how do say “decaf” in Hebrew
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נְטוּל קָפֶאִין
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The basic Hebrew word for to take is לָקַחַת (lah-KAH-khaht), an active-simple פָּעַל verb.
Another more elegant word for to take is לִנְטוֹל (leen-TOHL) or לִטּוֹל (lee-TOHL) of the root נ.ט.ל (n.t.l), also a פָּעַל verb. But as happens with more elegant words, this one is used only in certain cases, such as in the phrase meaning decaffeinated – נְטוּל קָפֶאִין (neh-TOOL kah-feh-EEN). In נטול קפאין, the word נְטוּל – or נָטוּל (nah-TOOL) when unconnected to another word – means taken away or removed, making the phrase for decaf mean literally, caffeine has been removed (from it).
Another phrase using נטול you might come across is:
דֶּלֶק נְטוּל עוֹפֶרֶת
unleaded fuel
(DEH-lek neh-TOOL oh-FEH-ret)
On washing of hands – נטילת ידיים
If you’re familiar with Jewish tradition, you almost certainly caught the similarity between the word נטול and נְטִילַת יָדַיִם (neh-tee-LAHT yah-DAH-yeem) – the ritual washing of the hands. You’re probably also wondering what washing has to do with taking away.I was wondering the same thing until I found this Wikipedia article (only the Hebrew version of the article contains this explanation). The article explains that in the Rabbinic era, servants would wash the hands of their Jewish masters: the servant would give the water to the master by pouring it on his hands, while the master would in turn receive or take the water as it bathed his hands.
Thus there is no literal connection between washing and taking away. Rather, the phrase נטילת ידיים preserves the memory of a ritual that involved two people, as opposed to today’s pouring of water over one’s own hands.
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