how to say “comments and enlightenment” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /]הֶעָרָה וְהֶאָרָה
Nobody likes taking criticism. Even the ones that do would rather learn the easy way if given the choice.
That’s why when Israelis talk about comments (in other words, corrections), they sometimes add a word that sounds just like the one for comments, to soften the blow: a comment is הערה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /], while enlightenment – or shedding of light –is הארה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /] (comes from the word אור[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /] – light).
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /]אשמח לקבל הערות והארות על מה שכתבתי!
I’d be happy to receive comments and light upon what I wrote.
הערה is the noun form of the הפעיל verb להעיר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /] – to comment (also to wake), while הארה is the noun form of להאיר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/הערה-#.m4a” /] – to shed light, also a הפעיל verb.
הערה and הארה sound the same in modern Hebrew pronunciation. If so, how do we distinguish between them in conversation?