דְּפוּס I once visited two printing houses to pick up booklets for Ulpan La-Inyan, one in Ra’anana and the other in Tel Aviv. The Hebrew expression for printing house is בֵּית דְּפוּס (BEH-eet deh-FOOS).

דפוס comes from the Ancient Greek word τυπος (TOO-pohs) meaning a figure or type. דפוס – also the word for block-lettered writing – refers to the images printed on a piece of surface such as a piece of paper.

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Likewise, לְהַדְפִּיס (leh-hahd-PEES) is to print, an active-causative הפעיל verb.

דפוס has other similar meanings, including template and pattern.

That Greek word, τυπος, is the source of other words in Hebrew, such as טֹפֶסa form – (TOH-fes) and טִפּוּסa type (of thing or person) or a personality or “character” – (tee-POOS).

Visit Ktzat Ivrit.

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Ami Steinberger is founder and director of Ulpan La-Inyan.