חולד
kholed
The Hebrew word for gopher is חולד (kholed).
The term refers to a small burrowing rodent.
Meaning: small burrowing rodent (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
kholed
Did you know?
- The word חולד shares a root with the Arabic word خُلْد, which also refers to both a mole and immortality.
- The phrase 'like a חולד' can be used to describe someone who avoids the light or stays hidden.
- Unlike English, which has separate words for 'mole' and 'gopher', Hebrew frequently uses חולד for both.
Examples in context
- ראיתי חולד קטן בגינה.ra'iti chold katan ba-gina.I saw a small gopher in the garden.
Example conversation
Noa and Noam are looking at a hole in the backyard.
- נועה Noaנועם, תראה את החור הזה!Noam, tir'e et ha-chor haze!Noam, look at this hole!
- נועם Noamזה בטח חולד שחפר כאן.ze betach choled she-chafer kan.It is probably a gopher that dug here.
- נועה Noaאיך נראה חולד?eych nir'e choled?What does a gopher look like?
- נועם Noamהוא חיה קטנה עם שיניים גדולות.hu chaya ktana im shinayim gdolot.It is a small animal with big teeth.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries חולד, CC BY-SA 4.0.
