| kibbutz | n.; pl. Kibbutzim. [ Modern Hebrew kibbutz gathering. ] an Israeli communal{ 2 } form of agricultural settlement. Originally it was predominantly agricultural and practiced a very high level of sharing, including collective rearing of children. More recently (by 1998) industries have taken over a significant role in the Kibbutz economy, and the level of sharing has dropped significantly. Of several Modern Hebrew words designating unique Israeli forms of agricultural settlement, only the word Kibbutz found its way into English. This may reflect the fact that the Kibbutzim, and only they, have long practiced hosting foreign volunteers from all over the world: youngsters who work on the Kibbutz not for a salary but for boarding and food. Many volunteers come from English speaking countries, and probably via them the word Kibbutz entered modern English dictionaries. [ RP ] |
