how to say “valley” in Hebrew

ByAmi Steinberger

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /]עֵמֶק, בִּקְעָה

Hebrew has two words for the geological phenomenon we call in English a valley.

עמק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /] is the more common term. The word is composed of the root ע.מ.ק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /] meaning deep: a valley is a deep part of the land, when compared with the mountains around it.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /]הם גרים בעמק הסיליקון.

They live in Silicon Valley.

בקעה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /] is the more popular term in Biblical Hebrew. It comes from the root ב.ק.ע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /] meaning splitting apart – mountains need to “split apart” to form a valley.

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/עמק-#.m4a” /]מדברים על סיפוח בקעת הירדן.

They’re talking about annexing the Jordan Valley.

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