Although the majority of your post deals with media, may I focus on the last part, the part about 'polis?
Might there be a connection to the Hebrew ophel? (ref: Is 32:14)
(I meant medina, not media)
The item about _medina_ is very interesting. To round out the subject, I would like to invite comments about the attitude of the ultra-orthodox towards the State of Israel, that is, Medinat Yisrael. A discussion about this could possibly lead to the well-known expression _dina d'malkhuta dina_. I say this without political overtones because I am interested in language, not in the _politika_ of the relations between religious and non-religious people. Respectfully, Shlomo Sokol
Other Purim words of interest:
The names - Ahasuerus, Vashti, etc.
Karpas (yes, I said Purim)
Persian loanwords: Ahashtranim / Ahashdarpanim / Ramachim
Igeret
If names, I think more fascinating might be Mordecai, Esther, etc... and the trend of borrowing foriegn names.
German "Stadt" means city (even though it sounds like state).
Why do Satmar megillah readings take so long?
Because they bang at every mention of the word "medinah"!
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