how to say “to faint” in Hebrew

 

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לְהִתְעַלֵּף

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The Modern-Hebrew word for to faint is לְהִתְעַלֵּף , a reflexive-intensive הִתְפַּעֵל verb of the root ע.ל.פ (a.l.p). 

For example:

הִיא הִתְעַלְּפָה בְּאֶמְצַע הָרְחוֹב.
She fainted in the middle of the street.
 
Likewise, לְעַלֵּף – an active-intensive פִּעֵל verb of the same root – means to shock (not to be confused with to train an animal)
 
אֵיזוֹ תְּמוּנָה מְעַלֶּפֶת!
What a shocking picture!


Yet in the Biblical Hebrew of the Torah portion to be read this week by Jews around the world, להתעלף means to disguise oneself:


וַתָּסַר בִּגְדֵי אַלְמְנוּתָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ, וַתְּכַס בַּצָּעִיף וַתִּתְעַלָּף…
(בְּרֵאשִׁית ל”ח: י”ד)

And she removed her widow’s clothing from upon her, and she covered (herself) with the scarf and she disguised herself… (Genesis 33:14)

Is there a relationship between להתעלף to faint and להתעלף to disguise oneself? If so, what is it?

I believe there is a relationship, partly because there’s another Biblical Hebrew root – almost identical to that of להתעלף – that means both to cover oneself and to grow faint/weak: ע.ט.פ (a.t.p): in Biblical Hebrew, לְהִתְעַטֵּף  – a reflexive-intensive הִתְפַּעֵל verb – means to faint, while לַעֲטוֹף – an active-simple intensive הִתְפַּעֵל verb – means to cover or to wrap, as well as to faint or grow weak.



Here’s an example of לַעֲטוֹף, made familiar to many through this song:

 
תְּפִלָּה, לְעָנִי כִי-יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי ה’, יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ. (תהלים ק”ב:א’)
Prayer by the poor man as he grows faint, and before G-d pours out his word. (Psalms 102:1)
So what is the connection between these two concepts of covering/disguise and fainting/weakness? Perhaps it has to do with expanding beyond the limitations imposed by clothing and thus using energy, versus contracting into the confines of clothing and thus losing energy. But your educated guess is as good as mine.
שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם וְסוֹף שָׁבוּעַ נָעִים לְכֻלָּם!

Shabbat Shalom, and a pleasant weekend to all!

 

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