Not So Shuttle

I like language. I also like getting to my local clinic without exceptional difficulty. What is the connection?

I am no language  expert (which I prove each time I blog), but when I hear the name Richard Lederer or Avshalom Kor I get a tingle in my  epiglottis. It really whets (not wets) my appetite to learn the etymologies of words. More often than not these little quips provide for passing entertainment or even a charming way to break into a conversation but are rarely down-to-earth applicable. Living in a community where there are more than one language spoken also complicates the matter.

There are instances where a colloquially accepted word in Hebrew is pronounced similar to the English counter part. One example that comes to mind is the Hebrew "Pendal" which is a bastardization of the English, "Penalty" referring to penalty kicks in soccer (aka football), but whether you say Pendal or Penalty Kicks the meaning is the same.

There are words that have the same homonymic trait but have different meanings, for instance the Hebrew word pronounced "toast" primarily refers to what in America would be called a grilled cheese sandwich whereas the Hebrew for toasted bread is "Tznim". Colloquially you may find the Hebrew "toast" used interchangeably but traditionally it is only for the grilled cheese made on the Hebrew, "toaster" as opposed to the toasted bread warmed in a "Matznem".

Several years ago there was a proposal to consolidate the health services of several communities and form a regional health center. This proposal outlined all aspects of the functioning of the center including a public transportation solution which is critical to these outlying communities. The proposal called for the establishment of a shuttle system to transport the members of said communities as needed to their scheduled and unscheduled  appointments.

I was concerned when the proposal was first announced. Up until that time, we received our primary medical services on the kibbutz without need to consider transportation or the time it takes to go from one place to another or the cost of the time itself away from work and I was a bit more accepting when I heard that the proposal was going to take care of everyone with a system of shuttle buses.

I rode shuttle buses all the time in University and they can be a very efficient form of transportation. After I graduated I even heard that some students used the shuttles to get to classes which I thought was a novel application of the system (but that is the subject of another blog). The plan was passed and all of the medical clinics in the region (except dental) moved to a central location. The first few years passed but the shuttle system was never established. When asked, "What about the Shuttle?" the answer was, "There is a Shuttle. If you need a ride just ask and we will figure something out." My immediate reaction was, "That's not a shuttle."

Lets backtrack one minute. When the original Hebrew proposal was published the Hebrew word "Shuttle" was used and not the more common "Hasa'a" which would mean transport (bus, limo, taxi etc.). Now shuttle is a very specialized word. The word's origin is in the weaving industry. On a loom threads are strung through the reeds of the loom and those strands collectively make up the warp of the item being woven. Whereas the fiber that is woven between the threads of the warp is the weft. Typically the yarn for the weft is wound on a spool and set in a piece of equipment called a shuttle. The shuttle is moved from side to side of the loom. As the shuttle travels down the loom the weft is released. The shuttle traverses the loom and the position of the warp threads is adjusted and then the shuttle returns. When the shuttle returns the warp threads re-adjusted and the shuttle goes back. In short, the shuttle goes from point A to point B. Upon arrival the shuttle simply returns to the other side.

When the proposal for the central clinic passed I was expecting a shuttle. A transport of some sort that would travel on a set path from point A to B (or with way points) and then return. The advantage of a shuttle system is that you know with predictable certainty that the transport will take no longer than X minutes to arrive based on its route and the number of shuttle buses being operated. No schedule is required except to define the operation hours and list the stops.

So... I like language. I also like getting to my local clinic without exceptional difficulty. What is the connection? I guess there is no connection, alas alack there are no shuttles in the Arava! So that is the local shuttle butt.

Shabbat Shalom