How to say “artificial” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/מלאכותי-1.m4a” /]מְלָאכוּתִי

The Hebrew word for artificial – מלאכותי[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/מלאכותי-1.m4a” /] – comes from the word for craft – מלאכה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/מלאכותי-2.m4a” /]. The root of these words is ל.א.כ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/מלאכותי-3.m4a” /], whose meaning has something to do with transmitting. ל.א.כ is also the root of מלאך[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/מלאכותי-4.m4a” /] – angel, in Biblical-Hebrew terms also a messenger.

מלאכותי comes מלאכה – craft, because something artificial has been crafted consciously. Here’s an example of the word in context:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/מלאכותי-5.m4a” /]ישראל תקים איים מלאכותיים מול החוף.

Israel will set up artificial islands opposite the coast.

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