Philologos


Dishing Some Linguistic Dirt

By Philologos

Dishing Some Linguistic Dirt
What does it mean to make ‘ashes and mud’ of a person? Philologos gets down into the linguistic muck to explain the origins of this curious expression in Yiddish.Read More


X-Rated Dispute in Knesset

By Philologos

X-Rated Dispute in Knesset
What to do when a Knesset colleague tosses water in your face? You write a poem, slyly referencing her private parts. Philologos gets to the bottom (oh, dear!) of the debate.Read More


Strange Case of Daleds

By Philologos

Strange Case of Daleds
The Hebrew letter daled comes from the word for door. But its name has changed in a linguistically unusual way. Our intrepid Philologos slams shut the debate.Read More


Persons of (Linguistic) Interest

By Philologos

Persons of (Linguistic) Interest
Some people find the word ‘Jew’ awkward, but the flip side is also true. The Jew who expects to be called a Jew may not appreciate being called a ‘Jewish person.’Read More


New Words Coined To Exclude Women

By Philologos

New Words Coined To Exclude Women
The phrase in Hebrew used to describe gender segregation was barely known in Israel until a few months ago. Now it seems like it’s on the lips of the entire nation.Read More