eu·re·ka (yŏŏ-rē’kə)

A word that is beloved and ubiquitous in Israel is Balagan (בָּלָגָן); it colloquially means “mess” or “disaster”. It’s easy to see why it is so frequently used in a country where disaster is prophesied weakly (weekly, too) and everything seems on the verge of chaos.

It’s origin is somewhat shrouded in mystery as are most slang words. Referring to the root doesn’t really help; according to Amos Oz’s father in A Tale of Love and Darkness, it is derived from the Persian word for balcony ()  – in Persian (or Farsi if you prefer) balakana – because balconies in those days were where laundry and cleaning supplies were kept.

As one might imagine, the balcony was disorganized, filthy and generally a mess.  Since the Jews were exiled in Persia centuries ago and continue to live in present-day Iran, it makes perfect sense that a foreign word would be adopted into Hebrew and used in this way.

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It goes without saying that Hebrew is an ancient language and that many of the words that were used to identify certain ailments were derived from perceived causation.

For instance, the word for rabies in Hebrew is kalevet (כַּלֶּבֶת).  It derives from dog – kelev (כֶּלֶב) – which seems sensible enough.  So, rabies is literally doggish or doggified; it’s a modifier derived from the dog’s rabid behavior.  (Incidentally, the name Caleb also derives from dog; according to a professor of mine, Caleb used to be Kalev-El or “dog of God” [as in, loyal and devoted]).

Deriving the word for rabies from dog makes complete sense; rabies was probably understood in terms of the manifestation of rabid symptoms most commonly observed in the typical foaming mad dog.

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According to The Local, an English Swedish daily, the blue crossing boxes in Tel Aviv (and elsewhere) are meant to remind the cross-walker of God and Jesus.

From the article:

“Prisma Teknik AB, the Swedish company behind the pedestrian signals, has now admitted that the hand is meant as a hidden symbol for God. In fact, the company says it has never made any secret of the fact.

“We want to show that there is only one way to reach God and that is up and through Jesus“, CEO Jan Lund told The Local.”

What everyone thought – Swedes included – was merely a pointer to reinforce the button to be pushed to signal a walker’s desire to cross is in fact an idiotic and pointless “reminder” of Jesus,  How silly is this.

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There was an interesting article in the about two Hebrew words: stam (סְתָם) and daavka (דַּוְקָא).

They’re closely related – not etymologically – but in usage.  Even native Hebrew speakers have trouble defining them.  As the article states, “Stam, ultimately from the root for ‘closed,’ and “davka, which is a little harder. Originally it meant ‘precisely.’”

The gist behind stam is that, as the author notes, “it can be a modifier with adjectival force” with an underlying meaning of “for no particular reason.”  It’s often heard in conversation to clarify a sarcastic response.  For instance, someone asks you if woke up late – ie, you’re a mess – which is quickly followed by stam and a smile.  It’s easy to understand the underlying meaning of stam because of the visual cues usually associated with it.  The original meaning of closed continues to persist if only in a residual force.  When someone says stam in any context it’s meant to sever any kind of reasonable response.

The matter is closed; whether it’s a joke – the statement wasn’t meant to offend, it was a joke – or a response to a question – as in, it just is or for no reason – the issue isn’t to be continued.

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New immigrants in Israel are often told to have patience – savlanut (סַבְלָנוּת) – with our new surroundings.  Whether trying to explain to some hardened bureaucrat at the Ministy of the Interior or pleading with a cable rep to come to your house the cached response is savlanut, you must have savlanut.

It’s an infuriating irony that the people who are telling you to be patient never are.  Countless times phones have been hung up, people have walked away and projectiles have even been thrown but rarely if ever has patience been exhibited.

I had been living in Israel for a couple of months when I had lunch with my aunt and another relative.  I explained to them the ups and downs of immigration and how weary I was of savlanut.

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Nice is a word that – because I have studied Latin – maintains a very different feel that it does for most people.  For most, the word nice is simply a gentle, nondescript way to say someone or something is pleasant and agreeable.

However, if one does a little digging into the history of the word, nice becomes less of a compliment and more of a euphemism. Nice comes from Latin via French originating in the verb nescio, -are, -avi, -atum.  Nescio comes from a verb scire and a preposition ne.  Ne means not and scire means to know (from which words such as science - knowing - originate).

Nescio therefore literally means “to not know”.  So when someone says that such-and-such is nice they’re giving the impression of a bland and simple person.  And while people wil protest that someone who’s nice is simply pleasant, the word still carries with it some feeling of unwantedness.

For instance, imagine the following:  Someone sets you up on a blind date and the girl is described simply as “nice”.  Horror sets in as you try to imagine what possible deformities the date could have to warrant the meager description of “nice”.

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