how to say “dam” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/סכר-#.m4a” /]סֶכֶר
No, not damn. Dam – that thing that stops water from flowing.
In Hebrew it’s a סכר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/סכר-#.m4a” /], whose three letter root ס.כ.ר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/סכר-#.m4a” /] is almost identical to that of lockdown (the idea of stopping activity) – סגר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/סכר-#.m4a” /], whose root is ס.ג.ר[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/סכר-#.m4a” /]. The roots are so close that the middle root-letter sounds are made in the exact same place in the mouth in the exact same way, the only difference between them being whether we use our voice (ג-g) or not (כ-k).
Anyway, here’s סכר in action:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/סכר-#.m4a” /]אם ייפרץ הסכר, אכלנו אותה.
If the dam breaks, we’re in trouble (“we’ve eaten it”).