Some people claim that Hebrew is the mother of all languages. No matter what its history or origin, Hebrew, a language that has its origins in the Fertile Crescent, has crept into North American\u2013spoken English. And this process works in reverse too, as many English words and phrases have crept into the Hebrew language. Interestingly enough \u2014 while you as an English speaker may identify these words as \u201cEnglish,\u201d some of these words derive from Italian and French, which shows the universality of certain words.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve ever been to a synagogue or had a bit of Jewish education, you probably already know a little Hebrew. But even if you\u2019ve never walked through a synagogue\u2019s door or studied anything Jewish, you still probably know some Hebrew words. For example, you have probably heard the word amen. That word is Hebrew! \u201cAmen\u201d comes from a word meaning faith or belief and people usually say it at the end of a prayer. And the word Hallelujah? Hebrew again! The word literally means, \u201cPraise God.\u201d Even the word alphabet derives from the Hebrew words for the first two letters of its alphabet, aleph \u05d0<\/span> and \u05d1\u05bc<\/span> bet.<\/p>\n Of course, you may have heard of other Jewish words, such as \u05e9\u05dc\u05e4\u05bc<\/span> shlep (to drag or pull<\/em>) and \u05e7\u05d5\u05d8\u05e9<\/span> kv-ehch (to complain<\/em>), that are actually Yiddish, that are also a part of the Israeli vernacular today. You may never even have thought about other words that have Hebrew roots. For example, did you know that cinnamon is a derivative of the Hebrew word \u05e7\u05b4\u05e0\u05bc\u05b8\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05df<\/span> (kee-nah-mohn<\/em>) which appears in the Biblical book, The Song of Songs?<\/p>\n There are lots of words that you can find that don’t require too much effort – other than being able to read the alphabet. Here’s a listing of words that are found in Hebrew that are borrowed from English:<\/p>\n avocado – \u05d0\u05b8\u05d1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e7\u05b8\u05d3\u05d5\u05b9<\/span> – ah-voh-kah-doh<\/p>\n banana – \u05d1\u05bc\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – bah-nah-nah<\/p>\n bank – \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05e0\u05b0\u05e7<\/span> – bahnk<\/p>\n cafe – \u05e7\u05b8\u05e4\u05b6\u05d4<\/span> – cah-feh<\/p>\n camel – \u05d2\u05bc\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05dc<\/span> – gah-mahl<\/p>\n cello – \u05e6\u05b6’\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9<\/span> – cheh-loh<\/p>\n chips (french fries<\/em>) –\u05e6\u05b4’\u05d9\u05e4\u05bc\u05b0\u05e1<\/span> – cheeps<\/p>\n chocolate – \u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b8\u05d3<\/span> – sho-ko-lahd<\/p>\n Coca Cola – – ko-ka-ko-la<\/p>\n coffee – \u05e7\u05b8\u05e4\u05b6\u05d4<\/span> – cah-feh<\/p>\n concert – \u05e7\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b0\u05e6\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05d8<\/span> – kohn-tsert<\/p>\n electronics – \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05e7\u05b0\u05d8\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – eh-lehk-trohn-eekah<\/p>\n hamburger – \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05d1\u05bc\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8\u05b0\u05d2\u05bc\u05b6\u05e8<\/span> – hahm-boor-gehr<\/p>\n internet – \u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b0\u05d8\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05e0\u05b6\u05d8<\/span> – een-tehr-neht<\/p>\n ketchup – \u05e7\u05b6\u05d8\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e4\u05bc<\/span> – kehch-ohp<\/p>\n kiosk – \u05e7\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e1\u05b0\u05e7<\/span> – kee-osk<\/p>\n macaroni – \u05de\u05b8\u05e7\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9<\/span> – mah-kah-roh-nee<\/p>\n margarine – \u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d2\u05bc\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – mahr-gahr-ee-nah<\/p>\n mathematics – \u05de\u05b8\u05ea\u05b6\u05de\u05b8\u05d8\u05b4\u05d9\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – mah-teh-mah-tee-kah<\/p>\n mayonnaise – \u05de\u05b8\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05e0\u05b6\u05d6<\/span> – mah-yoh-nehz<\/p>\n mint – \u05de\u05b4\u05e0\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – meen-tah<\/p>\n museum – \u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05d6\u05b5\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05df<\/span> – moo-zeh-ee-ohn<\/p>\n music – \u05de\u05d5\u05bc\u05d6\u05b4\u05d9\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – moo-zee-kah<\/p>\n okay – \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e7\u05b5\u05d9<\/span> – okay<\/p>\n pizza – \u05e4\u05bc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e6\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – pee-tsah<\/p>\n politics – \u05e4\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05d8\u05b4\u05d9\u05e7\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – poh-lee-tee-kah<\/p>\n professor – \u05e4\u05bc\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05e4\u05b6\u05e1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8<\/span> – proh-fess-ohr<\/p>\n radio – \u05e8\u05b7\u05d3\u05b0\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9<\/span> – rah-dee-oh<\/p>\n salad – \u05e1\u05b8\u05dc\u05b8\u05d8<\/span> – sah-laht<\/p>\n sandwich – \u05e1\u05b6\u05e0\u05b0\u05d3\u05bc\u05b0\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05e5<\/span> – sehnd-veech<\/p>\n student – \u05e1\u05b0\u05d8\u05d5\u05bc\u05d3\u05b6\u05e0\u05b0\u05d8<\/span> – stoo-dent<\/p>\n sugar – \u05e1\u05bb\u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e8<\/span> – soo-khahr \/ soo-kahr<\/p>\n supermarket – \u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05bc\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05de\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e7\u05b6\u05d8<\/span> – soo-pehr-mahr-keht<\/p>\n tea – \u05ea\u05bc\u05b5\u05d4<\/span> – teh<\/p>\n telephone – \u05d8\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05e4\u05d5\u05b9\u05df<\/span> – teh-leh-fohn<\/p>\n television – \u05d8\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05d6\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – teh-leh-vee-zee-yah<\/p>\n theater – \u05ea\u05bc\u05b5\u05d0\u05b7\u05d8\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05df<\/span> – teh-aht-rohn<\/p>\n university – \u05d0\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u05d1\u05b6\u05e8\u05b0\u05e1\u05b4\u05d9\u05d8\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – oo-nee-vehr-sii-teh<\/p>\n video – \u05d5\u05b4\u05d9\u05d3\u05b5\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9<\/span> – vee-deh-oh<\/p>\n zoology – \u05d6\u05d5\u05b9\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05d2\u05b0\u05d9\u05b8\u05d4<\/span> – zoh-oh-loh-gee-ah<\/p>\n The Academy for Hebrew Language<\/a>, (the institute responsible for creating Modern Hebrew words<\/em>), did create an authentic Hebrew word for the telephone. The academy called the telephone a Sach-Rachok<\/strong> (sahch-rahchohk<\/em>), which put together the words for conversation and long distance. So telephone translated as \u201clong-distance conversation.\u201d Pretty clever, huh? However this word didn\u2019t stick with the Israeli public. So \u05d8\u05b6\u05dc\u05b6\u05e4\u05d5\u05b9\u05df<\/span> is staying around for a little while.<\/p>\n Do you want a way to learn Hebrew vocabulary quickly and easily? Try out the Before You Know It Express software from transparent language? It’s free to download, free to use as long as you want. You can download it from their website here: http:\/\/www.byki.com\/fls\/free-hebrew-software-download.html?l=hebrew<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Some people claim that Hebrew is the mother of all languages. No matter what its history or origin, Hebrew, a language that has its origins in the Fertile Crescent, has crept into North American\u2013spoken English. And this process works in reverse too, as many English words and phrases have crept into the Hebrew language. Interestingly…<\/p>\n
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