how to say “The Stone Age” in Hebrew

תְּקוּפַת הָאֶבֶן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-1.mp3″ /]

The Hebrew word for stone is אֶבֶן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-2.mp3″ /]. Although it doesn’t sound like one, this word is feminine, so that precious stones are אֲבָנִים יְקָרוֹת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-3.mp3″ /].

The word for period of time is תְּקוּפָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-4.mp3″ /]. When connected to another word in an “of relationship” (the construct state), תקופה becomes תְּקוּפַת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-5.mp3″ /] – so that the Stone Age, or the Age of the Stone, is תְּקוּפַת הָאֶבֶן[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-1.mp3″ /].

For example:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-6.mp3″ /]הַמַּחְשֵׁב הַזֶּה יֻצַּר בִּתְקוּפַת הָאֶבֶן!

This computer was manufactured in the Stone Age!

Likewise, the Iron Age is תְּקוּפַת הַבַּרְזֵל[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-7.mp3″ /], and the Bronze Age is תְּקוּפַת הַבְּרוֹנְזָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-8.mp3″ /].

The word תקופה itself comes from the root ק.ו.פ (k.v.p) meaning encircling. The word appears in the Torah in a context describing the סֻכּוֹת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-9.mp3″ /] holiday, or the Feast of the Tabernacles, which takes place בִּתְקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/תקופת-האבן-10.mp3″ /] – translated liberally: at the time that the year has come full circle and ended.