# Hebrew to English translation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903 "2024-04-05T22:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![InfraBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infrablue/32/6366_2.png) [@InfraBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InfraBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/1 "2024-04-05T22:17:14Z")
Here’s another late Friday afternoon Hebrew question. What is the English translation of the Hebrew in the photo linked below? Thank you. > **[20240311-190224-resized hosted at ImgBB](https://ibb.co/ZYWWf5m)** > > Image 20240311-190224-resized hosted in ImgBB ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/2 "2024-04-06T02:16:31Z")
It looks like it says “העלות”, [the cost] but it is vowelized with FUBAR (i.e., wrong) vowels. One would expect “הָעֲלוּת”. I am sure a Hebrew expert can set the record straight. Maybe one of those cases of people tattooing random words onto their skin without having any knowledge of the language? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/3 "2024-04-06T07:20:35Z")
_“Hei’alut”_, from the root ע.ל.ה (rise, ascend, increase). It’s a neologism that means “ **Transcendence** ”, although the usual word for that is _“Hit’alut”_, which is a slightly different conjugation of the same verb. It’s one of those words that shouldn’t exist, because there’s a very similar word that means basically the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/4 "2024-04-06T15:02:37Z")
Thanks for the correction/explanation. I do not know how ancient the word “hit’alut”, which I have encountered, is (I have already admitted I am not a Hebrew expert), but it is perfectly cromulent Rabbinical/medieval Hebrew at least. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/5 "2024-04-06T17:21:30Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > _“Hei’alut”_, from the root ע.ל.ה (rise, ascend, increase). It’s a neologism that means “ **Transcendence** ”, although the usual word for that is _“Hit’alut”_, which is a slightly different conjugation of the same verb. It’s one of those words that shouldn’t exist, because there’s a very similar word that means basically the same thing. That’s a good theory. Probably better than my theory - that there was a sign with a menu of different Hebrew tatoos, labeled: העלות: ₪50 And the guy in the picture just pointed and said, “I want that one” (Realistically the menu would be labeled מחיר instead). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/6 "2024-04-06T17:37:51Z")
Heh. If it weren’t for that _tzere_, I’d agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/7 "2024-04-06T18:03:06Z")
I don’t think your word is just a “theory”, though, since I found it in at least one Modern Hebrew dictionary, and I don’t mean one that was just published last year. Def. + example: **הֵעָלוּת, היעלות** הִתְרוֹמְמוּת ׃ הֵעָלוּת הֶעָשָׁן מֵעַל הַר־הַבַּיִת. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hebrew-to-english-translation/999903/8 "2024-04-06T21:42:01Z")
…though, the dictionary example sentence does not smack of “transcendence” to me, simply the rising of the smoke. Whereas the definition of “hit’alut” absolutely talks about transcendence.