Hebrew may be one of the oldest written languages today, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t evolved. Today, in addition to the official State of Israel’s Hebrew language, many different dialects and vernaculars are used around the globe by both Jews and non-Jews.
Whether you’re interested in learning how to speak Hebrew or want to sound more interesting at cocktail parties, here are five things you didn’t know about this unique language and its long and storied history!
All Hebrew Words Have a Root
One of the things that makes Hebrew so fun and easy to learn is that one can break every single word into its root. Learning their roots will help you decode words and understand their meaning!
One example is the word “beyitz”, which means home or dwelling place. A few letters away on the same keyboard is “beit” (synagogue), which has the same three-letter root that means house or dwelling place.
The Hebrew Alphabet is Written from Right to Left, from Top to Bottom
The Hebrew alphabet is written from right to left, from top to bottom. It contrasts with most modern scripts, which are written in a left-to-right fashion. Contrary to popular belief, the Hebrew language does not include vowel symbols.
The numbers, however, are written from left to right.
Elaborate Calligraphy Takes Years to Master
The beautifully-crafted swirls of letters take years to master. A cursive style of writing, developed in medieval Italy during the 13th century, is used in the calligraphy of languages that are mostly Arabic- and Persian-derived.
Written from right to left, with each letter joined together, this form of calligraphy is genuinely one of a kind.
Typewriters with Hebrew Fonts are Becoming Extinct
Although English-speaking countries have only recently started learning the language, the Hebrew alphabet has been around for thousands of years.
Typewriters with Hebrew fonts are becoming extinct thanks to technology’s advances in other areas, such as on the internet.
Even so, this is not necessarily bad because typing in Hebrew can sometimes be challenging.
One Hebrew Word is Equal to Many English Words
Like any other language, Hebrew is full of words with both literal and figurative meanings. But instead of knowing every word in the dictionary, you only need to know one word which could translate as many English words as you want.
For example, Malchut means both ‘kingdom’ and ‘royalty.’
Suffixes and Prefixes of Hebrew Words Have Different Meanings
Each Hebrew word has a suffix called a Meforash, which denotes the type of word.
For example, if a word ends with alef, it’s referring to something abstract like hope or love, whereas if the last letter of the Hebrew word is ayin, it refers to something physical like an apple or time.
The prefixes at the beginning of a word are just as important. Depending on what prefix is present, the meaning can change completely. For instance, the prefix kaf means like, but when added at the beginning of another word, it becomes a coincidence.
Most Hebrew Words are Related to Religion
The words’ amen,’ ‘hallelujah,’ and the word religion come from the Hebrew language.