# הִכְחִישׁ / כָּפַר



## Diadem

Can someone explain in English?


----------



## ks20495

הכחיש is "to deny" a fact in general. 

כפר ב most literally means "to commit heresy." More broadly, it means "to deny a dogma/religious idea, etc" or even "to betray [an idea]." It implies that you're separating yourself from an accepted belief.

So, you would say "הוא הכחיש את ההאשמות נגדו" (He denied the accusations against him). But, you would say "הוא כפר במורשת אבותיו" (He denied/betrayed the tradition of his ancestors).


----------



## Diadem

This is an interesting word. כָּפַר is used in the Torah in binyan Pa'al in the sense of "to cover" (cp. Gen. 6:14), and of course, in binyan Pi'el in the sense of making atonement for something. How then did it later come to possess the sense of "to deny a truth/ commit heresy"?


----------



## alfio1

cutting a long story short: to cover (guilt) > to deny.


----------



## origumi

Saying that כפר _kpr_ = _cover_ raises the question about possible shared etymology of the Hebrew and English words which are simialr by both meaning ans sound. This is however unlikely to be the case. First of all, root kfr is very useful in Arabic with various meanings similar to Hebrew, and not as a loanword from Hebrew (or the opposite direction). It's said to be attested in pre-Islamic times as in _kafara_ = _cover seeds with soil,_ therefore before Arabs became aware of the Hebrew Bible. Secondly and more convincingly, Akkadian has the word _kuppuru_ = _to wipe a sin away,_ which take us much further in terms of time and place. Also, _cover_ is derived from Latin cum + operire, thus the sound _cpr_ is unique to Latin and its descendants, not to IE languages in general. Could 1000 BC Hebrew borrow a Latin word? Unlikely. Remember also that Yum Kippur, the most significant and probably oldest holiday in the Jewish calendar is also based on the same root.

Few interesting notes here: http://biu.academia.edu/YitzhaqFede...d_Etymological_Sins_that_Cannot_be_Wiped_Away

I wonder to what level _kfir_ = _lion_ is related to this root.


----------



## alfio1

Hi origumi, I'm not clear with if you're answering to me. Anyway I for sure am not saying that there is a shared etymology. Plus, I completely agree with your observations. I was just hypothetically answering to Diadem's query in post #3. 
Thanks for the lnk (something to read this afternoon


----------



## origumi

alfio1 said:


> Hi origumi, I'm not clear with if you're answering to me. Anyway I for sure am not saying that there is a shared etymology.


I simply used your post as what we call הרמה להנחתה - a starting point for whatever I wrote. Didn't assume that you are making any claim about etymological relation.


----------



## Omerik

origumi said:


> I simply used your post as what we call הרמה להנחתה - a starting point for whatever I wrote. Didn't assume that you are making any claim about etymological relation.


Regardless of the discussion here, I've tried to translate הרמה להנחתה 

I think it comes from the sport of volleyball - הנחתה means "making something land", like you have to do in volleyball games in order to win a point, as if you make the ball land in the opponent's side of the playing field. הרמה means "to get something up" (sometimes "lift", but I think that not exactly). So, in the context of this sport it means "to get the ball up for a scoring position", so the other player has to just finish the move. In conversations, it means that you said something that "makes" the other person/side "finish" the "scoring opportunity".

I know this expression usually in the context of humour/arguments - for instance if you say something in an argument when the other side has an obvious or an easy response, or if you say something and than the other person uses it to make fun of something, or to mention a joke - as if he just "had to" make that joke.

An argument example:
A (to the public): You shouldn't buy at B's store.
B (defending himself): Why?
A: Well, he's prices are so high it's practically theft!
(A, whose store has cheap prices, unlike B's more expensive store, actually spent time in jail after being accused of "real" theft. By saying that B's prices are like theft, while he may rightfully claim that he was a thief in the past but now is honest - when he mentions theft he sort of "invites" comments about his past)

A (black) humour example:
A: Well, we had a fine time in Europe, but we only took the bus, because my friend has a phobia of riding trains.
B: That's 'cause he's Jewish... Sorry, that was a הרמה להנחתה.
(While some people may find holocaust-related humour offensive, sometimes people may find these chances "too good to miss", and might say about jokes which might sound offensive that it was "an instinct", because they just had to use the opportunity)

A (racist) humour example:
A (Arab-Israeli football player): We're going to kill ourselves on the pitch tomorrow.
("to kill oneself" is an expression meaning "to give everything one's got")
B: Come on, I'm a leftist, but that's a הרמה להנחתה!
(B is against racism towards Arab, but this is so "easy" that he doesn't even have to mention why he can make fun of this comment, while he kind of apologises for it, without telling it, as Arabs were involved in suicide attacks)

A (more daily) humour example:
A (who's bald): I'm cold here. Are you sure you're not cold?
B: No, it's okay.
A: This wind's killing me!
B: Well, you got no hair...
(He complained about wind, while his head is more exposed than other people's heads - the other said "had to" make the comment")

It's used in a lot of situations, I think mostly in arguments or in humourous ways. The poster here used it in an interesting way - you said something, and regardless of your motive for saying that, she used this as a platform to say whatever she wanted. It's as if she had something to say, and you provided a platform that's too good for her not to use it.

However, I think the usage of this expression as to justify humourous comments is interesting... Perhaps says something about Jewish culture and the importance of humour for Jews.


----------

