הַשָּׁקָה (Hashaka) — launch
Etymology
David Remez, a prominent Zionist leader and prolific coiner of Hebrew words (responsible for terms like ramzor and nikuz), introduced the word hashaka in April 1951, just one month before his death. The term was created for the launch of the ship "Rimon," the first vessel built specifically for the Israeli merchant marine company, Zim. Prior to this, journalists typically used the literal term horada (lowering) to describe the event.
Remez drew the word from the Mishnah (Tractate Mikva'ot). In halakhah, hashaka (literally "kissing") refers to the act of allowing the water in a vessel to touch the water of a valid ritual bath (mikvah), thereby purifying it through contact. Remez creatively applied this concept of "touching the water" to the dramatic moment a newly built ship slides into the sea for the first time.
The innovation initially met resistance. In July 1951, the Haaretz newspaper published a lengthy editorial critique, arguing that hashaka strictly meant "touching" rather than "launching" and complaining that Zim had bypassed the Hebrew Language Committee (Va'ad HaLashon) by adopting the neologism immediately. However, the poetic resonance of the word eventually won over the public and the press, and by 1955, even Haaretz was using the term in its maritime reporting.
In the 1980s, the word's scope expanded significantly through the influence of the English word "launch." Israeli advertisers and marketers began using hashaka as a calque to describe the debut of commercial products and marketing campaigns. Today, while it retains its original maritime meaning, it is most commonly used in business and technology contexts to describe the release of new software, devices, or brands.
Key Quotes
"עריבה שהיתה מלאה כלים והשיקה למיקווה" — Mishna, Mikva'ot 6:2
"השר הרהר רגע, ניגש לארון הספרים ונטל מסכת מקוואות והראה על הכתוב: 'עריבה שהיתה מלאה כלים והשיקה למיקווה'. ומלשון הכתוב גרס: להשיק אניה אל המים והפעולה: השקה." — Y.R., Letter to Haaretz, July 4, 1951
"ותמוה הדבר, שבקשר להורדת האניה ׳תמר׳ הימה נזדרזה חברת ׳צי״ם׳ להביא לעתונים במישרין את החידוש, ולא ראתה חובה לעצמה להביאו תחילה לבדיקה ובחינה ל׳ועד הלשון׳" — Haaretz Editorial Note, July 4, 1951
Timeline
- 1951 (April): David Remez coins the term hashaka for the launching of the ship "Rimon."
- 1951 (July): Haaretz publishes a critique of the term, insisting on the more literal horada.
- 1955 (August): Haaretz officially adopts the term in its report on the ship "Dagan."
- 1980s: The term begins to be used as a translation for the English "product launch."
Related Words
- נשיקה (neshika) — kiss (sharing the root meaning of "touching")
- משיק (mashik) — tangent (in geometry, a line that "touches" a curve)
- נשק (neshek) — weapon (etymologically linked to the idea of "clashing" or "touching" in battle)