how (and why) to say “traffic light” in Hebrew
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רַמְזוֹר
Yesterday we probed the Hebrew expression, דַּי לַחֲכִּימָא בִּרְמִיזָא (DAH-ee lah-khah-KEE-mah beer-MEE-zah), an equivalent of the English, a word to the wise is sufficient. The Aramaic word רְמִיזָא (reh-MEE-zah, or classically, reh-mee-ZAH) means hint or clue, just as does its Hebrew cousin רֶמֶז (REH-mez).
In reviving Hebrew in the Modern era, linguistic pioneers needed to create a word for traffic light, so they combined the existing words for hint and light – אוֹר (ohr), creating רַמְזוֹר (rahm-ZOHR) – that object which gives hints to drivers via light.
To hint something is לִרְמוֹז (leer-MOHZ), an active-simple פעל verb.
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