Spoken Hebrew has always been influenced by Israel’s location in the Middle-East. This did not start in the 20th century. Hebrew has been absorbing Arabic terms throughout history starting back in Islamic Golden Age.
| Arabic and Hebrew are both Semite languages. Evolving from the same origins, both languages share similarities in words and grammar structures.Some of the greatest Jewish philosophy works were written in Arabic during Islamic Golden Age (7th-13th centuries) by the Rambam, Rabbi Saadia Gaon and others. Translation of those to Hebrew resulted in addition of dozens of Arabic words into Hebrew. Among those are : Climate (אקלים), Center (מרכז), Diameter (קוטר), Date (תאריך). |  |
In modern times and along the course of Zionist settlement in Israel, Arabic became an ongoing source for words and expressions adopted into the spoken language and slang. Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the reviver of Hebrew language, regarded Arabic to be a keen language to Hebrew. When seeking for sources for new words he therefore used Arabic word root along with Aramaic and other Semite languages. Many of those words actually did not “catch”.
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The other Arabic lingual influence in those days came with the cultural integration. The Jewish defense organization in those days for example, used to wear Arab clothing and also borrowed Arabic words and expressions such as “Dahilak”, which means “I plead you”.In the years to follow and until these days, the neighboring Arabic language and the increasing interaction with Israeli Arabs supplies an endless recourse for slang words spicing up the daily spoken Hebrew. |
Here are few examples:
Ahbal (أهْبَل) – is idiot/fool in both languages
Akhla – Good, great. It comes from the Arabic word أحلى meaning sweet.
Insha’alla – With god’s will (Im Yiertze Hashem).(إن شَاءَ اللّه)
Akbar – the great. It is an adjective used in numerous occasions,, such as Akbar Gever for mucho.
Asli – The real thing.
Budgeras – Chaos, mess to solve. This expression originated from the Arabic word Wuadga El Ras meaning headache.
Dgabel (جَبْل) – Mountain. Very common word in military (IDF) slang.
Jora – pit. Comes from جورة, which means a hole in the ground (yes, that type of hole).
Jama (جماعة) stands for group, gang.
Janana – Craziness. Hebrew slang word “developed” from the word Magenoon.
Dugry – Acting/talking straight forward. In Arabic the word Da’ari means straight.
Dir Balak – Beware. When threatening or warning someone.
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Salam, Shalom,
I like very much these few Hebrew words which show how much similitudes there are between Arabic and Hebrew languages that mean too how much close are our two origin’s people, from Abraham to Ismael to Ishaac.
Thank you very much for that I wish you will add more words to allow us who live far than any Hebrew book.
I just wish to add some comments about the meaning or writing of the following words : (Arabic and French)
Akhla – Good, great. It comes from the Arabic word أحلى meaning sweet. Ahla in Arabic means rather better (comparatif : meilleur, plus joli, etc.)
Insha’alla – With god’s will (Im Yiertze Hashem).(إن شَاءَ اللّه) . When or if God wants (French = si Dieu veut)
Akbar – the great. It is an adjective used in numerous occasions,, such as Akbar Gever for mucho. Means the greatest (superlatif. French : Le plus Grand.
Budgeras – Chaos, mess to solve. This expression originated from the Arabic word Wuadga El Ras meaning headache. Arabic expression is : Wagaa El Ras meaning as you wrote Headache.
Janana – Craziness. Hebrew slang word “developed” from the word Magenoon. Magenoon means crazy (French : Fou) while Craziness means Junoon (French = Folie)
Dugry – Acting/talking straight forward. In Arabic the word Da’ari means straight. The Arabic word is Dughri or dugri not Da’ari.
Sincerely
Abida Zeddam
Salam,
It’s my pleasure to be with you in this blog.
This similitudes are great between arabic and hebrew, I want to participate some small words with you, and Insha’alla it will help you.
أَب אבא Father
إبْن בן Son
أَخ אח Brother
أُخت אחות Sister
أُسبوع שבוע Week
إسْمي שמי My Name
أَكْل אוכל Food
إلَهي אלוהי God
أُمّ אם Mather
أنَا אני Me
أَنْتَ אתה You
إنْتِقام נקמה Revenge, Vengeance
برق ברק Lightning, Thunderbolt; Flash; Glitter
َبَركَة ברכה Pond
بَصَل בצל Onion
بَطْن בטן Stomach, Belly, Abdomen
بَنَات בּנות Girls
بَيْت בית Home
تَحْت תחת Under
تَرْجَمة תרגום Translate
جِبْنَة גבינה Cheese
جَزَر גזר Carrot
جَمَل גמל Camel
جُوز אגוז Nut, Hazel, Walnut
حِمار חמור Donkey
حَياة חיים Life
دَم דם Blood
ذباب זבוב Fly
رَأس ראש Head
رِجْل רגל Foot
رَحْمَة רחמנות Pity, Compassion, Mercy
رُوح רוח Spirit
رِيح רוח Wind
زَيْتُون זית Olive
ساعَة שעה Hour
سَفِينَة ספינה Ship
سِكّينِ סכין Knife
سَلام שלום Peace
سَماء שמים Sky
سِن שן Tooth
سَنَة שנה Year
سُوق שוק Market, Marketplace
شَعْر שער Hair
شِمال שמאל Left
شَمْس שמש Sun
طَبِيعَة טבע Nature
ظِل צל Shadow
عاَلَم עולם World, Universe
عَيْن עין Eye
قدس קדוש Holy, Sacred; Saint, St; Saintly
قَرْن קרן Ray, Beamm, Shaft
قَلْب לב Heart
كِتابَة כתיבה Writing
كُل כל Eat
كَلْب כלב Dog
كَمْ؟ כמה? How Much
لا לא No
لَهَب להב Blade, Edge; Flame
لَيْل לילה Night
مِسْمار מסמר Nail
مَطَر מטר Rain
مُفْتاح מפתח Key
مَفْتُوح פתוח Open
مُقَدَّس מקודש Holy
مِلْح מלח Salt
مَلِك מלך King
مَوْت מות Death
مِياه מים Water
نحن אנחנו We
نَهَر נהר River
وَلَد ילד Boy
يَمِين ימין Right
يَوْم יום Day
And the numbers :
واحِد אחד One
إثنان שניים Two
ثلاثة שלושה Three
أَرْبَعَة ארבעה Four
خَمْسَة חמשה Five
سِتَّة ששה Six
سَبْعَة שבעה Seven
ثَمانِيَة שמונה Eight
تِسْعَة תשעה Nine
عَشْرَة עשרה Ten
مائة מאה Hundred
ألْف אלף Thousand
hope to inform me about any comments,
best wishes,
Najeeb Shamlih
najeebshamlih@hotmail.com
Dear Mrs. Zeddam,
Dear Abida Zeddam ,Shalom and Salem,
Thank you for your comments and the new words.
You are correct. There are many Hebrew words which reflect the similarities between the two languages. In this article I mentioned on a few. There are many others that sound like foreign language (sometimes Arabic). For example Kalb in Arabic and Kelev (כלב , dog) in Hebrew. This is only natural as Arabic and Hebrew are both Semite languages that evolved from the same origins.
You are also welcome to visit our Classical Hebrew Blog in http://www.classicalhebrewblog.com/.
Sigal Mendelson
Dear Mr Sigal Mendelson,
Really sorry to be so late to answer I discovered the letters just now (10 – 12mn ago!) so I thank you very much for the website I will surely visit it soon.
About the word “Kelb” meaning dog there is another word in Arabic meaning heart very close but using a consonant wich is not existing in English or French and may be in Hebrew it is the “kaf” (kamar = moon; kelb = heart; karib = close; bakar = cows etc.) so I think that it will be interesting (for me of course)to learn the Hebrew alphabet and comparing it with the Arabic alphabet to get the right pronunciation in both languages.
Than you again
Best wishes for 2012 inchaAllah
Abida Zeddam
Thanks for this superb post. If you are learning Hebrew, even in Israel, it is extremely hard to learn slang words, because you don’t hear them often, and it is extremely difficult to use slang in the correct way at the right time, to make it sound good. If you use slang wrongly or inappropriately, it can sound offensive or stupid. So thanks for these Hebrew (or Hebric = Hebrew+Arabic) words which I will listen out for. Another Hebrew/Arabic word is “fashla” meaning a mistake, and the Hebrew word “fashalti” meaning “I made a mistake”.
Yes, I agree. You better be familiar with the subtleties of the slang before using it. Otherwise, one might get into embarrassing situations.
“Fashla” is an older slang-word, but is still commonly used.
You are also welcome to visit our Classical Hebrew Blog in http://www.classicalhebrewblog.com
Regards Sigal Mendelson
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