shibboleth

Definition

A particular pronunciation or custom that is regarded as distinguishing members of a group from non-members, especially when used as a test.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Biblical Hebrew שִׁבֹּלֶת /שיבולת (šibbṓleṯ, “ear [of wheat] or stream, torrent”). Doublet of sebboleth and Middle English sebolech, both from Late Latin sebboleth in the Vulgate.

Example Sentences

• "In recent times, the correct treatment of initial h in speech has come to be regarded as a kind of shibboleth of social position."
• "He also declares that "th" is the veritable English shibboleth. He advises those Germans who cannot pronounce the sound correctly to pronounce it like "d," the symbol which he regularly uses for "th" in his lessons."
• "It's about time we abandoned the bourgeois shibboleth that earning money makes you a better person."