how to say “dictator” in Hebrew
רוֹדָן, עָרִיץ, דִּיקְטָטוֹר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן8.mp3″ /]
Sacha Baron Cohen does a great job introducing audiences to the world of The Dictator. In Hebrew, the movie title is הַדִּיקְטָטוֹר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן9.mp3″ /], as דִּיקְטָטוֹר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן10.mp3″ /] is what most Israelis call such a person who rules solo, often with brutality.
But there are two other terms as well:
רוֹדָן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן11.mp3″ /] derives from the root ר.ד.ה (r.d.h) meaning to rule over. רודן refers to a ruler with absolute power – a dictator or a tyrant. Likewise, רוֹדָנוּת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן12.mp3″ /] is tyranny:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן13.mp3″ /]הָרוֹדָנוּת מְאַפְיֶנֶת אֶת רוֹב הַזִּירָה הַפּוֹלִיטִית בַּמִּזְרָח הַתִּיכוֹן.
Dictatorship characterizes most of the political scene in the Middle East.
Another word for tyrant is עָרִיץ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/רודן14.mp3″ /], which appears in the Bible as such.
