Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *saipǭ, borrowed from and reinforced by words from multiple languages, including in modern times French savon, German Seife, the former through Late Latin sāpō, sāpōnem ‎(“soap”). Compare Ancient Greek σάπων ‎(sápōn); English soap; Ladino shavón, שאבון and Yiddish זייף ‎(zeyf). A word with similar meaning appearing in the Babylonian Talmud (Baba Kama, 93:70b) in the form צפון.

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /saˈbon/