חלוץ

Hebrew

FWOTD – 16 November 2022

Etymology

Root
ח־ל־ץ (ḥ-l-ṣ)

Passive participle of חָלַץ (ḥalats, “to remove, to take off”).

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /χaˈluts/
• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħaːˈluːts/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ħɔˈluts/

Noun

חָלוּץ • (ḥalutz) m (plural indefinite חֲלוּצִים, singular construct חֲלוּץ־, plural construct חֲלוּצֵי־) [pattern: קָטוּל]

1. one who is equipped, prepared
   • Tanach, Numbers 32:27, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     וַעֲבָדֶיךָ יַעַבְרוּ כָּל־חֲלוּץ צָבָא לִפְנֵי יְהוָה לַמִּלְחָמָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲדֹנִי דֹּבֵר׃

     va-ʿavadékha yaʿavrú kol ḥalútz tsavá lifnéi Adonái la-milḥamá ka-ashér dovér

     but thy servants will pass over, every man that is armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.’

2. (historical): pioneer, halutz, chalutz
   • 1928, “מי יבנה בית [Who Will Build a House]”, Levin Kipnis (lyrics), Nahum Nardi (music)‎^[1]:

     אֲנַחְנוּ הַחֲלוּצִים, נִבְנֶה אֶת תֵּל אָבִיב.

     Anáḥnu ha-ḥalutzim, nivneh et Tel Avív.

     We the pioneers, we will build Tel Aviv.

3. (sports) forward (in association football)
   • 2020, “ברצלונה אישרה: סוארס חזר לכשירות מלאה [Barcelona confirms: Suárez returned to full fitness]”, in Sport 5‎^[2]:

     החלוץ קיבל אור ירוק לשחק.

     He-ḥalútz qibél or yaróq l'saḥeq.

     The forward received the green light to play.

Derived terms

• חֵיל חָלוּץ (kheil khalúts)