רקע

From the root ר־ק־ע (r-k-').

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /raːˈqaʕ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /rɔːˈqaʕ/ [ʀɔːˈqaːʕ]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /rɔˈqaʕ/ [rɔːˈɡæːʕ] (Sanaani), [rɔːˈqæːʕ] (Sharaabi)
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /rɒˈɢæ/, [rɒˈʁæ]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /raˈkaŋ/ (West), /raˈqaʕ/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /rɔˈka(ŋ)/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /raˈka(ʕ)/

רָקַע • (raká) (pa'al construction)

1. to stomp
   • 1973, Svika Pick, הרקדן האוטומטי (“The Automatic Dancer”):

     הנה הוא שומע את המנגינה / מתחבר כמו אוטומט לזרם / בגופו רוקע על האדמה / הוא נמצא עכשיו בתוך הקצב

     There he hears the melody / connecting like an automatic / with his body [he] stamps on the ground / he is now within the rhythm

• (Biblical Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈraqʕ/
• (Tiberian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈrɛ.qaʕ/ [ˈʀɛː.qaʕ]
• (Yemenite Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈra.qaʕ/ [ˈræː.ɡæʕ] (Sanaani), [ˈræː.qæʕ] (Sharaabi)
• (Persian Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.ɢæ/ [ˈre.ʁæ]
• (Sephardi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.kaŋ/ (West), /ˈre.qaʕ/ (East)
• (Ashkenazi Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈrɛ.ka(ŋ)/
• (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /ˈre.ka(ʕ)/

רֶקַע • (réka) m (plural indefinite רְקָעִים, singular construct רֶקַע־, plural construct רִקְעֵי־) [pattern: קֶטֶל]

1. (literally) A background: the background of a picture (or the like).
2. (figuratively) A background, an ambient environment.

   מוזיקת רקע ― muzikát-réka ― background music

   עם מוזיקה ברקע ― im múzika baréka ― with music in the background

   • 2005, אסף גברון (translator), Audrey Niffenegger (English author), “אשתו של הנוסע בזמן” (The Time Traveler’s Wife), Kinneret, Zmora-Bitan, Dvir (publishers), →ISBN, page 398

     כשקנדריק מפסיק לדבר, פתאום נשמעים רעשי הרקע של הבניין.^[1]

     k'shekéndrik mafsík l'dabér, pit'óm nishma'ím ra'ashéi-haréka shel habinyan.

     When Kendrick stops talking the background noises of the building are suddenly apparent.

3. (figuratively) A background: a person's heritage, upbringing, and so on.

   הרקע הסוציו־אקונומי של המשפחה ― haréka hasotsyo-ekonómi shél hamishpakhá ― the family's socioeconomic background

4. (figuratively) A basis: an underlying situation or cause.
   • 2011 March 29, דן אבן (Dan Even), “85% מהתלונות לרופא על עייפות אינן על רקע גופני” (85% meihat'lunót l'rofé al ayefút einán al réka gufaní, “85% of medical complaints of tiredness do not have a physical basis”), in Haaretz Online.
5. (computing) background, desktop background

   רקעים למחשב ― r'ka'ím l'makhshév ― desktop backgrounds (literally backgrounds for a computer)

   רקעי מחשב ― rik'éi-makhshév ― desktop backgrounds (literally computer backgrounds)

• (background, ambient environment): As may be seen in the examples above, the noun רקע (réka) very often functions either as an attributive modifier, or as the object of the preposition ב־ (b'-, “in”). In this respect it is similar to English background.
• (basis): Note that על רקע […] (al réka, “on/against a […] background”) typically has a much stronger implication of causation than an English-speaker might expect.

• מוּזִיקַת רֶקַע (múzikat réka)

רִקֵּעַ • (rikéa') (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of ריקע.

רֻקַּע • (ruká) (pi'el construction)

1. defective spelling of רוקע.

• H7554 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• “רקע” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN, volume 3 of 3 (ק to ת), page 1305.

• קרע