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December 15, 2006
Cunning lingo: Borat's Hebrew secret
The fact that much of Borat's "Kazakh" language is actually Hebrew has been mentioned here and there, but AP's Aron Heller reports from Israel, where the film has an added layer for locals. "They actually understand much of what the anti-Semitic, misogynist Kazakh journalist is saying. Few realize that... Borat Sagdiyev is not speaking Kazakh or even gibberish, 
but rather mostly Hebrew, the biblical language of the Jewish people. [Baron Cohen] He is an observant Jew, his mother was born in Israel and his grandmother still lives in Haifa. In high school, he belonged to a Zionist Jewish youth group, Habonim Dror, and upon graduation, spent a year working and studying on a kibbutz, or collective farm, in northern Israel. He has since returned for several visits, his Hebrew is excellent and his understanding of Israeli culture superb. The irony of a Hebrew-speaking anti-Semite is not lost on the admiring Israeli audience, which has made the movie a huge hit here." Says Gaby Goldman, 33, of Tel Aviv. ''It's not just the Hebrew but also the way he speaks. He sounds almost Israeli, he sounds like one of us.'' ... The film is peppered with Hebrew expressions and Israeli slang, inside jokes only Israelis could truly appreciate. In one scene, Borat sings the lyrics of the legendary Hebrew folk song ''Koom Bachur Atzel,'' meaning ''get up, lazy boy.'' ... Even Borat's signature catchphrase—''Wa wa wee wa,'' an expression for "wow"—is derived from a skit on a popular Israeli comedy show."
Posted by Ray Pride at December 15, 2006 01:46 PM
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