In this blog post, I want to address a connection that exists between Biblical and Modern Hebrew, and which has a potential to confuse students. I am not talking about verbs, this time. I am talking about what comes before the verb, the pronoun (name of the person).
The modern pronoun "I" is in Hebrew אֲנִי (ani). And "we" is אֲנַחְנוּ (anakhnoo). So far, so good, but why do we still see words like אָנוֹכִי (anokhee) for "I" and אָנוּ (anoo) for "we" in Modern Hebrew? And when shall we use them?
Quick answer
You do not use them. Stick with "ani" and "anakhnoo". It is enough to understand what is meant when you see it. So, why do you still see them? Isn't that Biblical Hebrew?? Let me explain:
The origins and why they are still around
First person singular: I, אֲנִי
Yes, the origin of אָנוֹכִי is Biblical.
Still used in poetry to give it an artistic effect. But it can also show up in very formal speech, even though not very often.
In Modern Hebrew, אָנוֹכִי is rather used as an adjective and means "selfish".
First person plural: we, אֲנַחְנוּ
Biblical Hebrew? Not exactly, but "kind-of". The origins seem to go back to Mishnaic Hebrew. If you want to know more about this, here is the link to Wikipedia.
This form of the pronoun is still used today in literature, poetry and formal speech, and much more than the above-mentioned אָנוֹכִי.
A very well-known song is אָנוּ בָּאנוּ אַרְצָה (We came to our Homeland). If I am not mistaken, it was recorded in 1963. Here is a link to YouTube.
Conclusion
In a nutshell: use today's Hebrew, but keep an open mind for the Biblical origins. Not more. No need to dive into it further than necessary.
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