סְפּוֹנְגָ'ה

The word "סְפּוֹנְגָ'ה" (sponj'a) in Israeli Hebrew comes from Ladino, where the word "אֶסְפּוֹנְגָ'דוֹ" (esponjado) was used to describe the action of floor washing. This term in Ladino was derived from the word "אֶסְפּוֹנְגָ'ה" (esponja), which means "sponge" - a tool historically used for cleaning floors. The Ladino word originated from the Spanish word esponja (sponge), which in turn inherited it from Latin spongia, and this borrowed it from ancient Greek σπόγγος (spongos, sponge). That same Greek word is also the source of the Hebrew word "סְפוֹג" (sfog, sponge). When the word reached spoken Israeli Hebrew, it underwent semantic narrowing and focused on the specific action of washing floors with water, usually with a rag or a mop. The phrase "לעשות ספונג'ה" (la'asot sponj'a, "to do sponj'a") became a common expression for thoroughly cleaning the floor, especially in the context of house cleaning. This is another example of how words from Ladino influenced spoken Hebrew, especially in areas related to daily life and housekeeping.