how to say “engine” in Hebrew

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-1.m4a” /]מָנוֹעַ

Though in English an engine and engineering come from the same root, in Hebrew this is not the case. While the profession of egineering is הנדסה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-2.m4a” /] and an engineer is a מהנדס[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-3.m4a” /] (a male) or מהנדסת[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-4.m4a” /] (a female), an engine or a motor is a מנוע. While the הנדסה probably derives from Persian, מנוע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-1.m4a” /] derives from the authentic Hebrew root נ.ו.ע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-5.m4a” /] meaning moving: an engine gets something to move.

The word in context:

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-6.m4a” /]התחמם לי המנוע באמצע פקק.

My engine overheated on me in the middle of a traffic jam.

פקק[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-7.m4a” /] means traffic jam, or literally, a clogging. The word for traffic, which moves, at least in theory, is תנועה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-8.m4a” /] – also from the root נ.ו.ע.

Combining מנוע with אופניים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-9.m4a” /] – a bicycle, אופנוע[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/מנוע-10.m4a” /] is a motorcyle.