Hebraism
Hebraism [ˈhiːbreɪz(ə)m] is a lexical item, usage or trait characteristic of the Hebrew language. By successive extension it is often applied to the Jewish people, their faith, national ideology or culture.
Idiomatic Hebrew
Hebrew has many idiomatic terms that are not easily translatable to other languages, for example בארבע עיניים be'arba enayim, literally 'with four eyes,' means face to face without the presence of a third person, as in, 'The two men met with four eyes.' The expression לא דובים ולא יער lo dubim ve lo ya'ar is literally "neither bears nor forest" but means that something is completely false. The saying טמן את ידו בצלחת taman et yado batsalakhat "buried his hand in the dish" means that someone idles away his time."[1]
Lexical items deriving from Hebrew
"Hebraism" may also refer to a lexical item with Hebrew etymology, i.e. that (ultimately) derives from Hebrew.[2] For example, the English word stiff-necked, meaning "stubborn", is a calque of Greek σκληροτράχηλος, which is a calque of Hebrew קשה עורף qeshēh ʿōref "hard of neck; stubborn". Similar calques are the way of women (דרך נשים) "menstruation" and flowing with milk and honey (זבת חלב ודבש) "abundance".
Sometimes Hebraisms can be coined using non-Hebrew structure. For example, the
Distinctive language
Beyond simple etymology, both spoken and written Hebrew is marked by peculiar
Systematic Hebraisms
Finally, the word "hebraism" describes a quality, character, nature, or
See also
Notes
- ^ Bivin, David. "Hebrew Idioms in the Gospels," Jerusalem Perspective Online. Archived 2007-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Hebraism," Merriam-Webster online.
- ISBN 9781403938695 [1]
- ^ Arnold, Matthew. "Hebraism and Hellenism". From Culture and Anarchy: An Essay in Political and Social Criticism.
- ISBN 9780838637920.
- ^ Feldman, Louis H., "Hebraism and Hellenism reconsidered," Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, March 1994.
- ^ Strauss, Leo (December 26, 2011). "Jerusalem and Athens". Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Gordon, David (October 31, 2022). "DOES LEO STRAUSS CHOOSE JERUSALEM OR ATHENS?". Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ Reinsch II., Richard M. (April 7, 2019). "Between Rome and 'Jerusalem and Athens'". Russell Kirk Center. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
Further reading
- Hartz, Louis (2001). The Liberal Tradition in America. Princeton University Press. ISBN 069107447X.
- Duncan, Adam J (2013). Leo Strauss: Jerusalem and Athens (1/2: 'Agreement'). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KQ_U9Nt3YE