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Observation

September 14, 2016

How Israeli Backpackers Imported an Element of Spanish into Hebrew

What nahagos, the casual term for "driver," tells us.

By Philologos

Rabbi Carl Perkins of Temple Aliyah in Needham, Massachusetts has sent me the photograph reproduced below (click to enlarge), together with a note:

I received this ad during the Israeli election campaign of 2013 and found the use of the term nahagos intriguing. Can you say something about it in one of your future columns?

Mafsikim l’hitnatsel, ohavim et Yisra’el, “No more apologizing, we love Israel.” Beneath Bennett’s left forearm, which rests on the open window frame, are these words in black letters on a green background: Nahagos, ḥakey shniyah, “Hey, driver, wait a second.” Beneath that is the white-on-black question, “Have you thought about whom you would like to see behind the wheel of this country?”

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