איזור, שטח, תחום I don’t think I’ve done an entry with three words before. Thanks, Josh, for the suggestion for this entry. The English word area can refer to a few things. One is the area where something exists – also called vicinity. In Hebrew, this is אֵזוֹר (eh-ZOHR). For example, הוּא גָּר בָּאֵזוֹר (hoo…
אסון Last night, an Israeli Air Force jet of the most advanced in the world crashed in Makhtesh Ramon. The pilot and navigator are missing at this moment. Here’s the YNet article in Hebrew, and here it is in English. The Hebrew word for tragedy or disaster is אָסוֹן (ah-SOHN). I hope…
סיכון Perhaps you know the Hebrew word for dangerous – מְסוּכָּן (me-soo-KAHN). Likewise, the word for danger itself is סַכָּנָה (sah-kah-NAH). The word for risk comes from the same root – ס.כ.נ (s.k.n): סִכּוּן (see-KOON). Radio-show lineup I’ve got my radio show of Israeli music explained at noon today (as every week), on…
ארנק If you’re already conversational in Hebrew, chances are you know the word for wallet or purse (carried, usually, by men) – אַרְנָק (ahr-NAHK). But did you know the origin of the word? It comes from the ancient Greek word for sheep skin – arnakis. Ulpan La-Inyan classes… are not free, but they’re…
שותף Perhaps you know the Hebrew word for to participate – לְהִשְׁתַּתֵּף (le-heesh-tah-TEHF). The root is ש.ת.פ (sh.t.p) – the concept of sharing. A partner in a financial situation – be it people sharing a house (roommates/house mates), partners in a business venture, or partners in a noble cause (which, inevitably, demands capital) –…
לפענח When I walked up to my first exhibit at the British Museum last Monday, I was surprised, excited and humbled to find myself face-to-face with the Rosetta Stone. Thanks for the picture, Mark! Yes, this stone is the namesake of some of the best software for learning a foreign language. The…
מגוחך No connection to anything, just a word that popped into my head: the Hebrew word for absurd is מְגֻחָך (me-goo-KHAHKH). For example, קוֹפִים עָפִים מִסָּבִיב לַיָּרֵחַ זֶה דָּבָר מְגוּחָך (koh-FEEM ah-FEEM mee-sah-VEEV lah-yah-REH-ahkh zeh dah-VAHR me-goo-KHAHKH) – Monkeys flying around the moon is something absurd. You know what else is מגוחך?…
לזייף כֶּסֶף מְזֻיַּף (KEH-sef me-zoo-YAHF) is counterfeit money. לְזַיֵּף (le-zah-YEF) is to counterfeit. The root of both is ז.י.פ (z.y.p/f). One can also counterfeit a decent voice while singing. In English we call this phenomenon singing off-key. In Hebrew, we call it לזייף – to sing off-key – or זִיּוּף (zee-YOOF) – the act of singing…
תייר, תיירת I’m writing to you from an Internet center (“centre”) in Central London. I just spent the afternoon touring with a friend. We went to the British Museum, the Wallace Collection and walked around Oxford Street. London’s a cool place. In the next couple days perhaps I’ll upload a picture/photo of my trip/journey (mixing…
להכשיר Following yesterday’s word, כִּשָּׁרוֹן (kee-shah-ROHN) – talent, I’ve got a related word from the same root (כ.ש.ר – k.sh.r). To cause someone to be prepared for a task or to train someone is לְהַכְשִׁיר (le-hahkh-SHEER). For example, אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ לְהַכְשִׁיר מִישֶׁהוּ בְּרַעֲנָנָה (ah-NEE hoh-LEKH le-hahkh-SHEER MEE-sheh-hoo be-rah-ah-NAH-nah) – I’m going to train someone…
כשרון You probably know the Hebrew word for Kosher – כָּשֵׁר (kah-SHEHR). Literally, the word means prepared. The root כ.ש.ר (k.sh.r) is also used to imply that someone is naturally prepared for some task; that the person has talent or a knack for it. The word for talent or knack is כִּשָּׁרוֹן (kee-shah-ROHN). To say that a person…