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Aug 22, 2010

how to say "logical" in Hebrew...


In English, to think is a general term, while to ponder, to contemplate, to surmise, etc. are related to thinking but are more specific. 

Hebrew works the same way, with לַחְשׁוֹב (lahkh-SHOHV) meaning to think, and other words denoting something more specific. For example, the Biblical and Modern Hebrew לַהֲגוֹת (lah-hah-GOHT) means to pronounce, but also to ponder. Likewise, הִגָּיוֹן (hee-gah-YOHN), in Biblical Hebrew, refers to the act of pondering (תְּהִלִּים י"ט - Psalms 19).

In Medieval times, the study of logic became a central discipline for scholars. So for Jewish scholars, the word הגיון took on a meaning even more specific than pondering - it came to mean logic, which is what the word means to this day.

That which is logical is הֶגְיוֹנִי (heh-gyoh-NEE). For example, זֶה הֶגְיוֹנִי שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶש שׁוֹקַעַת כָּל יוֹם (zeh heh-gyoh-NEE sheh-hah-SHEH-mesh shoh-KAH-aht kohl yohm) - It's logical that the sun sets every day.

3 comments - I'm taking requests!:

  1. I love your Word of the Day. I love to go walking, but often find unleashed dogs. How would I say. "Your dog needs to be leashed". Thank you.
    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoy your excellent postings! A friend of mine who lived in Israel for a number of years described things as chet-peh-yud-peh (cha-fif). Can you tell me what this means?

    David Larchmont, New York USA
    ReplyDelete
  3. Stiofan Mac Giolla EaspuigAug 22, 2010 07:27 PM
    Logic, seems... Pedagogic. Logos....seems to be..In Charge of all the Philos and all the Logisticalities.....TBC
    ReplyDelete

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