So, after I got back from America, I came to find that through some twisted coincidences I, a silly, bumbling American, have had a definite and tangible effect on the Hebrew language.
When I was a but a young, foolish man struggling with wrapping my head around the intricacies and difficulties Hebrew before I visited America (wait... I still am a young, foolish, bumbling man struggling with Hebrew. Crap). Anyway, before I left to go home for a bit, I had coined the phrase:
"Whatever gever"... "ווטבר גבר"
-as a way of just saying, "dude whatever" - (Literally a "Hebrish" version of "whatever dude"). I had used it at ulpan with my friends there, in my apartment and probably in the Ashoka office.
Anyway, I was in ulpan the other day just hanging out and speaking... Spanish.. with my latin american friends. And what did I hear some Germans say to each other?
"ווטבר גבר"
Nice.
Transfixed by what had taken place at my hands, I asked the Germans where they had gotten it. They answered from their teacher. MY OLD TEACHER.
So ya. All the sudden I'm super important in Israel. Real famous for my contribution. No seriously, I thought it was just hilarious that such a stupid but addictive phrase would be adopted by a Hebrew teacher. Now, let's just hope it spreads like army slang. I think it has good potential because Israelis embrace English and even use it as a part of their means of communicating - walking on the street listening to a women on her phone saying:
אז הייתי בחוף ורייתי אותו שם עירום anyway
So it has potential. I'll give an update on its status in a couple of months:)
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