עגבנייה

Hebrew

Etymology

Coined by early religious Zionist Yechiel Michel Pines in 1886, under the influence of German Liebesapfel (literally “love apple”), from the root ע־ג־ב relating to lust. The word's sexual undertones made it initially controversial, but it outcompeted alternative suggestions by the 1940s.

Pronunciation

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /(ʕ)aɡ.va.niˈya/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

עגבנייה / עַגְבָנִיָּה • (agvaniyá) f (plural indefinite עַגְבָנִיּוֹת, singular construct עגבניית / עַגְבָנִיַּת־, plural construct עַגְבָנִיּוֹת־)

1. tomato

Further reading

• כאן עברית | איך קיבלה העגבנייה את שמה?