2. DISEÑO METODOLÓGICO
2.5 CONSIDERACIONES ÉTICAS
“Enlightened”
רֹואָנ
A couple of years ago I worked with a man named רֹואָנ, who runs a non-profit organization in Tel Aviv. His name means enlightened. The female version of the word/name is ה ָרֹוא ְנ.
The word/name is actually a derivative of the לעפנ verb form, and its root is the word רֹוא meaning light.
“Brilliant”
קי ִר ְב ַמ
The Hebrew word for lightning – or a sparkle of light – is ק ָר ָבּ. It’s also the name of a
hero in םי ִט ְפֹושׁ רֶפ ֵס – the Book of Judges – as well as the first name of the current
American president.
Something shining in such a way as to describe it as brilliant is called, in Hebrew,
קי ִר ְב ַמ – an adjective deriving from the active-causative ליעפה form.
A couple of examples:
קירבמ ןֹויֲע ַר ה ֶז – that’s a brilliant idea; קירבמ ם ָדאָ ן ֶבּ אי ִה – she’s a brilliant person
(Note קירבמ is used in the masculine, since it describes the word םדא, a masculine word used nevertheless to refer to people of both genders.)
Contrary to what you might expect, קירבמ is not related to the English word maverick.
“Friendly”
י ִתוּר ְב ֶח ,י ִתוּדי ִד ְי
Words for friendship include תוּר ֵב ֲח and תוּדי ִד ְי. The word תורבח – based on the
root ר.ב.ח, (kh.b.r), meaning connection – implies a well-established bond of
friendship. תודידי, on the other hand - of the root ד.ו.ד, (d.v.d),
meaning endearment – can be used to describe a growing relationship of positive
feelings.
These words can be used in adjective form as well. For example, to express that a
product is environment-friendly, you’d say, ה ָבי ִב ְסַּל י ִתוּדי ִד ְי אוּה – literally, it’s friendly to the environment.
To say that a person is friendly or sociable, you’d use a word based on the ר.ב.ח root:
י ִתוּר ְב ֶח. For example, תי ִתוּר ְב ֶח ה ָרוּח ָבּ אי ִה – she’s a sociable young woman.
These adjectives create nouns of their own as well: תוּיּ ִתוּדי ִד ְי means friendliness,
while תוּיּ ִתוּר ְב ֶח means sociability.
ד.ו.ד, (d.v.d), is the root for the words associated with friendliness… as well as the words for aunt and uncle – דֹודּ and ה ָדֹודּ, which once meant, simply, beloved one.
The name of the Jewish month of לוּל ֱא is said to be an acronym for י ִדֹוד ְו י ִדֹוד ְל י ִנ ֲא י ִל – I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for me
“International”
י ִמּ ֻא ְל ְני ֵבּ
To create the word international, English takes the word national and affixes to it the prefix, inter-.
Hebrew does the same, where the word י ִמּ ֻא ְל meaning national gets the word inter/between/among – ןי ֵבּ – added to the beginning, yielding י ִמּ ֻא ְלְני ֵבּ.
.ק ֶט-י ַה ַה םוּח ְת ִבּ ה ָמי ִה ְד ַמ י ִמּ ֻא ְלְני ֵבּ אוּצְי ת ַמ ָר שֵׁי ל ֵא ָר ְשׂ ִי תַני ִד ְמ ִל Israel has an amazing level of international export in the field of high-tech.
“Irritating”
קי ִע ֵמ
Sometimes we just need to call a spade a spade and label an event, a song, or a person’s actions as irritating or bothersome – קי ִע ֵמ. The feminine form of this term is ה ָקי ִע ֵמ.
קיעמ comes from the Biblical Hebrew word still used today, ה ָק ָעוּמ – distress. The root of these words is ק.ו.ע, (a.v.k).
קיעמ is an adjective deriving from the active-causative ליעפה verb, קי ִע ָה ְל – to irritate (emotionally, not physically).
To say irritated, you’d use a different word – י ִנ ָבּ ְצַע, which also
means nervous and anxious.
“Devoted”
רוּס ָמ
One of the themes of the Holiday of ה ָכֻּנ ֲח – Hanukkah – is devotion to a cause. The Maccabees were devoted – םי ִרוּס ְמ – to the cause of defending the right of Jews
to practice their religion. Thanks to their תוּרי ִס ְמ – devotion – the Jewish people are
here today.
If a woman is devoted to a cause, she is ה ָרוּס ְמ. If a man is devoted, he is רוּס ָמ.
The root of these words is ר.ס.מ, (m.s.r), one of the roots for the concept of giving. תוריסמ is giving oneself over, as in the phrase, ש ֶפֶנ תוּרי ִס ְמ – giving over oneself, or, less literally, making self-sacrifice.
“Attentive”
בוּשּׁ ָק
When a parent/caregiver is sensitive to or attentive of the emotional cues the baby gives, the baby and adult enjoy a relationship of closeness and security. The baby internalizes this relationship and learns to relate to others, throughout life, from a place of security.
The Hebrew word for attentive is בוּשּׁ ָק, or ה ָבוּשּׁ ַק in the feminine. It’s related to a
word you’ve certainly come across if you’ve taken a course with Ulpan La-Inyan,
בי ִשׁ ְק ַה ְל – to listen.
For example:
.תַלוּזּ ַה בֵלְל םָג ְו ,ֹובּ ִלְל בוּשּׁ ַק תֹוי ְה ִל י ִר ָצ ם ָדאָ
“Vulnerable”
ַ
עי ִג ָפּ
Brené Brown, in a video that I (you too, undoubtedly) can relate to so well, says that at the core of being able to love is the willingness to be vulnerable – to put oneself “out there” where one might get hurt.
Vulnerable, in Hebrew, is עי ִגָפּ for a male and ה ָעי ִג ְפּ for a female. Likewise, vulnerability is תוּעי ִג ְפּ.
These words come from the root ע.ג.פ, (p.g.a), whose basic meaning is contact, usually the type that hurts.
For example:
.םי ִב ֲהֹוא י ִכ ֲה וּנאָ ֶשׁ י ִמ ְבּ םי ִעְגֹופּ וּנאָ
We hurt whom we love most.
It’s the same root as עוּגּ ִפּ, the official Hebrew term for terror attack. Vulnerability is
also about taking risks, where the results could be terrible... but they could also be wonderful.
And, according to Brené, vulnerability is necessary if one is to really love.
“Unavailable”
ןי ִמ ָז א
When traveling abroad, it becomes difficult to stay in contact with people, especially when you are traveling to places that do not have Wifi.
To say I’m not available for a man would be – ןי ִמ ָז א י ִנ ֲא, and for a woman – א י ִנ ֲא הָני ִמ ְז.
“Unforgivable”
חַל ְס ִנ י ִתּ ְל ִבּ
This entry was written in the wake of the Itamar Massacre
The butchering of an innocent family is an unforgivable act – חַל ְס ִנ י ִתּ ְל ִבּ ה ֶשֲׂע ַמ.
The word חלסנ falls into the לעפנ verb pattern, though the word itself functions as an adjective. The root is ח.ל.ס, (s.l.kh) – forgiveness.
“Logical”
י ִנֹוי ְג ֶה
In English, to think is a general term, while to ponder, to contemplate, to surmise, etc. are related to thinking but are more specific.
Hebrew works the same way, with בֹושׁ ְחַל meaning to think while other words
denote something more specific. For example, the Biblical and Modern Hebrew
תֹוגֲהַל means to pronounce, but also to ponder. Likewise, ןֹויָגּ ִה, in Biblical Hebrew,
refers to the act of pondering (ט”י םי ִלּ ִה ְתּ – Psalms 19).
In Medieval times, the study of logic became a central discipline for scholars. So for Jewish scholars, the word ןויגה took on a meaning even more specific than
pondering – it came to mean logic, which is what the word means to this day.
“Professional”
י ִעֹוצ ְק ִמ
The Modern Hebrew word for profession – עֹוצ ְק ִמ – appears in the Bible meaning the
side of a room/a geometrical figure. The root is ע.צ.ק, (k.ts.a), a root that shares its first
two letters with other roots of a similar meaning: ה.צ.ק, (k.ts.h), – edge; ר.צ.ק, (k.ts.r), – short (in length); etc.
What does a side have to do with a profession? By gaining a profession, a person acquires his/her side or corner in the workforce. Think carving a niche.
To describe someone as professional you’d use ת/י ִעֹוצ ְק ִמ. For example, אוּה י ִעֹוצ ְק ִמ רֹוטָל ֶט ְס ְני ִא – he is a professional plumber.
By contrast, to say someone is a professional, you’d use ן ָעֹוצ ְק ִמ or תי ִנ ָעֹוצ ְק ִמ.
“Reliable”
ןי ִמאָ
You’re certainly familiar with the word ן ֵמאָ – amen. The three-letter root of the word makes up the entire word. Its core meaning is trust.
Thus the word for reliable is ןי ִמאָ, or הָני ִמאָ, when speaking of a female or a
feminine object. For example:
.ןי ִמאָ בֶכ ֶר ה ֶז
“Rich”
רי ִשׁ ָע
The Hebrew word for wealth is ר ֶשֹׁע – not to be confused with the word
for happiness. Thus the word for wealthy is רי ִשׁ ָע in the masculine and ה ָרי ִשֲׁע in the
feminine.
For example:
.םי ִט ְנ ַדי ִס ְקֹואי ִט ְנאַ ְבּ םי ִרי ִשֲׁע םי ִלָכ ֲא ַמ לֹוכ ֱאֶל בוּשׁ ָח It’s important to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants. ?תֹויּ ִנֲע תֹוני ִד ְמ ִל ַעֵיּ ַס ְל תֹוכי ִר ְצ תֹורי ִשֲׁע תֹוני ִד ְמ ם ִא ַה Must wealthy countries aid poor countries?
“Serious”
רוּמ ָח ,י ִני ִצ ְר
The translation of serious into Modern Hebrew, when referring to a person, an offer, etc. is י ִני ִצ ְר in the masculine and תי ִני ִצ ְר in the feminine.
For example:
.י ִני ִצ ְר רוּח ָבּ אוּה
He’s a serious young man (in Hebrew, this is a compliment). .ה ָר ְשׂ ִמַּל םי ִיּ ִני ִצ ְר םי ִד ָמֳע ָמ ה ָמּ ַכּ שֵׁי
There are several serious candidates for the position.
To describe a situation, an action, etc. as serious or grave, however, you’d use a different word: רוּמ ָח in the masculine and ה ָרוּמ ֲח in the feminine. These words
usually refer to things that shouldn’t have been done.
For example:
To write on the wall of the synagogue is a serious act.
רוּמ ָח is likely not related to the word רֹומ ָח meaning donkey.
“Sophisticated”
ם ָכּ ְח ֻת ְמ
If you know some Hebrew, you surely know the word for wise or smart – ה ָמ ָכ ֲח/ם ָכ ָח
But sophisticated is more than smart. It takes smart to a whole different level. Thus Hebrew takes the root מ.כ.ח, (kh.k.m), and adds a ת (t) to the beginning, taking the meaning of the words derived to a whole new level.
You might say, ם ָכּ ְח ֻת ְמ ם ָדאָ אוּה – he is a sophisticated person. םכחותמ is an adjective derived from the לעופ verb form.
“Strange”
רָזוּמ
In Biblical Hebrew, a man from the outside, a stranger, is an ר ָז שׁי ִא, while a strange woman is an ה ָר ָז ה ָשּׁ ִא. Likewise, a male foreign worker is an ר ָז דֵבֹוע, while a female is an ה ָר ָז ת ֶד ֶבֹוע.
The adjectives רז and הרז become nouns as well, so that a strange man is sometimes called a רז and a strange woman a הרז.
The word ר ָזוּמ meaning simply strange or weird, in Modern Hebrew, appears once in
the Bible, in ט”כ םי ִלּ ִה ְתּ – Psalms 29:
.י ִמּ ִא יֵנ ְב ִל י ִר ְכָנ ְו י ָח ֶא ְל י ִתי ִי ָה רָזוּמ
Estranged I am to my brothers and foreign to my mother’s sons.
רזומ is an adjective deriving from the passive-causative לעפוה verb form, so that the word means, literally, made strange.
“Unique”
י ִדוּח ִי
If you’ve already got some Hebrew under your belt, you probably know the word for special – ד ָחֻי ְמ.
But there’s special and there’s unique. The Hebrew word for unique is י ִדוּח ִי.
For example:
.תֹוני ִח ְבּ ה ָמּ ַכּ ִמ תי ִדוּח ִי הָני ִד ְמ אי ִה ל ֵא ָר ְשׂ ִי
Israel is a unique state in several ways (literally, from several points of view).
The root is ד.ח.י (y.kh.d), meaning together. It’s related to the root ד.ח.א (a.kh.d) meaning one.
“Stunning”
ם ֵמּ ַה ְמ
Take a look at this phrase, a Tel-Aviv spoof on similar phrases appearing in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and other places:
.ם ֵמּ ַה ְמ ה ָשׁוּב ְל א ְתּ ַא ם ִא וּני ֵתֹונוּכ ְשׁ ִבּ י ִר ְבֲע ַתּ לאַ אָנּ ָא
Don’t pass through our neighborhoods if you don’t look (literally, aren’t dressed) stunning.
The text reads םמהמ and not ת ֶמ ֶמּ ַה ְמ, since the word functions here as an adverb.
Unlike adjectives, adverbs in Hebrew do not change gender or number.
The word ם ֵמּ ַה ְמ means stunning both in the literal sense as well as in the fashion
“Vegan”
י ִנֹוע ְב ִט
The Torah portion Noah, חֹנ, tells the story of destruction and renewal, closeness and separation… as well as vegetarianism and, well, meat-eating.
A vegetarian - one who refrains from eating meat – is a י ִנֹוח ְמ ִצ*, deriving from the
word for plant or herb, ח ַמ ֶצ.
A vegan – one who refrains from eating all animal products – is a י ִנֹוע ְב ִט*, from the
word עַב ֶט – nature.
* These are the masculine versions of the words. To describe a female vegetarian or
vegan, add a ת, (t), to the end of the desired word.
“Consistent”
י ִב ְק ִע
Perhaps you know the Hebrew word for heel, as in the back of your foot: ב ֶק ֵע. It’s
the root of the name Jacob – בֹקֲעַי, who, according to the Biblical story, was born
holding onto the בקע of his twin brother, Esau – ו ָשׂ ֵע.
To follow someone is וה ֶשׁי ִמ י ֵר ֲחאַ בֹוקֲעַל, evoking the image of following footsteps
or heel-prints.
Using the same imagery, Hebrew calls someone or something consistent – that is, behaving in a reliable, predictable manner or taking steady footsteps – י ִב ְק ִע in the