סַנְטֵר

The word "סַנְטֵר" (santer) first appears in the Babylonian Talmud in Tractate Berakhot (24a-b) in the words of Rabbi Hanina bar Hama: "I saw Rabbi [Judah HaNasi]... but he would not wrap himself nor place his hand on his santer." The word appears only in this quote and is not documented in other Semitic languages, which made its interpretation difficult. According to Rabbi Nathan of Rome, author of "HaArukh," santer is the Aramaic word "star" (side) with the addition of the letter nun. According to his interpretation, Rabbi Judah HaNasi placed his hand on his waist as a sign of pride. This is also how Maimonides and other important rabbis interpreted it. In contrast, Rashi interpreted the word "santer" as that protrusion at the bottom of the face. According to him, Rabbi Judah covered his mouth with his palm. Modern Hebrew followed Rashi, and the word santer was established in use according to his interpretation. Some connect the word to the ancient Greek word for chin, "anthereōn," but this etymology is difficult to accept due to the significant phonetic differences.