Israelis Are Crowd-Sourcing The Hebrew Name For Fidget Spinner

Image by wikimedia

By Thea Glassman May 15, 2017

A small, spinning toy is currently stumping Israeli linguists.

The fidget spinner, a three-pronged device that has captured the hearts — and hands — of children worldwide, has yet to be given a Hebrew name, The Times of Israel reports.

Scholars at The Academy of the Hebrew Language have turned their puzzlement into a social media call-to-action, asking the Israeli public for Hebrew name suggestions.

“It’s a good learning opportunity,” Ronit Gadish, the Academy’s scientific secretary, told The Times of Israel. “We decided to take advantage of it.”

More than 1,500 responses have been posted, with “sahriron,” a combination of spin and top climbing as one of the most popular suggestions. Others complained that the fidget spinners are a fad, and don’t need a Hebrew name in the first place.

Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @theakglassman.

Thea Glassman was an associate editor for the Forward. Follow her on twitter @theakglassman.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO