

The Greek letter «ξ» (ski) is pronounced as "ks".

The Greek «ξ» went into Latin as the letter "X".

In English:

An "X" at the beginning of a word is pronounced as "z".
An "X" at the end of a word is pronounced as "ks".

ksee-ros for "dry"
ksee-roks for "Xerox" as in a dry printing/copying process.
ksee-los for "wood" as in "xylophone", a musical instrument with (originally) wooden bars struck by a mallet to sound musical notes.

Judges 12:6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. … [kjv]

και ειπαν αυτοις ειπατε δη συνθημα και ου κατηυθυναν του λαλησαι ουτως και επελαβοντο αυτων και εσφαξαν αυτους επι τας διαβασεις του ιορδανου και επεσαν εξ εφραιμ εν τω καιρω εκεινω δυο τεσσαρακοντα χιλιαδες [lxx]

… שבלת … סבלת … [he]

Originally, from the book of Joshua in the OT (Old Testament), a "shibboleth" was a sound that a particular group of people have trouble pronouncing and that was used as a form of audible password or authentication mechanism in battle of identifying "friend" or "foe".

Today, the meaning has been generalized to be any sound that distinguishes a group of people.

Judges 12:5 And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; [kjv]

12:6 Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand. [kjv]

και ειπαν αυτοις ειπατε δη συνθημα και ου κατηυθυναν του λαλησαι ουτως και επελαβοντο αυτων και εσφαξαν αυτους επι τας διαβασεις του ιορδανου και επεσαν εξ εφραιμ εν τω καιρω εκεινω δυο τεσσαρακοντα χιλιαδες [lxx]

… שבלת … סבלת … [he]

The term "shibboleth" originated in Judges 12:5 during the conquest of the promised land by Joshua. Here are some details.

If the answer was "yes", the identity was obvious. If he said "no", a code word was needed to distinguish friend from foe.

Judges 12:5

All

KJV: And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay;

Hebrew: וילכד גלעד את מעברות הירדן לאפרים והיה כי יאמרו פליטי אפרים אעברה ויאמרו לו אנשי גלעד האפרתי אתה ויאמר לא׃

Greek: και προκατελαβοντο ανδρες γαλααδ τας διαβασεις του ιορδανου του εφραιμ και εγενηθη οτι ειπαν οι διασεσωσμενοι του εφραιμ διαβωμεν και ειπαν αυτοις οι ανδρες γαλααδ μη υμεις εκ του εφραιμ και ειπαν ουκ εσμεν

Latin: occupaveruntque Galaaditae vada Iordanis per quae Ephraim reversurus erat cumque venisset ad ea de Ephraim numero fugiens atque dixisset obsecro ut me transire permittas dicebant ei Galaaditae numquid Ephrateus es quo dicente non sum

Wycliffe: And the men of Galaad ocupieden the forthis of Jordan, bi whiche Effraym schulden turne ayen. And whanne a man fleynge of the noumbre of Effraym hadde come to tho forthis, and hadde seid, Y biseche, that thou suffre me passe; men of Galaad seiden to hym, Whether thou art a man of Effraym? And whanne he seide, Y am not,

Judges 12:6

All

KJV: Then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

Hebrew: ויאמרו לו אמר נא שבלת ויאמר סבלת ולא יכין לדבר כן ויאחזו אותו וישחטוהו אל מעברות הירדן ויפל בעת ההיא מאפרים ארבעים ושנים אלף׃

Greek: και ειπαν αυτοις ειπατε δη συνθημα και ου κατηυθυναν του λαλησαι ουτως και επελαβοντο αυτων και εσφαξαν αυτους επι τας διαβασεις του ιορδανου και επεσαν εξ εφραιμ εν τω καιρω εκεινω δυο τεσσαρακοντα χιλιαδες

The Hebrew word "שבלת" (shibboleth) ≈ "shibboleth".

The Hebrew word "סבלת" (sibboleth) ≈ "sibboleth".

The word "shibboleth" literally means a stream, ear of grain, branch, etc. Note the difference between the "sh" sound in the Hebrew "ש" (shin) and the "s" sound in the Hebrew "ס" (samech).

In the security field: Shibboleth is a single sign-on (log-in) system for computer networks and the Internet. It allows people to sign in using just one identity to various systems run by federations of different organizations or institutions.