fbpx

Hebrew Word of the Week: savlanut

A very common word in Israeli Hebrew, even if it is not always put into practice; derived from s-b-l “to carry a load; to endure; to suffer.”
[additional-authors]
March 25, 2016

A very common word in Israeli Hebrew, even if it is not always put into practice; derived from s-b-l “to carry a load; to endure; to suffer.” Likewise, the English (Latin) word “patient” means “one who endures” as well as “a sick, suffering, person (in a hospital).”

Some related words: sabbal “porter, bearer of loads”; sevel “suffering; burden”; svolet “endurance, tolerance”; sovlanut “tolerance”; mesubbalim “pregnant (cattle)” (Psalms 144:14); hu lo sovel otah “He cannot stand her”; nisbal tolerable”; savil “passive (person, verb).”


Yona Sabar is a professor of Hebrew and Aramaic in the department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures at UCLA.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Print Issue: Got College? | Mar 29, 2024

With the alarming rise in antisemitism across many college campuses, choosing where to apply has become more complicated for Jewish high school seniors. Some are even looking at Israel.

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.