how to say “mosquito” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-1.m4a” /]יַתּוּשׁ
The Hebrew word for mosquito first appears in Mishnaic Hebrew. The word is יתוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-1.m4a” /].
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-2.m4a” /]יש פה הרבה יתושים בגלל האגם.
There are a lot of mosquitoes here because of the lake.
A mosquito bite is עקיצת יתוש[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-3.m4a” /], where עקיצה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-4.m4a” /] (the unconnected form of עקיצת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-5.m4a” /]) means a bite or a sting by an insect.
עקיצה comes from the simple verb לעקוץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-6.m4a” /] – to sting or to bite. The word is used not only in the context of insects, but of people as well – at least proverbially.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-7.m4a” /]תיזהרו מהשכנה, היא עוקצת.
Be careful of the neighbor, she bites.
לעקוץ in the context of human beings is proverbial only. The term used literally is לנשוך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/יתוש-8.m4a” /] – to bite.