how to say “witchcraft” in Hebrew
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-1.m4a” /]כִּשּׁוּף
Whereas a not-very-nice term in English to describe a not-very-nice woman likens her to a dog, one such term in Hebrew likens her to a witch – מכשפה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-2.m4a” /] (more commonly pronounced with an ah vowel at the beginning of the word – מַכשפה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-3.m4a” /]).
The root of מכשפה is כ.ש.פ[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-4.m4a” /], the same root as that of witchcraft: כישוף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-1.m4a” /] or מעשה כשפים[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-5.m4a” /] – literally, an act of sorcery.
For example:
[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-6.m4a” /]פעם היו יותר אנשים שהתעסקו בכישוף.
Once there were more people who dealt in sorcery.
While a מכשפה is a witch, a מכשף[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/כישוף-7.m4a” /] is her male counterpart (only in fame, not in infamy), a sorcerer.