Difference between revisions of "Combina (Israel)"

|style="font-size:1.1em;"| Combina (Hebrew: קומבינה, Ladino: kombina) – short of combination, or kombinatzia – is a colloquial word for a trick, or a ‘quick unofficial creative solution’ to a problem. It refers to the use of personal connections and informal networks to circumvent formal practices and ways for getting ahead, or receive undue benefits. It includes all forms of favouritism such as nepotism, patronage or cronyism. The root kombina comes from the old Judeo-Spanish language, commonly referred to as Ladino (there is no ‘c’ in the alphabet). In Ladino dictionaries one finds a) kombina / kombinas (pl.) as intrigue; b) kombinador as trickster; c) kombinasion, referring to combination, coincidence and opportunity; and d) profitar la kombinasion, that is taking advantage of the opportunity. In the Jerusalmic Ladino dialect, kobima means trick, ploy, manipulation (Rodrigue-Schwarzwald 2013). Combinadores carry connotations of sneaky people, with negative undertones of an underhand service (Hebrew Language Academy 2020). For example, ‘if I want to arrange something, I will combine it for you’ (lekamben in Hebrew). Thus, if someone got benefits through connections or even stealing, one is mekumban (combined), or has combina (see also Rosenthal 2015).