Why Is Plato Called 'אפלטון' in Hebrew?

How an 'אל"ף' Found Its Way Into Words Throughout History.

In certain Hebrew and foreign words, you might notice an 'אל"ף' at the beginning of a word where it doesn’t seem to belong. For example, alongside the Hebrew word 'תְּמוֹל' (yesterday), there is also 'אֶתְמוֹל'. Similarly, the Greek philosopher Πλάτων (Platon) became 'אפלטון' in Hebrew. So, why does this 'אל"ף' appear?

This phenomenon is known in linguistic terms as the 'prosthetic aleph' and in Hebrew as 'אל"ף מַקדימה'. It refers to an 'אל"ף' (or perhaps just a vowel) added to the beginning of a word for ease of pronunciation. This feature isn’t unique to Hebrew; it is also present in other Semitic languages like Aramaic and Arabic, as well as in European languages, which sometimes add a vowel before certain consonant clusters.

The addition is particularly common before certain consonants, especially sibilants ('ז', 'ס', 'צ', 'ש'). It often helps resolve challenges in pronouncing words that begin with a consonant cluster.

Biblical Examples

For instance, the word 'זְרוֹעַ' (arm) appears in the Bible as 'אֶזְרוֹעַ':

"וַתֹּצֵא אֶת עַמְּךָ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם... וּבְאֶזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה" (ירמיהו לב, כא).

Another familiar pair is 'תְּמוֹל–אֶתְמוֹל' (yesterday-the day before yesterday). Similarly, the word 'אֶצְעָדָה' (bracelet) appears in the Bible (במדבר לא, נ; שמואל ב א, י), while the plural form is 'צְעָדוֹת' (ישעיהו ג, כ).

Examples in Common Words

Even words without an initial consonant cluster sometimes feature this 'אל"ף'. Examples include 'אֲבַטִּיחַ' (watermelon), derived from Arabic 'بطيخ' or Aramaic 'בַּטִּיח', and 'אֲבַעְבּוּעוֹת' (blisters). Similarly, the root זק"ק ('to bind') gives us 'זִקִּים' (chains) in plural but also 'הָאזִקִּים' and 'בָּאזִקִּים' in the Bible.

In rabbinic Hebrew, we find examples of borrowed words with 'אל"ף מַקדימה', like 'אֲגַף' (from the Aramaic 'גַּף') or 'אִצטדיון' (from the Greek 'stadion'). Other examples include 'אסטרטג', 'אסכולה', 'אספקלריה', and forms like 'אִצטלה' or 'אִצטרובל'.

The Unique Case of 'שְׁתַּיִם'

The word 'שְׁתַּיִם' (two) is particularly unusual in classical Hebrew because its 'תי"ו' is pronounced as though the preceding 'שווא' is quiescent. Historical evidence suggests the word was pronounced with an 'אל"ף מַקדימה' (e.g., 'אֶשְׁתַּיִם' or 'אִשְׁתַּיִם').

Modern Hebrew and the 'אל"ף מַקדימה'

During the early days of Modern Hebrew, the use of 'אל"ף מַקדימה' extended to new words and names borrowed from European languages. For instance, the historian Strabon (Strabo) became 'אסטרבון', and in 1913, when Ze'ev Jabotinsky translated the Italian historical novel 'Spartacus' (by Raffaello Giovagnoli), he called it 'אספרתקוס'. Similarly, the city Sparta became 'אספרתה', and even 'ספורט' (sport) was sometimes written as 'אספורט'.

The 'אל"ף מַקדימה' has traveled through time and languages, adapting to the needs of speakers and the challenges of pronunciation. Whether in biblical text or modern usage, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of Hebrew and its interaction with other languages.