How to say “a deal” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-1.m4a” /]עִסְקָה
If a business is an עסק [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-2.m4a” /] and business in the general sense is עסקים [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-3.m4a” /] – literally, businesses, then a business deal is an עסקה [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-1.m4a” /]
For example:
היינו כל כך קרובים לסגור את העסקה.[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-4.m4a” /]
We were so close to closing the deal.
In fact, עסקה as deal harks back to the original meaning of עסק – dealings or quarrels (as often takes place in business). In early Biblical Hebrew the root ע.ס.ק [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-5.m4a” /] appears as ע.ש.ק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-6.m4a” /], as in:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/עסקה-7.m4a” /] ויריבו רעי גרר עם רעי יצחק לאמר לנו המים ויקרא שם הבאר עשק כי התעשקו עמו. (בראשית כ"ו, כ')
And the shepherds of Grar fought with the shepherds of Isaac saying the water is ours, and he named the well Esek for they quarreled with him. (Genesis 26:20)
