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I notice a trend to say certain things in Hebrew, that we won’t say in English. Is there something better about saying it in Hebrew? Or does it just sound more refined, so we do it even though it means exactly the same thing?
For example, erva, toeiva, etc.
So that if it’s searched for on Google in conjunction with other words that would make YWN come up, it won’t be a result.
Tora
Usually the terms are used becaused thats what the Torah calls them and the Torah uses loshon nekiyah so saying Toeivah is a cleaner word than saying homosexual for example.
As WIY said, it is a lashon nikiya. A nicer, more refined way of saying it.
Perhaps the fact that you are using “Lashon HaKodesh” – The Holy Language – makes it better.
The Torah which has no extra words added “extra words” to refer to a non-Kosher animal as “not tahor” rather than “tamei”.
The words we say affect us more than we realize and it couldn’t hurt to say things in a nicer way.
On a lighter note, in honor of Purim, there might be an inyan to not saying the name of The Dark Lord ^_^
Hmm, I wonder if Israelis say those words in English. They should.
Torah
“Good point. I was really tired if I couldn’t think of that. :)”
Typical woman cant give a man full credit :-p
Torah
Lol. You didn’t have to take me so seriously.
Many times i have heard people say gehanim in classes and speaches,i understand totally many people feel it not right to say the english word they are refering to. What bothers me is that people seem to think that just because you say it in hebrew doesnt mean it has the same meaning as it does in english. I hear people all the time saying to others “you will go to gehenim for that”… do people not relaize they are saying the word either way no matter what language or is it supposed to be better???
Torah
“I’d rather be too humble than too arrogant.”
Words to live by.
YW Moderator-42:
Voldemort, Voldemort, VOLDEMORT!
Israelis unfortunately say many English curse words without knowing their meaning. You might be very surprised by some of this, as I was, and when you explain what they said, they are in shock and normally stop using that word if -you are believed.
So the next time you hear someone do that, ask him/her if they realize what they are saying. If not, you would do them a kindness to let them know that what they are saying is nivul peh in English. Maybe they will stop saying it. If they ARE aware of the meaning of the words they are using, or that it is offensive language, and they choose to use it anyway, you can expect them to probably continue, even if you express your dismay.
Hebrew is the only language that in and of itself has NO nivul peh. All the scatalogical expressions uttered by some Israelis, are Arab or another foreign language, in origin.
All languages have different euphemisms. Words the cross between cultures can be prolematic, even for dialects withing a language. Words that were mildly rude in the secular Yiddish of pre-war New York and quite obscene in the Yiddish of modern Boro Park (just ask Chuck Schumer, D’Amato tried to be cute and insulting and ended up being crude and vulgar, and an ex-Senator). Sometimes words derived from one language get different meanngs in another (the English word “sodomy” is of Hebrew origin but has nothing to do with the Humash origins of the word). Hebrew is more tricky since itg was primarily used by Bnei Torah for over 1500 years, and Bnei Torah are much more refined than the average user, so much crude language dropped out of Hebrew and is absent in modern Ivrit.
There are just things you have to learn with learning a language. It is interesting, but not a big deal.
Nobody would say something in Gehenom’s name. It might have the same definition in the dictionary but it doesn’t mean the same thing. The same goes for many other words. When I use one word my head is in the Beis Medrash; when I use the other word, my head is in the bathroom.
Emunah: That’s because it’s not a curse word in Israeli society. Curse words are inherently subjectively. Totally innocuous words to Americans are considered incredible offensive in England and vice versa. There is nothing inherently bad about the word. You can ask them not to say it because you don’t like to hear it (totally understandable), but it doesn’t mean anything bad to them like it does to you.
I would venture that there are words that we are taught as children not to use; we still have an aversion to them. Even those of us who use them on occasion still feel uncomfortable using them. In a different language though, we never developed that discomfort.
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