דרך ארץ
See also: דרך־ארץ
Hebrew
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From דֶּרֶךְ (dérech, “way of”) + אֶרֶץ (érets, “land”); that is, "the manner of earthlings" or "the manner of locals".
Noun
[edit]דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ • (dérech érets) f (no plural forms, no construct forms)
- manners, etiquette; moral norms or customs
- a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Kiddushin 1:10:
- וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ לֹא בַמִּקְרָא וְלֹא בַמִּשְׁנָה וְלֹא בְדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ אֵינוֹ מִן הַיִּשּׁוּב׃
- Vekhól she'einó lo vaMikrá veló vaMishná veló vedérekh érets einó min hayishúv.
- And all who are not involved with Bible, nor with Oral Law, nor with moral norms are not civilized.
- 1549, Obadiah of Bertinoro, ברטנורא על המשנה [Bartenóra al haMishná, Commentary on the Mishna], chapter 4 of Kiddushin:
- וְלֹא בְדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ — שֶׁאֵין מַשָּׂאוֹ וּמַתָּנוֹ בְּנַחַת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת׃
- Veló vedérekh érets – she'éin masa'ó umatanó benákhat im habriyót.
- Nor with moral norms - one who does not conduct dealings honestly with others.
- (archaic) employment, occupation
- a. 217 C.E., Mishnah, Avot 2:2:
- יָפֶה תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה עִם דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁיְּגִיעַת שְׁנֵיהֶם מְשַׁכַּחַת עָוֺן׃
- Yafé talmúd Torá im dérekh érets, sheyegi'át shneihém mishakákhat avón.
- Excellent is the study of the Torah together with a worldly occupation; for the exertion of both of them causes sin to be forgotten.
- 1549, Obadiah of Bertinoro, ברטנורא על המשנה [Bartenóra al haMishná, Commentary on the Mishna], chapter 2 of Pirkei Avot:
- דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ — מְלָאכָה אוֹ סְחוֹרָה׃
- Dérekh érets – melakhá o skhorá.
- A worldly occupation – labor or goods.
- (archaic) sexuality
- a. 500 C.E., Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 100a:
- הָיִינוּ לְמִידִין […] דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ מִתַּרְנְגוֹל שֶׁמְּפַיֵּס וְאַחַר כָּךְ בּוֹעֵל.
- Hayínu lemidín […] dérekh érets mitarnegól shemefayés ve'akhár kakh bo'él.
- We would learn […] sexuality from the rooster who appeases and then mates.
Descendants
[edit]- → Yiddish: דרך־ארץ (derkherets)
Further reading
[edit]
דרך ארץ on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia he
