The Identity of Israeli Arabs as Reflected in Hebrew-Based Nicknames / השתקפות זהותם של ערביי ישראל בכינויים פרטיים המבוססים על העברית

Giving nicknames is a common and cross-generational folkloric practice of Israeli Arabs. In our paper we examine the nickname as a verbal unit reflecting socio-cultural identity as well as social and linguistic reality, while focusing on the role of the Hebrew language in the nicknaming practice. The conclusions of this research are based on extensive fieldwork conducted in villages and cities in Israel. The array of Hebrew nicknames given to Israeli Arabs has a double-edged ideological role: on the one hand it is a measure of their integration in Israel and their adaptation to the dominant language as it becomes an essential component of their personal and collective identity, but on the other hand the function of the Hebrew language in the nicknaming practice is to provide an irony that generates defamiliarisation and alienation. The conspicuous humorous effect of Hebrew nicknames stems from their oxymoronic contrast with the Arabic identity of the nicknamed persons. They point out the inter lingua and cultural situation of Israeli Arabs, and the complexity that defines and shapes their identity.