how to say “innocence” and “naïveté” in Hebrew
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In Biblical Hebrew, a שֶׂה תָּמִים (seh tah-MEEM) is a perfect animal from the flock – that is, without blemish. English, heavily influenced by Christianity, borrows this phrase to create the expression innocent as a lamb.
Indeed the word תמים in Biblical Hebrew also means innocent, in addition to perfect or pure. יַעֲקֹב – the patriarch, Jacob (yah-ah-KOHV) is described as אִישׁ תָּם ישֵׁב אֹהָלִים – a pure or innocent man (when compared with his brother, the hunter), a dweller of tents (eesh tahm yoh-SHEV oh-hah-LEEM).
The word תמים and its noun form, תְּמִימוּת (teh-mee-MOOT) mean some of the same things in Modern Hebrew as they do in Biblical: purity and innocence. But as language became more specific and nuanced over the generations that elapsed between Biblical times and today, Modern Hebrew introduces a third meaning to תמימות – naïveté.
The word תמים meaning naïve appears in Danny Sanderson’s classic love song, זֶה הַכֹּל בִּשְׁבִילֵך – “It’s All for You” (zeh hah-KOHL beesh-vee-LEKH). The video features a slideshow that can help you learn the words visually, Rosetta-Stone style.
