how to say “meaning” in Hebrew
מַשְׁמָעוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-1.m4a”]
Today’s intellectual pursuits almost always involve the visual capacity: to learn means to read, or to watch a video.
But in antiquity, before everyone had access or knew how to read a printed text, much less watch a clip on YouTube, information arrived in the brain via the sense of hearing.
Perhaps that’s why Hebrew’s word for meaning is משמעות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-1.m4a” /]. Deriving from the Talmudic word משמע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-2.m4a” /] – therefore, but also that which is heard – the root of משמעות is ש.מ.ע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-3.m4a” /] meaning hearing (think שמע ישראל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-4.m4a” /] – hear, o Israel).
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-5.m4a” /]מה המשמעות של המילה הזאת?
What is the meaning of this word?
Another word used for meaning is מובן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-6.m4a” /] – literally, that which is understood. מובן is often used to distinguish one meaning from another – in English, a sense.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/משמעות-7.m4a” /]במובן מסוים אתה צודק.
In a certain sense you (a male) are right.
