הַתָּשָׁה (hatasha) — attrition, wearing down
Etymology
הַתָּשָׁה is the verbal noun (shem pe'ula) of the hif'il verb הִתִּישׁ, meaning "to cause fatigue or weakness in another." The root ת-ש-ש is not original Hebrew — it was borrowed from Aramaic during the Talmudic period. In the Jerusalem Talmud, the verb appears in an agricultural context describing the progressive weakening of a tree: "Up to this point it thickens the trunk; from here on it exhausts its strength" (Sheviit 1:1).
The compound phrase מִלְחֶמֶת הַתָּשָׁה (war of attrition) — describing a prolonged conflict in which victory is achieved not through decisive battlefield victory but through the gradual erosion of the enemy's forces, materiel, and will to fight — entered Hebrew during World War II. The phrase appears in Hebrew newspapers from 1941 onward. It was coined as a translation of the English term "War of Attrition," though the English word attrition literally means "grinding down" or "abrasion" rather than "exhaustion," making הַתָּשָׁה a semantic rather than literal translation.
The English term "War of Attrition" was itself coined during World War I to characterize the static trench warfare on the Western Front, where the goal was to grind down the enemy's resources faster than one's own were depleted. The Hebrew phrase became especially prominent in Israeli public consciousness with the War of Attrition (מלחמת ההתשה) fought between Israel and Egypt along the Suez Canal from 1967 to 1970.
Key Quotes
"עד כאן הוא מעבה את הכורת, מיכן והילך הוא מתיש את כוחו" — Jerusalem Talmud, Sheviit 1:1
Timeline
- Talmudic period: Root ת-ש-ש borrowed from Aramaic; appears in Jerusalem Talmud
- 1941: Phrase מלחמת התשה appears in Hebrew press as translation of "War of Attrition"
- 1967–1970: War of Attrition (מלחמת ההתשה) between Israel and Egypt along the Suez Canal cements the term in Israeli consciousness
- 2020 (column date): Column published marking fifty years since the War of Attrition
Related Words
- הִתִּישׁ — to exhaust, wear down (the source verb)
- תָּשׁוּשׁ — exhausted, weak (adjective from same root)
- שְׁחִיקָה — grinding, abrasion (the literal meaning of English "attrition")
- War of Attrition (English) — the term being translated