how to say “sanity” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-1.m4a” /]שְׁפִיּוּת

The biblical story tells of the foreign prophet בלעם[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-2.m4a” /] (Balaam):

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-3.m4a” /]וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶׁפִי

and he walked relaxedly (alternative translation: up to a bare hill)

Mishnaic Hebrew takes שפי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-4.m4a” /] to imply a state of physical… or mental calmness – sanity, in contrast to a state of mental disturbance – insanity. In Hebrew, שפיות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-1.m4a” /] is sanity while someone sane is שפוי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-5.m4a” /] if he’s a male or שפויה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-6.m4a” /] if she’s a female. While insanity is אי-שפיות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-7.m4a” /], a person who is not sane is לא-שפוי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-8.m4a” /] or לא-שפויה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-9.m4a” /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-10.m4a” /]הוא טוען שהוא לא היה שפוי בעת המעשה.

He claims that he was not sane at the time of the act.

The more pejorative term insane is מטורף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-11.m4a” /] or מטורפת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-12.m4a” /], though these can also be used to describe something in a positive light:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/שפיות-13.m4a” /]יש בקניון מבצעים מטורפים!

There are insane sales at the mall!