What is the difference in Israel between "sherut" and "sherutim"?
Question #101146. Asked by flem-ish.
Last updated Aug 29 2021.
deepakmr
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deepakmr 17 year member
111 replies
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Sherut is the Hebrew word for Service and it's plural is sherutim. It has other meanings, where sherut means 'shared taxi service' and sherutim means a WC!
Response last updated by CmdrK on Aug 29 2021.
Nov 19 2008, 11:28 PM
Arpeggionist
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Arpeggionist 21 year member
2173 replies
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Sherut is the Hebrew word for service in general. Sherutim os a bit more specific - services (plural) provided by some organized body or law. The word "sherutim", when used, generally refers to "the facilities" (the bathroom), but can also be used to refer to things as grand as the criminal justice system (as "the services of the law", "sherutei hachok"). I'm currently preparing a few notes to send to a writer on the subject of Hebrew untranslatables, in which I'll elaborate on the subject further.
Nov 20 2008, 5:25 AM
gentlegiant17
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gentlegiant17 18 year member
289 replies
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"ha-sherut" ("ha" means "The") is the common name for the Israeli GSS (General Security Service, literally translated from "Sherut haBitakhon haKlali" hence also commonly abbreviated as SHaBaK).