In another episode, we discussed the apparent lack of a single English word that means “give someone something to drink” in the same way that feed means to “give someone food to eat.” A listener points out that in Hebrew, that function is fulfilled by the word לְהַשְׁקוֹת, or le-hash-kot. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Hebrew for “To Give Someone Drink””
Remember that call we had a while back, Grant? That so many people responded to. It was the one where someone was asking if there’s a word in English that’s the drink equivalent of feed. You know, you feed somebody, but what’s the verb for giving a drink to somebody? Remember that? We got so many responses.
Yeah, a lot of people said you libate them, but that sounds almost obscene. Yeah, and people were really, really struggling with that. Some people suggested in beverage, which I kind of like, but it’s a little fancy. And everybody was wondering, well, is there a language that does have a verb like that? And in fact, there is. It’s Hebrew. I learned that from Kitty Keller, who’s a a United Methodist pastor in Pennsylvania.
And the verb is lahashkot, which means to give drink to. And you find it, for example, in Genesis, where Rebecca gives somebody water to drink and then also waters the camels. It’s the same thing.
Okay, great.
So we’re going to borrow that right into English right away.
Sure.
Yeah, I don’t know how you would conjugate that in English.
I lahashkoted my guests.
Yeah, come on over and I’ll lahashkot you.
Roll a hush coating here. Grab one.
Grab one out of the fridge.
No, I don’t think that works.
