נזלת

נזלת

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
נ־ז־ל‎ (n-z-l)

Coined by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda in 1888, based on phonetic similarity to French nasal and the root נ־ז־ל‎ (n-z-l). This established the usage of the pattern קַטֶּלֶת‎ (katélet, qaṭṭéleṯ) to indicate a disease. Before the coinage the word נזילה‎ was used with this meaning.

Noun

נַזֶּלֶת • (nazélet) f (plural indefinite נַזָּלוֹת‎, singular construct נַזֶּלֶת־) [pattern: קַטֶּלֶת]

1. snot (mucus from the nose)
   • 1934, Binyamin Caspi (lyrics and music), “השפן הקטן [The Little Rabbit]”:

     ‏הַשָּׁפָן הַקָּטָן / שָׁכַח לִסְגֹּר הַדֶּלֶת / הִצְטַנֵּן / הַמִּסְכֵּן / וְקִבֵּל נַזֶּלֶת‎‎

     The little rabbit / forgot to close the door / caught a cold / poor [soul] / and got snuffles

   Synonym: (slang) חננה‎

Derived terms

• נַזַּלְתִּי‎ (nazaltí)