Languages & Linguistics

When I first moved to Israel, one of the first things I was warned about was using the word "maniac". As an American, this is considered a very minor insult - minor enough for little kids to use without a problem, at least.

In Israel, though, the transliteration מניאק has connotation of a much stronger insult. It's considered one of the more offensive things you can call someone (which, of course, means it sees liberal use amongst the teens).

How did this split happen? Why did the word take on a much more negative connotation in Hebrew than in English?

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Why is the word "maniac" considered such a strong insult in Hebrew?

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