רקע

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
ר־ק־ע (r-q-ʿ)
3 terms

From the root ר־ק־ע (r-k-').

Pronunciation 1

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /raˈka/

Verb

רָקַע • (raká) (pa'al construction)

1. to stomp
   • 1973, Svika Pick, הרקדן האוטומטי (“The Automatic Dancer”):

     הנה הוא שומע את המנגינה / מתחבר כמו אוטומט לזרם / בגופו רוקע על האדמה / הוא נמצא עכשיו בתוך הקצב

     There he hears the melody / connecting like an automatic / with his body [he] stamps on the ground / he is now within the rhythm

Conjugation

Conjugation of רָקַע (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs)

non-finite forms		to-infinitive		לרקוע / לִרְקֹעַ
		action noun		רְקִיעָה
		passive participle		רָקוּעַ
finite forms		singular		plural
		m	f	m	f
past	first	רָקַעְתִּי		רָקַעְנוּ
	second	רָקַעְתָּ	רָקַעְתְּ	רְקַעְתֶּם1	רְקַעְתֶּן1
	third	רָקַע	רָקְעָה	רָקְעוּ
present		רוֹקֵעַ	רוֹקַעַת	רוֹקְעִים	רוֹקְעוֹת
future	first	אֶרְקַע		נִרְקַע
	second	תִּרְקַע	תִּרְקְעִי	תִּרְקְעוּ	תִּרְקַעְנָה2
	third	יִרְקַע	תִּרְקַע	יִרְקְעוּ	תִּרְקַעְנָה2
imperative		רְקַע	רִקְעִי	רִקְעוּ	רְקַעְנָה2

¹ Pronounced רָקַעְתֶּם and רָקַעְתֶּן in informal Modern Hebrew.
² Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Pronunciation 2

• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.ka/

Noun

רֶקַע • (réka) m (plural indefinite רְקָעִים, singular construct רֶקַע־, plural construct רִקְעֵי־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. (literally) A background: the background of a picture (or the like).
2. (figuratively) A background, an ambient environment.

   מוזיקת רקע ― muzikát-réka ― background music

   עם מוזיקה ברקע ― im múzika baréka ― with music in the background

   • 2005, אסף גברון (translator), Audrey Niffenegger (English author), “אשתו של הנוסע בזמן” (The Time Traveler’s Wife), Kinneret, Zmora-Bitan, Dvir (publishers), →ISBN, page 398

     כשקנדריק מפסיק לדבר, פתאום נשמעים רעשי הרקע של הבניין.

     k'shekéndrik mafsík l'dabér, pit'óm nishma'ím ra'ashéi-haréka shel habinyan.

     When Kendrick stops talking the background noises of the building are suddenly apparent.

3. (figuratively) A background: a person's heritage, upbringing, and so on.

   הרקע הסוציו-אקונומי של המשפחה ― haréka hasotsyo-ekonómi shél hamishpakhá ― the family's socioeconomic background

4. (figuratively) A basis: an underlying situation or cause.
   • 2011 March 29, דן אבן (Dan Even), “85% מהתלונות לרופא על עייפות אינן על רקע גופני” (85% meihat'lunót l'rofé al ayefút einán al réka gufaní, “85% of medical complaints of tiredness do not have a physical basis”), in Haaretz Online.
5. (computing) background, desktop background

   רקעים למחשב ― r'ka'ím l'makhshév ― desktop backgrounds (literally backgrounds for a computer)

   רקעי מחשב ― rik'éi-makhshév ― desktop backgrounds (literally computer backgrounds)

Usage notes

• (background, ambient environment): As may be seen in the examples above, the noun רקע (réka) very often functions either as an attributive modifier, or as the object of the preposition ב־ (b'-, “in”). In this respect it is similar to English background.
• (basis): Note that על רקע […] (al réka, “on/against a […] background”) typically has a much stronger implication of causation than an English-speaker might expect.

Derived terms

• מוּזִיקַת רֶקַע (múzikat réka)

Pronunciation 3

Verb

רִקֵּעַ • (rikéa') (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of ריקע.

Pronunciation 4

Verb

רֻקַּע • (ruká) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of רוקע.

References

• H7554 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• “רקע” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 3 of 3 (ק to ת), page 1305.

Anagrams

• קרע