# computer terms



## albondiga

Hi all,

I'm wondering about the use of English words vs. Hebrew translations when talking about computer-related things in Hebrew.  I'm finding vocabulary lists that say "*דואר אלקטרוני*" whereas I've heard people more often use "*אימייל*"... memory is translated as "*זיכרון*", browser as "*תכנת גלישה*" or "*דפדפן*", etc... I know that, in some languages that I've studied, there exists a technical term that is a literal translation of the English, but laypeople often just use the English term (or some modified version of the English term)... Does the same thing happen in Hebrew?  If so, is it only a few particular words (like "אימייל"), or is it very common for many terms?


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## cfu507

The answer is yes, and not only laymen.

Some English words are still not translated to any Hebrew word. 
For example, bread crumbs (the navigation line) - we say it in English.
If you want to tell someone to send you S.M.S you can say תסמס לי (te*s*a*m*e*s*).


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## bat777

More so.
As a member of the high tech industry, I hear a lot of usage of English verbs in a form of Hebrew ones. Examples of widely used terms:
to compile turns to: לקמפל(Lekampel)
to commit: לקמט(leKamet)
to merge: למרג'ג (LeMargeg)
to deliver: לדלוור (LeDalver)
to reset: לרסט (LeRaset)
to delete: לדלט (LeDalet)

Rachel (syster of Bat777)


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## Gadyc

cfu507 said:


> The answer is yes, and not only laymen.
> 
> .


 
This is a branch that using English expressions *sounds *more professional 
But this is exactly the way it goes. Most expressions are in English except few words, specially used by laymen, are translated to Hebrew.


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## albondiga

Very interesting!  So for which words is a true translation actually used?  Does anyone have a few examples?


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## elroy

"Computer" itself is מחשב.


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## albondiga

Yes, that's the one I know.   But מחשב is almost like an appliance... מחשב,  מקפיא ,מקרר, so it makes sense!

What about about the rest of the hardware?  (Do you say עכבר for mouse? )  What about internet-related terms?


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## Flaminius

One of the Hebrew resources here at WR is a niqdised English-Hebrew dictionary. Go here and select _Computers_ for search topic.

By the way mouse is exactly what you thought; `akhbar.


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## albondiga

Thanks, Flaminius, although I've actually seen that and others like it, and I was trying to find out whether people actualy _use _those Hebrew translations... see my first post, then notice how that site translates "e-mail" (you don't have to check; it says "*דואר אלקטרוני*", not "*אימייל*" )...


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## talmid

150807                                              0520

G'Day!~ בוקר מצויין לכולם
Re: Computer terms

I believe that, instead of creating false "fun words" which, because lacking a  Hebrew root basis, would be incomprehensible to the majority of Hebrew speakers, it might be a more positive initiative for computer professionals to ask their professional associations to liaise with the Academy of the Hebrew Language & request the Academy's recommendations for any words not currently available in Hebrew

Would anyone perhaps agree that this might be a practical solution?
I'd be interested to learn other Members'views on this

talmid


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## bat777

I believe that language is a "living entity" (a quate from Dorit Ravid, an Israeli linguist). It evolves naturally over time and the direction that it takes comes from the 'field", i.e. the speakers and cannot (in most cases) be dictated or forced from above.
I havn't really done a comprehensive research on the topic, but i think that most of the terms suggested by the Academy in recent years were not accepted. Take for example _kruchit_ for @, or _kdimon _for _promo._ 
I can remeber one example that actually did get into the language and replaced the loanword_: _kaletet, which came to _replace _kaseta (tape).
With respect to computer terms, i think that since the world of computers is so English-oriented, trying to replace the existing terms with new Hebrew terms seems to me like a lost war.


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