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HEBREW: Dear = Yakar
In Hebrew, dear is “ha yakar.” The dear. We address a greeting card to “Chaim the dear”
HEBREW: Yakar = Expensive
In Hebrew, “yakar” refers to an expensive item. You can buy something inexpensively “bI zol,” or expensively “yakar.”
ENGLISH
Dear = Dear
In English we hold things we love and value dear.
But not everything expensive is something we hold dear.
Anyone want to explain more about the origins of Dear in Hebrew and English and fill in the gaps?
Thanks!
But not everything expensive is something we hold dear.
Ordinarily, you wouldn’t spend a lot of money on something which didn’t have value to you.
Maybe I spend a lot of money on some things because I value the ends but not necessarily the expensive means.
I spend more than the bare minimum money on vitamins, cleaning products, and skin care products. Though it’s not because I value them, rather, I value my health.
On the other hand, I directly value my family members; they are intrinsically dear to me.
But the thing is in English, we say EXPENSIVE. A high expense. Expenses can be draining. Expenses add up and take away from income. That’s not fun. Purchasing expensive items doesn’t necessarily sound like that is directly adding value to my life. Expensive is not always a positive connotation.
In English some use the word dear to mean expensive while others are unfamiliar with that usage.
Actual expensive items had better provide more utility, or else you’re paying for nothing.
Well said RebYidd23!!! 👏👏👏☺☺☺
LB: Yakar = precious. While I know “dear” and “precious” are synonyms the term yakar used as you state “We address a greeting card to “Chaim the dear” ” is really Chaim the precious.
In British English, “dear” is sometimes used to mean “expensive.” I think you are overlooking that meaning. I do not know enough about Hebrew etymology to speculate on how “yakar” came to mean what you say it means, but it may be a mis-translation by a Jewish English-speaker who used “yakar” in a way not theretofore used to mean “expensive.”
“Yakar” meant “expensive” way before English came around. It appears numerous times in Mishnayos
When in business correspondence you address an unknown party as “Dear Sir”, or a known party as “Dear Mr. Buffett”, are you implying the potential business relationship is also very personal and precious?
Language evolves.
Ye but expensive and value is usually related so yakar can still mean valuable. There is no gap, it can mean either or.
We are not talking about societal niceties. dictionary dot com has various definitions for “dear”.
1. beloved or loved: a dear friend.
2. (used in the salutation of a letter as an expression of affection or respect or as a conventional greeting):
Dear Sir.
3. precious in one’s regard; cherished: our dearest possessions.
4. heartfelt; earnest: one’s dearest wish.
5. high-priced; expensive: The silk dress was too dear.
6. charging high prices: That shop is too dear for my budget.
7. excessive; high: a dear price to pay for one’s independence.
I would think that the word HAYAKAR used after the name would probably be “the precious” and not “the dear”.
Thanks for all of the clarification on “ha yakar” being closer to “precious” than anything! 🙂
ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר
Explain that one
Explain that one
Tefillin are both precious and expensive, so it works either way.
meno: The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor.
How about Esther 1:4 – בְּהַרְאֹתוֹ אֶת עשֶׁר כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ וְאֶת יְקָר – When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the splendor….
or Tehillim 116:15 – יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו – Difficult in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones.
As far as the literal definition, it seems to mean honor.
As in “ככה יעשה לאיש אשר המלך חפץ ביקרו”.
Tehillim 116:15 יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו: – Difficult in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones.
See Rashi
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14255&st=%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%A8&pgnum=433
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14255&st=%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%A8&pgnum=434
Yirmiyahu 31:19 – הֲבֵן יַקִּיר לִי אֶפְרַיִם Is Ephraim a son who is dear to Me?
Esther 1:4 – בְּהַרְאֹתוֹ אֶת עשֶׁר כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ וְאֶת יְקָר When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom, and the splendor
Esther 6:6 וַיָּבוֹא הָמָן וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה לַּעֲשׂוֹת בָּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הַמֶּלֶךְ חָפֵץ בִּיקָרוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן בְּלִבּוֹ לְמִי יַחְפֹּץ הַמֶּלֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת יְקָר יוֹתֵר מִמֶּנִּי: And Haman entered, and the king said to him, “What should be done to a man whom the king wishes to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?”
Esther 8:16 לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׂן וִיקָר: The Jews had light and joy, and gladness and honor.
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14363&st=&pgnum=308&hilite=
kavod is called ykar in targum
and your point about targum…..the OP was talking about the hebrew word.
Re Joseph’s comment re Dear Sir, et al.: Your speculation about the meaning of “Dear” in the salutation of a business letter is nonsensical speculation. “Dear” in a business letter means nothing other than: I’m talking to you.
I know. I believe it can still be used as a small proof to what some are saying that it means kavod.
DY think in the gemara it means heavy (kovaid). I think these are all interrelated somehow.
Rashi on the passuk in Tehillim states KASHER VCHAVEID – difficult and heavy. The ones in Esther, based on the context, means honor.
Yes. If u realize chavaid and kovod have very similar letters. I doubt this is a coincidence
oyy: And you just realized this now? I mean both words do appear in the Torah!
