tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222474232024-03-14T23:12:19.536+02:00Balashon - Hebrew Language DetectiveDLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07742080250489524900noreply@blogger.comBlogger691125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-26234381246574682552024-01-14T09:19:00.000+02:002024-01-14T09:19:45.302+02:00tiron and turai<p>After a soldier enlists in the Israeli army, there are two words to describe him (or her, although I'm providing the male forms of the words): טִירוֹן <i>tiron - </i>"new recruit" and טוּרַאי <i>turai - </i>"private" (his initial rank). While the two words apply to a similar time in the military, and look somewhat similar, they are actually not related etymologically.</p><p><i>Tiron</i> entered Hebrew in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Jastrow%2C_%D7%98%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9F_I?lang=bi">the rabbinic period</a>, borrowed from the Latin <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tiro#Latin">tiro</a>. </i>The English word "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/tyro">tyro</a>" has the same meaning and origin:</p><p></p><blockquote>"a beginner in learning anything," 1610s, from Medieval Latin <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>tyro</i></span>, variant of Latin <i><span class="foreign notranslate">tiro</span> </i>(plural <span class="foreign notranslate"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirones">tirones</a></i></span>) "young soldier, recruit, beginner"</blockquote><p>That Online Etymology Dictionary entry says that the pre-Latin origin is unknown, but Nicholas Ostler, in his book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ad-Infinitum-Biography-Nicholas-Ostler-ebook/dp/B003GUBI02/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1705181859&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr&_encoding=UTF8&tag=balashonhebre-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=d462491129ddf98f44a15373ee60b031&camp=1789&creative=9325">Ad Infinitum</a></i>, says derives from Etruscan, which provided other military terms to Latin as well.</p><p>The more general sense of "novice" is seen in the early uses of <i>tiron </i>in Hebrew. For example, see this midrash:</p><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"> בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְלָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל משֶׁה טִירוֹן הָיָה משֶׁה לַנְּבוּאָה</div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"At the moment that The Holy One blessed be He appeared to Moses, Moses was a novice at prophecy" (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Shemot_Rabbah.3.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Shemot Rabbah 3:1</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Today as well <i>tiron </i>can have that meaning, but it seems to me that it may be more influenced from its use in the military (since so many Israelis serve in the army) as opposed to its more ancient origins.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In contrast, <i>turai</i> is of much more recent coinage. Linguists such as <a href="https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/the-edge/mehasafa/2018-07-18/ty-article/.premium/0000017f-db60-d3a5-af7f-fbee03eb0000">Gilad</a> and <a href="https://blog.ravmilim.co.il/2014/03/17/armi/">Rosenthal</a> note that it was coined by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ze%27ev_Jabotinsky">Ze'ev Jabotinsky</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Samuel,_2nd_Viscount_Samuel">Edwin Samuel</a> in World War I. Rosenthal is quoted <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/tzahalit-slang-from-the-idf-620676">here</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>In later years, Ze’ev Jabotinsky – who served in the Jewish Legion in
World War I together with Edwin Samuel, the son of the first High
Commissioner of Palestine Herbert Samuel – published a two-page glossary
of commands in Hebrew. One of their innovations was the rank of <i>turai </i>(private) since they marched in line formation (<i>tor</i>).</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://hebrew-academy.org.il/2011/12/13/%d7%9e%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%91%d7%a1%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%9d-%d7%94%d7%93%d7%a8%d7%92%d7%95%d7%aa/">Others</a>, such as Kutscher, point out that <i>turai</i> was likely influenced by the Russian word for "private" (not surprising considering Jabotinsky's background.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That Russian word is <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D1%80%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9">рядовой </a>(<i>ryadovoy</i>), related to the word meaning "row." It also has the sense of "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/rank%20and%20file">rank and file</a>," which has a similar meaning in English:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>1590s, in reference to the horizontal and vertical lines of soldiers marching in formation, from rank (n.) in the military sense of "number of soldiers drawn up in a line abreast" (1570s) + file (n.1). Thence generalized to "common soldiers" (1796) and "common people, general body" of any group (1860).</blockquote><p>So based on the Hebrew <i>tur </i>טור - "row", Jabotinsky and Samuel came up with <i>turai. </i><a href="https://www.ruvik.co.il/%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A7/%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%9C%D7%90-%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%A8.aspx?page=54&q=8099">Rosenthal adds</a> that there was actually a suggestion to change it to <i>shurai </i>שוראי or <i>shuran </i>שורן, from the synonym for row in Hebrew, <i>shura</i> שורה, but that was never adopted.</p></div><div dir="rtl"></div><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-75601496009852939892024-01-08T17:31:00.000+02:002024-01-08T17:31:38.982+02:00bedimosHow did the word בְּדִימוֹס <i>bedimos </i>(sometimes pronounced <i>bedimus</i>) come to mean "retired, emeritus "?<div><br /></div><div>In Talmudic literature, we find the word <i>dimos </i>דִימוֹס meaning "pardoned, acquitted." For example:</div><div><br /></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><div dir="rtl"> אמר לו הואיל והאמנתי עליך דימוס פטור אתה</div><div dir="rtl"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">"The officer <b>said to him: Since you</b> put<b> your trust in me</b>, you are<b> acquitted</b> [<i>dimos</i>]; you are exempt." (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Avodah_Zarah.16b.16?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Bavli Avoda Zara 16b</a>)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div> בְּנוֹהַג שֶׁבְּעוֹלָם מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם יוֹשֵׁב וְדָן כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן דִּימוּס הַכֹּל מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתוֹ<br /><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">"Usually in the world, if a king of flesh and blood sits in judgment, if he dismisses [<i>dimus</i>] (=throws out the indictment), everybody acclaims him." (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.9.5.2?vhe=The_Jerusalem_Talmud,_edition_by_Heinrich_W._Guggenheimer._Berlin,_De_Gruyter,_1999-2015&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Yerushalmi Berachot 9:5</a>)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Klein provides <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%93%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A1.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">the following etymology</a>:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div dir="ltr"><blockquote>דִּימוֹס m.n. PBH 1 he was freed, was acquitted. NH 2 he resigned (from office). [Probably from Latin <i>dīmissus</i>, p. part. of <i>dīmittere </i>(= to send away, dismiss, release), from <i>dī</i>– (= apart, asunder), and <i>mittere </i>(= to send). .] </blockquote></div><div>This makes <i>dimos</i> cognate with the English "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/dismiss">dismiss</a>":<br /><br /></div></div></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: right;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div>early 15c., <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>dismissen</i></span>, "release
from court restraint or legal charges;" late 15c., "remove from office,
service, or employment," apparently from Latin <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>dimissus</i></span>, past participle of <i><span class="foreign notranslate">dimittere</span> </i>"send away, send different ways; break up, discharge; renounce, abandon," </div></div></div><div></div></blockquote><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">But I asked about the form <i>bedimos</i>. Where does it come from?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">We also find it in Rabbinic Hebrew. For example here:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div>בִּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה יָצָא בְּדִימוּס. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם, זֶה סִימָן לְבָנֶיךָ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָמַדְתָּ לְפָנַי בַּדִּין הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וְיָצָאתָ בְּדִימוּס, כָּךְ עֲתִידִין בָּנֶיךָ לַעֲמֹד לְפָנַי בַּדִּין בְּיוֹם זֶה וְיוֹצְאִין לְפָנַי בְּדִימוּס, אֵימָתַי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ.</div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">"In the twelfth [month], [Adam] was pardoned [<i>yatza bedimus</i>]. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Adam, 'This is a sign for your children: In the same way that you stood in front of Me in judgement on this day and were pardoned, so too in the future will your children stand in front of Me in judgement on this day and be pardoned in front of Me.'" (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Vayikra_Rabbah.29.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Vayikra Rabbah 29:1</a>)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">This is the meaning until modern times. Why then, did it change from "pardoned" to "retired"?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The linguist Elon Gilad answers the question in <a href="https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/the-edge/mehasafa/2021-06-16/ty-article/.highlight/0000017f-e857-df5f-a17f-fbdf507d0000">this article</a>. He notes that the first time we find the modern sense of the word is in 1890, when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahum_Sokolow">Nahum Sokolow</a> wrote in his newspaper that "before <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck">Bismarck </a>retired [<i>yatza bedimos</i>]..." After writing that phrase, "יצא ביסמארק בדימוּס", he adds the following word in parentheses: דימיסיאן. Sokolow does not note what language this foreign word is being transliterated from. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Gilad proposes it's a Yiddish word, coming from the Polish <i>dymisja</i>, meaning "resignation" or "dismissal" from a position. His theory is that this Yiddish meaning is what influenced the change in meaning in Modern Hebrew. <a href="https://books.google.co.il/books?id=DteHDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA95&lpg=PA95&dq=%22all+of+which+go+back+to+l+dimissio%22&source=bl&ots=8C--mAcWi-&sig=ACfU3U3kEbD1OkYltBfU5EivQUUlrmLyhQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0kZyZiMyDAxVdgv0HHfCgBL8Q6AF6BAgJEAM#v=onepage&q=%22all%20of%20which%20go%20back%20to%20l%20dimissio%22&f=false">Zuckermann here</a> concurs, noting other European languages with cognate words with similar meanings, including Russian <i>demissiya</i>, French <i>demission</i>, and Italian <i>dimissioni</i>. All of these words derive from <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dimissus">the Latin</a> <i>dimissio </i>and <i>dimittere </i>(to send away, dismiss)<i> </i>- just as the Hebrew <i>dimos </i>does. The only difference is that <i>dimos</i> took on the sense of "freed from judgement," while the European words also included "freed from a position," i.e., "resigned."</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br />In Gilad's article, he continues by writing that the phrase <i>yatza bedimos</i> spread widely in the early 20th century, and by the 1930s, retired officers were already being referred to simply with the phrase <i>bedimos </i>(without the verb <i>yatza</i>). By the middle of the century, <i>bedimos</i> had generally replaced <i>yatza bedimos</i>. It is typically used to refer to people who retired from high-level positions, like judges or military officers. The word <i>dimos</i>, without the preposition <i>be</i>, is rarely, if ever, found in Hebrew today.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div dir="rtl"></div><div dir="ltr"></div></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-70247874085705117272024-01-02T17:50:00.000+02:002024-01-02T17:50:02.939+02:00andarta<p>What is the origin of the word <i>andarta</i> אַנְדַּרְטָה - "monument, memorial"?</p><p>The word first appears in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Jastrow%2C_%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%A0%D6%B0%D7%93%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%98%D6%B8%D7%90?lang=bi">rabbinic Hebrew</a>, where it was spelled אַנְדְּרָטָא. The meaning in those sources in the Talmud, midrashim, and Targumim is "statue" and usually had the negative associations with idolatry and worshipped statues of emperors and kings.</p><p>That original meaning is reflected in the etymology as well. Here's Klein's entry:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>PBH, respectively NH feminine noun. statue, image, bust. [Gk. <i>andrias</i>, genitive <i>andriatos </i>(= the image of a man, statue), from <i>aner</i>, genitive <i>andros </i>(= man), which is cognate with Old Indian <i>náram </i>(= man), <i>na’ryaḥ </i>(= virile). compare דֶּנֽדִּי and the first element in אַנְדּֽרוֹלוֹמוּסְיָא, אַנְדּֽרוֹמֶדָה and in אַנְתּֽרוֹפּוֹלוֹגֽיָה.] </p><div></div></blockquote><div>The reference to the Greek <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80%CE%BD%CE%B4%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%AC%CF%82">andrias</a></i> and <i>andros </i>("man")<i> </i>makes <i>andarta </i>cognate with such English words as <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/anthropology">anthropology</a>, <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/android">android</a>, and the name <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/Andrew">Andrew</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>But did you notice that Klein only gave the definitions "statue, image, bust"? Those are indeed the meanings found in rabbinic Hebrew, as we mentioned. But why not "monument, memorial"? Here Klein is likely following Ben-Yehuda, who has no entry for <i>andarta </i>in the dictionary compiled in the first half of the 20th century. So when did it take on its current meaning?</div><div><br /></div><div>Both the linguist Ruvik Rosenthal and the columnist "Philologos" wrote about this. <a href="https://forward.com/culture/188017/how-an-affront-to-judaism-came-to-memorialize-isra/">Philologos writes</a> :</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>With the end of Greco-Roman antiquity — and with it, the custom of publicly displayed royal statuary — the word <em>andarta</em>
disappeared from the Hebrew language. In the first volume of Eliezer
Ben-Yehuda’s monumental Dictionary of the Hebrew Language, which came
out in 1908 and included all Hebrew words starting with the letter <em>alef, andarta</em>
did not even appear. The first prominent modern memorial to fallen
Jewish heroes in Palestine, Abraham Melnikov’s 1934 statue of a roaring
lion, commemorating the pioneers who died in the 1920 battle of Tel Hai
in the Galilee, was not called an <em>andarta,</em> either. It was referred to as a <em>matseva —</em> a word traditionally designating the headstone on a grave.</div><div>
<p>It is hard to say just when <em>andarta</em> entered Hebrew as the
accepted word for a war memorial of the sort found all over Israel
today. The earliest documented use of it is, oddly, in some light verse
published in 1950 by Nathan Alterman, a leading 20th-century Hebrew poet
with a strong grasp of Jewish sources. Reacting to a government refusal
to cancel purchase taxes on books and paper because they were not
considered crucial commodities, Alterman wrote that if this was the
official attitude, it was time to erect an <em>andarta shel even,</em> “a stone monument,” to the printed word. Perhaps it was he who reintroduced <em>andarta</em> to modern Hebrew; perhaps there were others before him. </p></div></blockquote><div><p></p></div><p><a href="https://ruvik.co.il/%D7%94%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%99/2016/13516.aspx">Rosenthal notes</a> that the new meaning (along with the modern spelling) began after the founding of the State of Israel, when people began commemorating the many fallen soldiers in memorial monuments. <a href="https://www.makorrishon.co.il/nrg/online/47/ART1/884/683.html">He adds</a> that in 1952, in the journal <i>Leshonenu La'am</i>, a reader asked about the origin of the word <i>andarta</i>, noting that it was recently being used to describe memorials. In response, the linguist <a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A2%D7%9C%D7%99_%D7%90%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%9F">Eli Eitan</a> wrote that the new use of the word was objectionable, since the memorials weren't statues of people, and so better alternatives would be the Hebrew words מצבה <i><a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A6%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">matzevah </a></i>or יד <i><a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%99%D6%B8%D7%93.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">yad</a></i>. </p><p>Neither columnist, however, really explains why this new meaning of <i>andarta</i> was introduced and became so popular that it overruled the objections of official linguists.</p><p>My theory is one that I've mentioned many times. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, the Hebrew language abhors synonyms. When two words have the same meaning, one will begin to take on a new meaning, particularly one that there's no good match for at the time.</p><p>It's true that the original meaning of <i>andarta</i> was "statue." But Hebrew already has its own word for statue - <i>pesel </i>פסל. And yes, as Eitan noted there are already words for monument - <i>matzevah</i> and <i>yad</i>. Yet the common meaning of <i>matzevah </i>is "tombstone," not the more general "monument". And while <i>yad </i>does mean "memorial" (as in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem#Etymology">the biblical source of the name of the museum Yad Vashem</a>), certainly the word <i>yad</i> is overwhelmingly associated with its primary meaning, "hand." </p><p>So when some clever individual (or individuals) saw that <i>andarta</i> was up for grabs, they "converted" it into its modern meaning of "memorial monument of a person or event". Nothing unusual here - that's just how language works!</p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4491803344250767662023-12-26T10:07:00.000+02:002023-12-26T10:07:37.381+02:00ukhlusiya<p>What is the origin of the word אֻכְלוּסִיָּה <i>uchlusiya - </i>"population"?</p><p>This is a word that entered into Hebrew in the Talmudic period (for example, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Yevamot.76b.12?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Yevamot 36b</a>) with the sense of "multitudes", borrowed from the Greek <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BD%84%CF%87%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82">ochlos</a></i>, meaning "crowd."</p><p><a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%BB%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%9C%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%A1%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9D.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein says</a> that the Greek word is "perhaps related to <i>ochein</i> (= to carry), and cognate with Latin <i>vehere</i> (= to carry, convey)." </p><p>In the entry for the the related word <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/ochlocracy">ochlocracy </a>- "government by the rabble", the Online Etymology Dictionary adds the following:</p><p></p><blockquote>"government by the rabble," 1580s, from French <i><span class="foreign notranslate">ochlocratie</span> </i>(1560s), from Greek <i><span class="foreign notranslate">okhlokratia</span> </i>(Polybius) "mob rule," the lowest grade of democracy, from <i><span class="foreign notranslate">kratos</span> </i>"rule, power, strength" (see <a class="crossreference notranslate" href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/-cracy" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of -cracy ">-cracy</a>) + <i><span class="foreign notranslate">okhlos</span> </i>"(orderless) crowd, multitude, throng; disturbance, annoyance," which is probably literally "moving mass," from PIE <span class="foreign notranslate">*wogh-lo-</span>, suffixed form of root <a class="crossreference notranslate" href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/*wegh-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *wegh- ">*<i>wegh</i>-</a>
"to go, move." "Several possibilities exist for the semantic
development: e.g. an agent noun *'driving, carrying, moving', or an
instrument noun *'driver, carrier, mover'. ... An original meaning
'drive' could easily develop into both 'stirred mass, mob' and
'spiritual excitement, unrest'" [Beekes]. For sense development, compare
<a class="crossreference notranslate" href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/mob#etymonline_v_17359" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of mob ">mob</a> (n.). Related: <i><span class="foreign notranslate">Ochlocrat, ochlocratic</span>; <span class="foreign notranslate">ochlocratical</span></i>. Greek also had <i><span class="foreign notranslate">okhlagogos</span> </i>"mob-leader, <i>ochlagogue</i>."</blockquote><p>While the Greek word and its English descendants have a negative connotation, implying orderless rabble, the Hebrew <i>uchlusia </i>doesn't have those associations. (Perhaps because the Hebrew word <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2015/02/kahal-and-kehila.html">המון </a>already connects means "crowd" and has the sense of a noisy group.) However, beyond the meaning "population" (as in the total number of people in an area), <i>ukhlusiya </i>can also refer to the specific inhabitants of that area, in the collective sense. </p><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-91038065691214789742023-10-19T11:14:00.004+03:002023-10-26T13:48:42.320+03:00hamas<h2 style="text-align: center;"> Hamas - Etymology and Hebrew Cognates <br /></h2><p>Israel is still grieving and reeling from the barbaric massacre carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas on Simchat Torah. And now we are about to read Parashat Noach, which describes the terrible state of humanity before the flood:</p><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס׃</div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> "The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with violence." (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Genesis.6.11?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Bereshit 6:11</a>)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This has led many to wonder - is there a connection between the word for violence in Hebrew - <i>hamas</i> - and the Arabic name of the violent organization Hamas?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's look at each of these words. The Hebrew root חמס means "to do violence, to wrong, to rob." <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%97%D6%B0%D7%9E%D6%B8%D7%A1.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein says</a> that it might be the source of the name of one of the unkosher birds mentioned in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Leviticus.11.16?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&aliyot=0">Vayikra 11:16</a> and <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Deuteronomy.14.15?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&aliyot=0">Devarim 14:15</a> - the <i>tachmas </i>תַּחְמָס, presumably because it is a bird of prey. Another such animal is the <i><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1">hamos </a></i>חָמוֹס - a ferret, or weasel. Klein doesn't include it as an entry in his dictionary, but the Even-Shoshan dictionary does connect its name to the root חמס. Even in English the name "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/ferret">ferret</a>" comes from a Latin word meaning "thief."</div><div><br /></div><div>The name of the terror group Hamas, on the other hand, is an acronym. Here's the etymology from the <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hamas">Wiktionary entry for Hamas</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>an acronym for حَرَكَة اَلْمُقَاوَمَةِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ (<i><b>ḥ</b>arakat al-<b>m</b>uqāwama l-'<b>is</b>lāmiyya</i>, “Islamic Resistance Movement”). </div><div></div></blockquote><div>(In Hebrew, this is even more clear, with its spelling חמאס).</div><div><br /></div><div>But that choice of acronym was influenced by the Arabic word <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3">حَمَاس </a><i>ḥamās</i>, which means "enthusiasm, zeal."</div><div><br /></div><div>Does this Arabic word have any Hebrew cognates? </div><div><br /></div><div>According to scholars, there might be in one meaning of the Hebrew root חמש. Here's what <a href="https://books.google.co.il/books?id=UiM1AQAAMAAJ&lpg=PA327&ots=PrXL57a__s&dq=%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3%20%22etymology%22&pg=PA327#v=onepage&q&f=false">Gesenius writes</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD0j0r4NbGY3Hn6D8kypvkMhJpsG43IQtbyQYqO5azfMsY3P_kfXKsy1jH_muELprLqQ_fQlM6n61PeksBFJlLpWjwa-OYW2LZrGqKmJr1rZ6tu2WjMTxbbWkkcqHU8ZyJoUUlk0RBUE16sEcuz3Mz_CW6yGxikL94xLmFV8WAdFw3U64rgIJL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="410" height="707" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjD0j0r4NbGY3Hn6D8kypvkMhJpsG43IQtbyQYqO5azfMsY3P_kfXKsy1jH_muELprLqQ_fQlM6n61PeksBFJlLpWjwa-OYW2LZrGqKmJr1rZ6tu2WjMTxbbWkkcqHU8ZyJoUUlk0RBUE16sEcuz3Mz_CW6yGxikL94xLmFV8WAdFw3U64rgIJL=w341-h707" width="341" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>We've <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/05/chamesh.html">discussed this root in the past</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>The Hebrew word for the number five is חמש - <i>chamesh</i>. Another set of words that would seem to have the same root are<i> chamush</i> חמוש - armed and <i>tachmoshet</i> תחמושת - ammunition. Is there a connection between them?<br />
<br />
The earliest source that might provide an answer is <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Exodus.13.18?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&aliyot=0">Shemot 13:18</a> -
וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. "Bnei Yisrael
went up, <i>chamushim</i>, from the land of Egypt". Most translators and commentaries explain <i>chamushim</i> here as meaning "armed."</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>In that post, I didn't mention then any connection to the Arabic root meaning "zeal." However, I found now a significant source that supports this connection: the Aramaic translation of Onkelos, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Onkelos_Exodus.13.18?lang=he&with=all&lang2=he">who renders the phrase as</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><b>וּמְזָרְזִין</b> סְלִיקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרָיִם</div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">According to Sokoloff (in his Dictionary of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic), the Aramaic root זרז essentially means "to arouse, strengthen." He then provides three usages (with examples): one meaning "to arouse, encourage," a second meaning "to arm," and the third "to strengthen." (See similar cases in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Jastrow%2C_%D7%96%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%B7%D7%96_I.1?lang=bi">Jastrow</a>.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">How should we understand the usage by Onkelos here? Rashi (certainly according <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Rashi_on_Exodus.13.18.3?lang=bi">this translation</a>) understands the Aramaic root זרז as meaning "armed" in this case. R. Aryeh Kaplan in The Living Torah, on the other hand, explains the Targum as "with eagerness" or "with enthusiasm." </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It seems to me that even if Onkelos did mean "to arm" in this case, the overall association of זרז with enthusiasm (even in terms of being armed) confirms that Onkelos associated this usage of חמש with the same meaning of <i>hamas</i> in Arabic (which therefore may have been present in the related Aramaic as well.)<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The connection between the Arabic <i>hamas</i> and this particular use of חמש is also noted in footnote 2 in the Ben Yehuda dictionary for חמש (as armed):</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGvq0FyeTKiEys4W-NhkKnnzd6fwjU-tup_3Q30j_6ZCE6D_k4q_otN9DT3pMqdqwwCd-P_oBDeYi_Yv0eB15vD1n4pDKsM3lOEyxQ2JSzAF-5NStNhXvUY0dhBGcdeLahQ4JWlqXXKJWCEz-zN9JX03F4DgInioeT-FiA7dHcZ-Y4z6px-2IC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="993" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGvq0FyeTKiEys4W-NhkKnnzd6fwjU-tup_3Q30j_6ZCE6D_k4q_otN9DT3pMqdqwwCd-P_oBDeYi_Yv0eB15vD1n4pDKsM3lOEyxQ2JSzAF-5NStNhXvUY0dhBGcdeLahQ4JWlqXXKJWCEz-zN9JX03F4DgInioeT-FiA7dHcZ-Y4z6px-2IC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I find it convincing. As we've previously discussed regarding the word <i><a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/04/hamsin.html">hamsin</a></i>, the Hebrew חמש becomes <i>hams </i>in Arabic.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As far as the claim by Gesenius of a link to other roots like <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/04/chametz.html">חמץ</a> and our focus, חמס, to a more general sense of "sharpness: well, that depends on how far we are willing to connect different roots that begin with the same two letters. It's certainly possible that חמש, חמץ and חמס are related (and I could even consider additional roots like חמד - "to covet", which is linked to robbing in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Exodus.34.24?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Shemot 34:24</a>), but I would need to see more research on the subject.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For now, I just pray that this prophecy will come true very soon - both regarding Hamas and <span style="text-align: right;">חָמָס:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div>לֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">"Violence [<i>hamas</i>] s</span><span style="text-align: right;">hall no more be heard in your land..." (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Isaiah.60.18?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Yeshaya 60:18</a>)</span></div></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><script src="moz-extension://82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="moz-extension://82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="moz-extension://82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-59997593331897901282023-10-02T09:54:00.006+03:002024-02-22T14:39:45.660+02:00Kohelet - A Map To Eden<p>I'm so happy to share with all of you that after nearly six years of work, my first book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden</i>, is available:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHzlGV8823Xa1ZpPOdcZP-W1ZbVd1uC_uX-Ap_iGXbAHSy5UwAUdd5A9VzFV3jhWOC6tupF46LeR_Qv1NJgsT03Mh9mUjJc2jcpd9f5ssOuZ01wi7tiJgYsAYkX31F9wk28gA3EwFD4MIIOTC5HteaDIrVteu67vOvbzNlPtCwpq_nwHh8YTa/s960/new-book1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="587" height="712" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHzlGV8823Xa1ZpPOdcZP-W1ZbVd1uC_uX-Ap_iGXbAHSy5UwAUdd5A9VzFV3jhWOC6tupF46LeR_Qv1NJgsT03Mh9mUjJc2jcpd9f5ssOuZ01wi7tiJgYsAYkX31F9wk28gA3EwFD4MIIOTC5HteaDIrVteu67vOvbzNlPtCwpq_nwHh8YTa/w436-h712/new-book1.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><p>While it doesn't deal with etymology per se, it does use a linguistic lens to discover connections and parallels between Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and the opening chapters of Bereshit (Genesis). <br /><br /><span class="break-words"><span dir="ltr">It's a genuine page-turner, and shows how Kohelet - often viewed as depressing, confusing, and even tedious - tells a real story, and provides a powerful message of hope. <br /><br /><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><i>Kohelet – A Map to Eden</i> is not simply a running commentary on Kohelet, although I do delve into the explanation of its verses. Rather, think of it as a captivating story. As you read through its pages, you will embark on a journey with me, where I uncover the parallels between Kohelet and Bereshit, and the analogies between the lives of Shlomo and Adam. You’ll then witness how these connections lead to the story of the Spies and how those episodes of downfall find redemption in the mitzva of tzitzit, the Yom Kippur service, and the profound words of Kohelet itself.</span></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto">It is available on both the US and Israel sites of Koren Publishers, where you can also see a preview of the first 30 pages.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAIyzuxYWj8OvrLCrbDeVYWMY44Em18X4KPAHvGtyyiUMsgePsyF_M-tl2e5nkhgsSwNBdys8_gawitf6a_f_2NiMd2kyND24GOvXK9WvRJJoCOPcc8OSBpN0XjRR9WVHvPI58HRugsCnOgi9ULz5hdxqKf-6z8RaW4N3c1K6xLUrPgIg3v5VE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="408" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAIyzuxYWj8OvrLCrbDeVYWMY44Em18X4KPAHvGtyyiUMsgePsyF_M-tl2e5nkhgsSwNBdys8_gawitf6a_f_2NiMd2kyND24GOvXK9WvRJJoCOPcc8OSBpN0XjRR9WVHvPI58HRugsCnOgi9ULz5hdxqKf-6z8RaW4N3c1K6xLUrPgIg3v5VE" width="163" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Israel customers can order it here:</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><a href="https://korenpub.co.il/en/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden">https://korenpub.co.il/en/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden</a></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">US and other international customers can purchase it here:<br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto"><span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://korenpub.com/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden?fbclid=IwAR3IJh-1SHykh4uPqr93W6uRaksnyHQP-__lBncwM5JXtjWjFsjlW5of7JY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://korenpub.com/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden</a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto"><br />Those using the korenpub.com site can use the code 𝐤𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐥𝟏𝟎 at checkout to get a 10% discount.<br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto">It is also available at many other online booksellers and in-person bookstores. (And a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kohelet-Map-Eden-Intertextual-Journey-ebook/dp/B0CBSDKS2G/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">Kindle version</a> is available at Amazon!)<br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto">Also, as a first-time author, I’d be grateful for any assistance you might offer during this process. If you enjoy the book, please consider telling friends and family about it. Even sharing this post will help!</div></div><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto">If you know anyone who might be interested in publicly reviewing the book, please put them in touch with me. And of course, I’m happy to discuss the book with you in person or online, or speak to any groups (schools, synagogues, etc.) who would be interested in hearing more about my discoveries and methods.<br /><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Book reviews:</h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin - in the San Diego Jewish World: <a href="https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2023/07/03/comparing-biblical-stories-with-other-tales-enhances-their-meaning/">"Comparing Biblical Stories With Other Tales Enhances Their Meaning</a>" (as well as on the <a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/comparing-biblical-stories-with-other-tales-enhances-their-meaning/">Times of Israel</a>)</li><li>Ben Rothke - in The Jewish Link: "<a href="https://jewishlink.news/two-interesting-new-books-on-kohelet/">Two Interesting New Books on Kohelet</a>" (as well as on the <a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-5-best-books-of-5783/">Times of Israel</a>)</li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/uri.pilichowski/posts/pfbid0eEyAZ5sMhN1DrB8uPfrastnCgnsVrDt6QSXc6SdtiBxSqFMU6U9C8Ekk9HErJBDel">Rabbi Uri Pilichowski on Facebook</a></li><li>Rabbi Steven Gotlib: "<a href="https://rabbistevengotlib.substack.com/p/kohelet-and-varieties-of-interpretation">Kohelet and Varieties of Interpretation</a>"</li><li>Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern in the Jewish Journal": "<a href="https://jewishjournal.com/judaism/363475/three-new-views-of-ecclesiastes/">Three New Views of Ecclesiastes</a>"</li><li>Rabbi <span class="author_a single">Hayyim J. Angel in Tradition: "<a href="https://traditiononline.org/review-essay-of-making-many-books-new-works-on-ecclesiastes/">Of Making Many Books: New Works on Ecclesiastes</a>"<br /></span></li><li>Kate Havard Rozansky discusses the book and adds here own ideas in "<a href="https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/515576?lang=bi">Dvar Torah for Kohelet 5784</a>"</li><li>Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein in <a href="https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/2023/vol-51-no-4-204-october-december-2023/">Jewish Bible Quarterly</a>: "<a href="https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/514/jbq_514_kleinbookreviewKohelet.pdf"><span style="font-style: var(--awb-text-font-style);">BOOK REVIEW:<br />
</span><i style="color: var(--awb-text-color); font-family: var(--awb-text-font-family); font-size: var(--awb-font-size); font-weight: var(--awb-text-font-weight); letter-spacing: var(--awb-letter-spacing); text-transform: var(--awb-text-transform);">KOHELET: A MAP TO EDEN – </i><i style="color: var(--awb-text-color); font-family: var(--awb-text-font-family); font-size: var(--awb-font-size); font-weight: var(--awb-text-font-weight); letter-spacing: var(--awb-letter-spacing); text-transform: var(--awb-text-transform);">AN INTERTEXTUAL JOURNEY</i></a><span color="var(--awb-text-color)" face="var(--awb-text-font-family)" style="font-size: var(--awb-font-size); font-weight: var(--awb-text-font-weight); letter-spacing: var(--awb-letter-spacing); text-transform: var(--awb-text-transform);">"</span></li><li><span color="var(--awb-text-color)" face="var(--awb-text-font-family)" style="font-size: var(--awb-font-size); font-weight: var(--awb-text-font-weight); letter-spacing: var(--awb-letter-spacing); text-transform: var(--awb-text-transform);">Dom Anselm Brumwell in <i><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00125806241235483?journalCode=tdra">The Downside Review</a></i></span><br /><br /><br /></li></ul></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Podcast interviews:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://newbooksnetwork.com/kohelet-a-map-to-eden">New Books Network</a> with Michael Morales - on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4yRcGnSHBFZeVGYUPz8OLX?si=cFjz1Q1QS_CsFi4DtBG61w">Spotify </a>and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/david-curwin-kohelet-a-map-to-eden-maggid-2023/id425369034?i=1000620995227">Apple Podcasts</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">Rabbi Leonard Matanky of Congregation KINS - video on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CongregationKINS/posts/pfbid02PRNj2fT74yXMKiMeCR8vAR2EEzJ9WU8CitVWhNSBDFmKviAHs7VYt5V4xQoToQbul">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfcamdSAYJ8">YouTube</a>, audio on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/1KLbFXWzOpQkqndocstDf1?si=a6001454006142d8">Spotify </a>and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/af/podcast/kins-presents-daytime-dialogues-with-david-curwin-s3-e43/id1524029091?i=1000623216037">Apple Podcasts</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.judaismdemystified.com/podcast/episode/1d1d6789/episode-73-david-curwin-a-map-to-eden">Judaism Demystified</a> - video on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3vM1Mzf-XY&t=1008s">YouTube</a>, audio on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/27M9Rue5C9GDQY0QAr5agv?si=d0d76d0a0f8f4915&fbclid=IwAR35p-IjhGVL5D6U43f6FbORNBkT6DwZEswKS1P-AtKCddhogU6nipYpOL0&nd=1">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-73-david-curwin-a-map-to-eden/id1572203778?i=1000624708136">Apple Podcasts</a></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://thelandofisrael.com/view/2581">Rejuvenation</a> with Eve Harow - on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dbHKoj7FJUbonUFbcivuU?si=iAm9oNCXSbi8klFN6DPS_g">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rejuvenation-kohelet-a-map-to-eden/id1051088186?i=1000626051911">Apple Podcasts</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.matan.org.il/en/online/episode-127-sukkot-kohelet-and-eden/">Matan: One on One Parsha Podcast</a> with Dr. Yosefa (Fogel) Wruble - on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0uHMFnL8JwLwsCSmNbtibw">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/matan-one-on-one-parsha-podcast/id1493702879">Apple Podcasts</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">RZ Weekly Podcast </span><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">with Mali Brofsky, Reuven Spolter, and Johnny Solomon - video on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rzweekly/videos/288066654016161/">Facebook</a> and audio on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4L7lPqJLdpC2kCZPI3EL5I?si=LpjP0GlLSNuW1BGIX9z-8g&fbclid=IwAR1507OBEjJf0CZk_5RUmHXa9TGDJTR2KU5beaIVELsuffD_c4a08Jc0CfU&nd=1">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contemplating-kohelet/id1450263541?i=1000629220241">Apple Podcasts</a></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://seforimchatter.com/2023/09/27/with-david-curwin-discussing-koheles-and-its-connection-to-bereishis/">Seforim Chatter</a> with Nachi Weinstein - on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cm2Tz8NHffOkcQ9Fp7k2Z?si=35b4409b1bee4b3a">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/with-david-curwin-discussing-koheles-and-its-connection/id1523682676?i=1000629374230">Apple Podcasts</a></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: 400;">Rabbi Steven Gotlib - on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-LB42sLDhQ">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=300780222672037">Facebook</a></span></li></ul><br />My talks about the book:</h3><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Book launch at the Women's Beit Midrash of Efrat and Gush Etzion - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUPga2CKr6A">YouTube</a> recording (and pictures on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0e25jPAox9edsTA6vJtrEoxabaGNHVb5bezdUR3NjQw5ZWgxTrSBHgi2oi4wRa6Wdl&id=100064714867368">Facebook</a>)</li></ul></div></div></div><script src="moz-extension://82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="moz-extension://82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="moz-extension://82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="moz-extension://0d30cef2-7f43-4e5a-a936-05279d1b13ce/js/app.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-28253188206771278962023-08-30T15:05:00.003+03:002023-08-30T15:05:46.665+03:00"Kohelet - A Map to Eden" is now available in Israel!<p>My book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden</i> is now fully available in Israel!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibGGW9jFxoXF6Q-9imdywVjSvSzPW1XemLnIWl_5W1LZ5m3JGVobivYIwr8OVrcrhIFSb0-pgzhgJCi8XlJSZWr8mb9JIRkA0CVIRUPTbjpskNgrhAWX0elYaq6bw3_SG71yQ7rwXApt8pDCDvy0sUuEsKZbbhuNLlL3QqEHvDjFI1Khx_C8JH" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="408" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibGGW9jFxoXF6Q-9imdywVjSvSzPW1XemLnIWl_5W1LZ5m3JGVobivYIwr8OVrcrhIFSb0-pgzhgJCi8XlJSZWr8mb9JIRkA0CVIRUPTbjpskNgrhAWX0elYaq6bw3_SG71yQ7rwXApt8pDCDvy0sUuEsKZbbhuNLlL3QqEHvDjFI1Khx_C8JH" width="163" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r9e:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto">It is available in many of the book stores in Israel that carry Judaica books in English, as well as on the Koren website:</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://korenpub.co.il/en/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden?fbclid=IwAR34ptV6YzriswAIDFXq-DAprqKDpbxNq-uRWMcyhIxdoYbzWKbFkFqhbkg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://korenpub.co.il/en/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden</a></div><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto"><a tabindex="-1"></a>Through that website you can also see a preview of the first 30 pages. For more information about the book, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">my post where I first announced its release</a>. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">I hope you enjoy the book, and looking forward to your feedback!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-22895866468659012722023-08-20T17:05:00.002+03:002023-08-20T17:05:34.098+03:00takif and tekufa<div style="background: rgb(234, 209, 220);">
<p>
This post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden. </i>For more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">this Balashon entry.</a>
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<p> A word that only appears in Kohelet is the adjective <i>takif</i> תַּקִּיף:</p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ וְנוֹדָע אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אָדָם וְלֹא־יוּכַל לָדִין עִם (שהתקיף) [שֶׁתַּקִּיף] מִמֶּנּוּ׃ </p><div style="text-align: left;">"Whatever happens, it was designated long ago and it was known that it would happen; as for man, he cannot contend with what is stronger than he." (Kohelet 6:10)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">(The <i>kri </i>reading - <i>takif</i> - is preferred over the <i>ketiv </i>התקיף. And while <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/Concordance/8630">this concordance</a> considers the <i>ketiv </i>as a verb, most scholars see it as an adjective as well - either as a compound of שהוא תקיף or as Gordis suggests, a conflation of עם התקיף and עם שתקיף - "with the One mightier than he." See Gordis, p. 263).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The biblical meaning of <i>takif </i>as "<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%A7%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%A3.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">strong, mighty, powerful</a>," is recalled in its modern sense as "<a href="https://www.morfix.co.il/%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%A3">decisive, resolute, tough</a>."</div><p>The word comes from the root תקף, which only appears a few other times in the Tanakh, all in books featuring later Biblical Hebrew. It appears once more in Kohelet as a verb (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Ecclesiastes.4.12?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">4:12</a>) meaning "to attack." In <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Job.14.20?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Iyov 14:20</a> and <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Job.15.24?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">15:24</a>, the verb means "to overpower." It also appears as a noun, <i>tokef </i>תֹּקֶף in Daniel 11:17 and Esther 9:29 & 10:2, meaning "strength, might, power". This noun later took on the more specific meaning of "authority" in Rabbinic Hebrew, and today also means "validity, legality."</p><p>All of these together - the adjectives, verbs, and nouns - express a sense of strength and power. And there is consensus among linguists that the few Hebrew mentions in the Tanakh were borrowed from or influenced by Aramaic (and in the Aramaic sections of the Tanakh <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/Concordance/8631">it appears as well</a>.)</p><p>Klein expands on this in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%A3.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">his etymology</a>:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">BAram. תְּקַף (= was strong), Aram.–Syr. תְּקֵף (= was strong, prevailed), which is related to Nab. תקף (= authority). Many scholars connect Aram.–Syr. <span dir="rtl">תּֽקֵף</span> with Arab. <i>thaqafa</i> (= he attained to, overtook, overpowered). However, in this case the base would be שׁקף in Hebrew (Arab. <i>th</i> corresponds to Heb. שׁ). Haupt connects this base with Akka. <i>pashqu</i> (= arduous), <i>pushqu</i> (= hardship, necessity).</div></blockquote><p>His rejection of the connection to Arabic <i>thaqafa </i>is earlier found in the Ben Yehuda dictionary. Despite the standing of those sources, I found others who do maintain a connection (Even-Shoshan and <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/BDB%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A7%D6%B5%D7%A3.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">BDB </a>for example.) </p><p>The <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%AB%D9%82%D9%81">Arabic cognate root</a> means "to be clever, smart" or "to educate." I think the best parallel in English would be the word "mastery," which means "to be in control, dominant" over both places and people (which is how the root תקף is expressed in Hebrew) and over a a realm of knowledge (in the Arabic sense.)</p><p>The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon provides another interesting cognate in Arabic. In the entry for the Aramaic root <i><a href="https://cal.huc.edu/oneentry.php?lemma=tqp%20V&cits=all">tqp</a> </i> - "to be strong" many Biblical and post-Biblical occurrences (such as in the Talmud and translations in the Targum) of תקף are cited. The end of the entry contains this note:</p><p></p><blockquote>Not in Old Aramaic, where the original etymon <i>yqp </i>(=Arabic <i>wqf</i>, "to stand, withstand") still occurs. This accounts for the later form אתוקף, from which the simplified root <i>tqp </i>developed.</blockquote><p>This would make <i>takif </i>cognate with the Arabic <i>waqf. </i>That term is known in Israel as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Waqf">Jordanian organization that manages the Islamic sites on the Temple mount</a>. But more generally, a <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waqf">waqf</a> </i>is an endowment made by a Muslim to a religious cause, and literally means "stoppage, immobilization," since the donated money or property cannot move from that dedication (similar to the Jewish <i><a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hekdesh">hekdesh</a></i>).</p><p>Therefore, according to the theory suggested in the CAL above, the root <i>ykp </i>- "to stand, withstand", eventually came to be <i>tkp - </i>"to be strong." </p><p>If this is the case, then<i> takif </i>may have another Hebrew cognate. In his entry for the root נקף, meaning "to go round," Klein provides the following etymology:</p><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Aram. <span dir="rtl">אַקִּיף</span> (= he surrounded), Syr. נְקֵף (= he clung to, stuck to, was joined), Arab. <i>waqafa</i> (= he stood still).</div><p></p></blockquote><p>Stahl makes a similar argument in his Arabic etymological dictionary in his entry for וקף, citing Yeshaya 29:1 חַגִּים יִנְקֹפוּ - "the festivals circling round." He goes on to compare this concept of the holidays to another term used for them in Tanakh - <i><a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/10/atzeret.html">atzeret</a></i>, which like <i>waqf</i>, also means "stoppage." (I must concede that I don't fully understand Stahl's explanation which seems to link "stopping" with "circling", and says that both were likely originally dancing terms. Perhaps he means that instead of moving forward, the root indicated assembling together, surrounding one spot, and stopping.)</p><p>Among the Hebrew words deriving from נקף include <i>hakafa </i>הַקָּפָה - "encirclement" (and the dancing done on Simchat Torah, i.e., Shemini Atzeret) and <i>hekef </i>הֶקֵּף - "perimeter, circumference." <br /><br />And perhaps most surprisingly, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%A7%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%A4%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi">Klein also links</a> נקף to <i>tekufa </i>תְּקוּפָה. Originally meaning "circuit, revolution", since it was applied to the revolution of the sun, it came later to mean "season," and then "period, epoch, era." </p><p>Looking at <i>takif </i>and <i>tekufa</i> in Hebrew - תקיף and תקופה, it might appear that they come from the same root: תקף. That is certainly not the case - the latter comes from נקף, not תקף. But a little digging has shown us that while not siblings, <i>takif </i>and <i>tekufa</i> may indeed be cousins. </p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-90207414873876213062023-08-14T19:33:00.003+03:002023-08-14T19:33:49.866+03:00pesher and efshar<div style="background: rgb(234, 209, 220);">
<p>
This post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden. </i>For more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">this Balashon entry.</a>
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<p> The eighth chapter of Kohelet opens with this verse:</p><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">מִי כְּהֶחָכָם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ פֵּשֶׁר דָּבָר חׇכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו וְעֹז פָּנָיו יְשֻׁנֶּא׃</div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of the adage: 'A man’s wisdom lights up his face,</div><div>So that his deep discontent is dissembled'?" (Kohelet 8:1)</div><div><br /></div><div>The word translated here as "meaning" is the Hebrew <i>pesher </i><span style="text-align: right;">פֵּשֶׁר. Other translations render it as "solution", "explanation," or "interpretation."</span></div><div><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">In his commentary, Alter notes:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><i>Pesher</i>, “solution,” occurs only here in the Bible, though it is common in later Hebrew. It is cognate with <i>patar</i>, the verb used for Joseph’s solving the enigma of dreams, and would seem to suggest laying open a hidden meaning.</blockquote><p><a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%A8.1?lang=bi">Klein also notes</a> that <i>pesher</i> "is related to base <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%AA%D7%A8.1?lang=bi">פתר</a>" (<i>patar</i>). <i>Pata</i>r is generally translated today as "to solve", and is the root of <i>pitaron</i> פִּתְרוֹן - "solution." This is different from <i>pesher </i>which still is defined as "meaning, explanation", but is more commonly used in contexts where the meaning is unknown or lacking, as in "what is the <i>pesher</i>" or "there is no <i>pesher</i>."</p><p>Klein also connects <i>pesher</i> to two other uses of the root פשר - "to compromise, reconcile" and "to thaw, melt." Here's his full entry:</p><div><strong dir="rtl"></strong></div><blockquote><div><strong dir="rtl">פשׁר</strong> to melt, dissolve; to be or become lukewarm; to solve, interpret.</div><div><div><strong>Qal</strong> - <strong dir="rtl">פָּשַׁר</strong> <b>1</b> melted, was dissolved; <b>2</b> was or became lukewarm; <b>3</b> he interpreted.</div></div><div><div><strong> Pi.</strong> - <strong dir="rtl">פִּשֵּׁר</strong> PBH <b>1</b> he disengaged, freed; PBH <b>2</b> he arbitrated, compromised; NH <b>3</b> he explained.</div><div><strong>Hiph.</strong> - <strong dir="rtl">הִפֽשִׁיר</strong> PBH <b>1</b> he caused to melt; PBH <b>2</b> he made lukewarm; MH <b>3</b> he compromised.</div><div><br /></div><div>BAram. פְּשַׁר (= he interpreted a dream), Aram. פְּשַׁר (= it melted, was dissolved; he interpreted a dream, solved a riddle), פַּשֵּׁר (= he disengaged; he interpreted a dream, solved a riddle), Syr. <span dir="rtl">פּֽשַׁר</span> (= it melted, was dissolved; he interpreted a dream, solved a riddle), פַּשֵּׁר (= he melted, solved, liquefied; he interpreted a dream), Akka. <i>pashāru</i> (= to solve, to interpret dreams). Arab. <i>fassara</i> (= he explained), is prob. a Syr. loan word.</div></div></blockquote><p>Klein's etymologies often follow those offered in Ben Yehuda's dictionary. In the notes for שרש in that dictionary, it says that the basic meaning of the root פשר is "the release/loosening of a concrete or abstract thing." </p><p>So this would apply to the physical dissolving of a solid in the process of melting or thawing, and the abstract release of a problem when it is solved, or a dispute when a compromise (פְּשָׁרָה <i>peshara</i>) is reached. This is similar to the relationship in English between the words "solve" and "dissolve." The Online Etymology provides <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/solve">this origin</a> for "solve":<br /><br /></p><p></p><blockquote>late 14c., <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>solven</i></span>, "to disperse, dissipate, loosen," from Latin <i><span class="foreign notranslate">solvere</span> </i>"to loosen, dissolve; untie, release, detach; depart; unlock; scatter; dismiss; accomplish, fulfill; explain; remove," [...] The meaning "explain, clear up, answer" is attested from 1530s.</blockquote><p></p><p>And <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/dissolve">dissolve</a> similarly originally meant:</p><p></p><blockquote>"to loosen up, break apart," from <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>dis</i>-</span> "apart" + <i><span class="foreign notranslate">solvere</span> </i>"to loosen, untie"</blockquote><p></p><p>Klein connects פשר to two more possible roots. One is שבר <i>shever</i>. It can also mean "interpretation (of a dream)", as in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Judges.7.15?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Shoftim 7:15</a>. Since the root שבר generally means "to break", <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%81%D7%91%D6%B6%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5%E2%B1%BD.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein writes</a> that it probably means a "solution (i.e., 'breaking') of a dream." But he also quotes the linguist <a href="https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2556-barth-jacob">Jacob Barth</a>, who connects this meaning of <i>shever </i>to <i>pesher</i>, presumably through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metathesis_(linguistics)">metathesis</a>.</p><p>The other word he sort of connects to <i>pesher</i> is <i>efshar </i>אֶפְשָׁר, usually translated as "possible/possibly", "permitted." or "perhaps." In his entry for פשר, he adds "compare to אפשר." But in the entry for <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B6%D7%A4%D6%B0%D7%A9%D6%B8%D7%81%D7%A8.1?lang=bi">אפשר</a>, he writes:</p><div><blockquote>Of uncertain origin. The usual connection with פָּשַׁר (= it melted, dissolved), must be rejected for semantic reasons.</blockquote></div><div dir="rtl"></div><div>This also is a case where Klein follows the Ben Yehuda dictionary, which notes the <i>pesher - efshar </i>connection is suggested by <a href="https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9889-levy-jacob">Levy</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kohut">Kohut</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Jastrow">Jastrow</a>, but remains unconvincing. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, Even-Shoshan writes in the entry for <i>efshar</i> that maybe it comes from פשר. It does sound reasonable - <i>efshar </i>is something possible, "released" from the realm of impossibility. <br /><br />Let's leave it as a possible solution - <i>pesher efshari...</i></div></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-63352350840626774912023-08-06T20:14:00.003+03:002023-08-07T17:40:01.372+03:00sandak<p>Taking a quick break from the series of <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">Kohelet</a> posts, for an investigation of a special word: <i>sandak</i> סַנְדָּק. Our daughter just gave birth to our first grandchild, and this past Shabbat, I had the privilege of being the <i>sandak</i> at his <i>brit milah</i> - meaning he was placed on my lap during the ceremony. </p><p>It was one of the most special moments of my life, so I thought it deserved a post. </p><p>The word <i>sandak</i> doesn't look Hebrew, and indeed isn't. Here are <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D6%B7%D7%A0%D6%B0%D7%93%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A7.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein's definition and etymology</a>:</p><p></p><blockquote>סַנְדָּק m.n. MH ‘sandak’, godfather, one who holds the child on his knees for circumcision). [Either from Gk. <i>synteknos </i>(= foster brother; lit.: ‘a child growing up with another’), or from Gk. <i>syndikos </i>(= one who helps in a court of justice, advocate).</blockquote><p></p><div>These are certainly the most popular etymologies I found online. The second theory he presents, that <i>sandak </i> is an advocate, is easily recognized from the origin of the English word "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/syndicate">syndicate</a>" ( a "council or body of representatives"). It comes from an earlier word, "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/syndic">syndic</a>", with this origin:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>c. 1600, "a civil magistrate, especially in Geneva," from French <i>syndic </i>"chief representative" (14c.), from Late Latin <i>syndicus </i>"representative of a group or town," from Greek <i>syndikos </i>"public advocate," as an adjective, "belonging jointly to," from <i>syn</i>- "together" + <i>dike </i>"judgment, justice, usage, custom" </div><div></div></blockquote><div>The first theory that Klein offers actually fits the meaning of <i>sandak</i> somewhat better. It doesn't have obvious English cognates. Like syndicate, it is comprised of <i>syn </i>("together"), but the second half is <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%84%CE%AD%CE%BA%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BD">téknon</a> - </i>Greek for "child." (The closest cognate to an English word - and this is pretty distant is "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/thane">thane</a>", but I had never heard of it before.) So <i>synteknos </i> would be translated as "companion of (literally, "with") a child." </div><div><br /></div><div>However, there's a problem with both of these suggestions. The term <i>sandak</i> doesn't appear in rabbinic Hebrew until the Middle Ages, which is strange for a role in such an important religious ceremony. Philologos in <a href="https://forward.com/news/423/the-sandak-and-the-kvater/">this 2006 column</a> after quoting both theories that Klein mentioned, notes:<br /><br /><div></div><blockquote><div>Although circumcision is probably the most ancient of all the Jewish rites that are practiced today, neither of these two words is anywhere near as venerable. The older of the two, <i>sandak</i>, is a Hebrew loan word from Greek, as easily can be seen from its earliest appearance in Jewish sources in the 13th-century midrashic anthology Yalkut Shimoni, where it occurs as <i>sandakos</i>, with the Greek first-declension, nominative-case singular ending. This is curious, since nearly all Greek borrowings in old Hebrew date to the pre-Islamic period, when Greek was the spoken language of the eastern Mediterranean world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Presumably, then, <i>sandakos </i>was in use among Jews for hundreds of years before this but simply left no record.</div></blockquote><p>He goes on to focus more about the origin of <i>kvater</i>, a Yiddish word also associated with the <i>brit milah</i>. Today it means one of the people carrying the baby from the mother to the <i>sandak.</i> But originally it simply meant "godfather" and was may have been synonymous with the <i>sandak. </i>(In fact, <i>kvater</i> is simply a Yiddish version of the German <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gevatter">gevatter</a>, </i>which like the Latin parallel <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/compater"><i>compater</i> </a>meant "joint father"<i>. </i>While the sources I found say that <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/godfather">godfather </a>comes from God+father in English, I can't help but wonder if it really just derived from the Old English version of <i>gevatter</i> - <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gef%C3%A6dera#Old_English">gefædera </a></i>- and the later spelling Godfather was just the result of a folk etymology to give it religious meaning. But let's get back to <i>sandak...</i>)</p><p>It's noteworthy that Philologos wrote his column in 2006. In the following year, Prof. Hillel Newman of the University of Haifa, published an essay in the Jewish Quarterly Review entitled, "<a href="https://www.academia.edu/27104566/Sandak_and_Godparent_in_Midrash_and_Medieval_Practice">Sandak and Godparent in Midrash and Medieval Practice</a>." (Thank you to Elon Gilad who shared that article with me, along with <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.haaretz.co.il%2Fmagazine%2Fthe-edge%2Fmehasafa%2F2021-08-11%2Fty-article%2F.highlight%2F0000017f-e941-dea7-adff-f9fbf6370000&data=05%7C01%7C%7C643a34d625ab4c6d0e1a08db94126d37%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638266579295727187%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OtYbw6tJbVkPVtrQqeOUXt%2F49bP%2FuLckiwsEubbnrqs%3D&reserved=0">his Hebrew summary published two years ago in HaAretz</a>.)</p><p>Newman presents the two etymologies we've discussed, along with others, but doesn't feel comfortable with any of them. The article goes very deep into the history, and it's worth a read. But to summarize, he points to the the midrashic origin of the term <i>sandak</i> in <a href="https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%A9_%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%9C%D7%94#%22%D7%94%D7%97%D7%96%D7%A7_%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%94_%D7%91%D7%A2%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%AA%D7%99%22.">Midrash Tehillim</a> (also quoted in a slightly different form in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Yalkut_Shimoni_on_Nach.723.2?vhe=Yalkut_Shimoni_on_Nach&lang=bi">Yalkut Shimoni</a>). It's a beautiful midrash, showing how all parts of the body are used to serve God. The relevant line for our purposes describes the knees:</p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">בברכיי אני נעשה סינדיקנוס לילדים הנימולים על ברכיי</p><p style="text-align: left;">"With my knees I become a <i>syndikenos </i>for the children circumcised on my knees."<br /><br />After much deliberation, with extensive comparison of various sources in midrash and Medieval Jewish literature, Newman ends up convinced that the correct version of the midrash should not be "I <u>become</u> a a <i>sandak" </i>but rather "I make a <i>sandak</i>" (relying on versions that use the verb עושה instead of נעשה).</p><p style="text-align: left;">Based on this, he suggests that we shouldn't be looking at the original meaning of <i>sandak</i> as a type of person, but rather a thing that the person makes. He offers the Greek word σάνδυξ ("<i>sandux"</i>), meaning "chest, casket, box." He writes:</p><p></p><blockquote>As it turns out, it is not difficult to find a satisfactory lexical solution to the problem if we unburden ourselves of our old semantic prejudice. To put it simply, we are looking for a word, probably Greek, which could be transcribed into Hebrew as סנדיקוס and which satisfies the sense of the passage: a word for something which one might either do or form with one’s knees or lap to facilitate a child’s circumcision. [....] it is σάνδυξ of Hesychius which is phonetically the closest to סנדיקוס of Yalkut Shim‘oni. The resulting image is of the body objectified, a picture of an adult cradling the infant on his or her lap during the circumcision in the manner of a vessel intended for holding one’s precious personal possessions. In this way, yet another part of the body is enlisted in performing the commandments.</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">This word meaning "crate, box" has cognates in an astonishing number of languages, including: Arabic <i>sanduk </i>(which has <a href="https://books.google.co.il/books?id=3JTy9EcFb4YC&pg=PA266&lpg=PA266&dq=%22%D7%A1%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%95%D7%A7%22+%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A7+%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%96%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%9C&source=bl&ots=eJn7LLfxwA&sig=ACfU3U0wP1mKQdNfDj9xw_ZoRcc8hkx8GA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqjt2b48qAAxUFhv0HHRLwCeUQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=%22%D7%A1%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%95%D7%A7%22%20%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A7%20%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%96%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%9C&f=false">entered Hebrew slang</a> with the same meaning as well), Russian <i>sunduk</i>, Persian <i>sanduq, </i>and <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%82#Arabic">many more</a>. Almost all theories point to an ultimate Greek origin. The <a href="https://www.academia.edu/4847281/Arabic_Etymological_Dictionary">Arabic Etymological Dictionary</a> says it comes from the Greek <i>syndocheion </i>(perhaps related to <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/synecdoche">synecdoche</a> - "<a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/synecdoche">receiving together</a>"?). <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CF%83%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%B7#Ancient_Greek">Others </a>suggest <i>suntíthēmi - </i>"to place or put together", which would make it cognate with "synthesis."</p><p>Whatever the ultimate Greek etymology, I found the meaning "to make a cradle" for the baby incredibly moving (and this was certainly influenced by having finished reading his essay shortly before the <i>brit</i>.) In the past, I had used many of my body parts to perform the mitzvot as described in the midrash. But I had never used my knees in such a way. What an honor to do so for my beloved grandson.</p><div></div></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-41659637612182779552023-08-01T23:32:00.000+03:002023-08-01T23:32:07.164+03:00holelut and hallel<div style="background: rgb(234, 209, 220);">
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This post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden. </i>For more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">this Balashon entry.</a>
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<p>The word <i>holelut</i> (or <i>holelot</i>) הוללות appears in Kohelet, and only in Kohelet (1:17, 2:12, 7:25, 9:3, 10:13). It is an abstract noun, and Gordis notes that it means "madness, mad revelry, wickedness." Alter expands on this idea and writes:</p><p></p><blockquote>The common rendering of <i>holelut </i>as “madness” (for which in biblical Hebrew, as in the modern language, the primary term would be <i>shigaʿon</i>) confuses this idea; <i>holelut </i>suggests a wild and unruly indulgence of the senses in which lucidity is lost—hence “revelry.”</blockquote><p>A different version, הולל <i>holel </i>(but always in the plural הוללים <i>holelim</i>) appears in Tehilim (5:6, 73:3, 75:5). This has a different meaning. It refers to the wanton, to evildoers. For example:</p><p></p><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">לֹא־יִתְיַצְּבוּ הוֹלְלִים לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ שָׂנֵאתָ כׇּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן׃ </div><p></p><div><div dir="ltr">"Wanton men cannot endure in Your sight, You detest all evildoers" (5:6)</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">There is also the verb הלל, which means to "act foolishly". This appears 13 times, in the books of Shmuel I, Yeshaya, Yirmiya, Nachum, Tehilim, Iyov, and Kohelet. It seems that the negative connotations of this verb affected the nouns we saw earlier. Acting foolishly can lead to both madness/revelry, as well as wantonness. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">I imagine that by now you're wondering how this unfavorable root is so similar to the very positive root הלל - "to praise." This is a much more common root in Biblical Hebrew. The verb הלל with this meaning appears nearly 150 times in the Tanakh, and in Rabbinic Hebrew we find the noun <i>Hallel</i> הלל indicating particular sections of Tehilim that are used for praise in our prayers.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">So why would הלל mean both to act foolishly, and to praise (frequently to praise God)?</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Before we answer that question, it's important to note that there is one more meaning of הלל. It only </div><div dir="ltr">appears in four verses (Yeshaya 13:10; Iyov 29:3, 31:26, 41:10), and means "to shine." </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Gesenius suggests the following development: From the initial meaning "to be clear, be brilliant", came the meaning "to be bright." Another path led to "to make a show". From this came the sense of being boastful and arrogant (which both Gesenius and <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/BDB%2C_%D7%94%D6%B8%D7%9C%D6%B7%D7%9C%C2%B2.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">BDB</a> say apply to many of the negative meanings we quoted above.). This led to "be foolish", for as he writes, "the more anyone boasts, the more he is regarded as being foolish." But this same sense of "make a show," when referring not to one's self but to others, is considered praise. </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">TDOT (4:411) quotes a few different theories, including:</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a parallel to the Akkadian <i>alalu </i>meaning "shout, sing, rejoice, boast" which would apply to both the "boasting" and "praise" senses of הלל.</li><li>going to the root meaning "to shine", the foolish <i>holelim </i>should be considered "moonstruck". (This doesn't address a possible connection to "praise," however.</li></ul><div>Of course some linguists don't make no connection between any of the three meanings of הלל (for an example of that approach, see <a href="https://jewishlink.news/the-multiple-meanings-of-the-root-h-l-l/">this column</a>.) Personally, I do find the idea that boasting about oneself would be considered negative, but would be viewed positively if praising others (and certainly praising God.) But a) I know from experience that not every comfortable theory is necessarily the correct one, and b) this requires identifying the various negative words we mentioned above as referring to arrogance and not revelry, wickedness, or foolishness.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless of the ultimate etymology, if the negative uses do mean "boasting", I think we might have an example of what we've referred to previously as a <a href="https://www.balashon.com/search?q=contronym">contronym </a>- where a word (or its homonym) also means its opposite. Other terms used to refer to these words include "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-antonym">auto-antonym</a>" and Janus word (after the Roman deity with two faces).</div><div><br /></div><div>In light of this, I'd like to dedicate this post to the memory of Gene Schramm, professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan. I didn't know Gene personally, but he's the father of my friend Rivky Schramm Krestt. Rivky delivered a moving tribute to her father last week, and mentioned that he was one of the first scholars to describe this phenomenon in Biblical Hebrew (<a href="https://www.google.co.il/books/edition/Vertical_Grammar_of_Parallelism_in_Bibli/g9msEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=janus+word+schramm&pg=PA93&printsec=frontcover">see here for example of a citation</a>). I hope to share more of his insights here in the future.</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-85102474377831315592023-07-23T22:08:00.001+03:002023-07-23T22:08:44.708+03:00takana and tikun<div style="background: rgb(234, 209, 220);">
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This post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden. </i>For more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">this Balashon entry.</a>
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<p>In the Tanakh, the Hebrew root תקן appears only in Kohelet (1:15, 7:13, 12:9). As <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%9F?lang=bi">Klein notes</a>, it means "to be or become straight", as in its first appearance in Kohelet:</p><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">מְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת׃</div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> "That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered." (Kohelet 1:15)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It also appears once in the Aramaic section of Daniel, with the meaning "to establish":</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">... <span style="text-align: left;">וְעַל־מַלְכוּתִי הׇתְקְנַת ...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">"And I was [re]established over my kingdom." (Daniel 4:33).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;">As we've noted before, Kohelet uses words that appear more frequently in Rabbinic Hebrew, and were often borrowed from Aramaic. That is the case here as well. The verb has a number of related meanings:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>to become straight</li><li>to repair</li><li>to prepare</li><li>to arrange</li><li>to establish</li><li>to amend</li></ul><div>Klein provides this etymology:</div><div><br /></div><div><div dir="rtl"></div><div><blockquote>Borrowed from JAram. תַּקֵּן (= he fixed, arranged, prepared), which is related to BAram. <span dir="rtl">הָתְקְנֵת</span> (= I was established), Arab. <i>’atkana</i> (= he confirmed, perfected, brought to perfection), Akka. <i>taqānu</i> (= to be well ordered).</blockquote><p>He then suggests comparing תקן to the root <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D7%9B%D7%9F.1?lang=bi">תכן</a>. Despite that suggestion, in that entry he surprisingly says (following Ben-Yehuda):</p></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Usually connected with, but prob. not related to base כון or base תקן.</div></div></div></div></blockquote><p>The root תכן originally meant (according to Klein) "to weight, examine, estimate", and only in Modern Hebrew came to mean "to regulate, arrange, fix" (which would be parallel to תקן). But the root כון (as we discussed <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2008/04/ken.html">here</a>) always meant "to set up, establish" and also has many of the other meanings that we listed for תקן (including "to straighten"). Daat Mikra on the verse in Daniel writes that תקן is the Aramaic version of כון, although without making an etymological association. </p><p>However, earlier researchers such as Gesenius, and more recent ones like Kaddari (in his Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew) do imply a common origin to תקן and תכן. They both emphasize more the Akkadian etymology (over the Aramaic one that Klein mentioned). While Akkadian was a Semitic language, it did not use the Hebrew/Aramaic alphabet. So there are times where two Hebrew words/roots, with different spellings, both derived from Akkadian - in a similar fashion to how foreign words are imported into Hebrew today.</p><p>The root תקן has many applications today. In addition to the ones mentioned above, we have the verb <i>hitkin </i>התקין - "to install" (as in software) and the adjective <i>takin </i>תקין - "intact, in order, proper,"</p><p>There are also a number of nouns. Two of the most common are <i>takana </i>תקנה and <i>tikun </i>תיקון.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takkanah"><i>Takkanah</i> </a>originally meant "arrangement, ordinance, ruling", and today means "rule", usually as set by a legislative or executive body. It is the source of the related <i>takanon </i>תקנון - "set of rules, bylaws."</p><p><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun">Tikkun</a></i> has many more meanings. In a different book, <i>The Medieval Heritage of Modern Hebrew Usage </i>[Hebrew], Kaddari devoted an entire essay to the development of the word (pp. 91-106). I will try to summarize some of the most common usages and their histories.</p><p>As a gerund of תקן, <i>tikun </i>can mean "correction, fixing, improvement, emendation, regulation." But it has taken on many more specific meanings over time:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>tikun soferim</i> תיקון סופרים: This phrase has two meanings. Recalling the sense of תקן as "to prepare," it refers to the book scribes would use to prepare when <i>writing </i>a Torah scroll. A version of this for those preparing the <i>reading</i> of the Torah is known as a <i>tikun korim </i>תיקון קוראים.<br />But the other meaning of תקן - "to correct" or "to amend" - gives us a different meaning of <i>tikun soferim. </i>In this other sense, it refers to corrections or emendations to a text that the scribes themselves made (see for example, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Midrash_Tanchuma%2C_Beshalach.16.2?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 16</a>)</li><li>A <i>tikun </i>can also refer to a set of readings proscribed by kabbalistic practice to be recited at certain special times. These include <i>tikun chatzot </i>תיקון חצות (read at midnight) and <i>Tikun Leil Shavuot </i>תיקון ליל שבועות (according to the original practice recited/read on Shavuot night, and now extended to any learning done that night). According to Kaddari, these <i>tikunim</i> got their names because of their ability to enact repairs in the "Higher Worlds".</li><li><i>Tikkun Olam </i>תיקון עולם - Literally meaning "repairing", "improving" or "establishing" the world, it has been adopted for different purposes over the centuries. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam">Wikipedia entry</a> divides them as follows:</li><ul><li>In Rabbinic literature, it referred to "legal enactments intended to preserve the social order" (for example, Mishna Gittin 4:2-9)</li><li>In the Aleinu prayer, it refers to "the eradication of idolatry."<br /></li><li>In Kabbalistic uses, it has mystical connotations - "to return the sparks of Divine light to their source by means of ritual performance."</li><li>In modern times, it has come to mean "the pursuit of social justice."</li></ul></ul><div>Yet to bring us back to our earlier discussion, there are scholars who claim that the original version of Aleinu was לתכן עולם, not לתקן עולם. (See, for example, Mitchell First's essay, "<a href="https://www.hakirah.org/Vol%2011%20First.pdf">Aleinu: Obligation to Fix the World or the Text?</a>") However, as we noted above, perhaps there isn't such a clear distinction between the roots תכן and תקן. In that case, the text might not need fixing.</div><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-10062095725564148692023-07-16T22:22:00.000+03:002023-07-16T22:22:37.627+03:00bitul<div style="background: rgb(234, 209, 220);">
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This post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden. </i>For more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">this Balashon entry.</a>
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<p>At the end of Kohelet (12:1-8), there are verses that Fox, in his JPS commentary, calls "the most difficult section of the book. Its Hebrew is difficult, sometimes obscure, and its imagery is enigmatic."</p><p>In that section, there's a word I'd like to discuss. It's beyond the scope of this post to discuss the verse (12:3) in its wider context, so we'll just look at the phrase in which it appears:<br /><br /></p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">וּבָטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנוֹת כִּי מִעֵטוּ</p><p style="text-align: left;">The word of interest is <span style="text-align: right;">וּבָטְלוּ - this is the only time the root בטל appears in Biblical Hebrew. Its different meanings are reflected in these two translations.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">The JPS translates the phrase as:</p><p style="text-align: left;">"And the maids that grind, grown few, are idle"</p><p style="text-align: left;">Gordis ("Koheleth - the man and his world") offers: "The grinding maidens cease, for they are few."</p><p style="text-align: left;">Both of those translations are plausible, since the root בטל can mean both "to cease" and "to be idle." However, as Gordis notes, this word is an "Aramaism" (i.e., borrowed from Aramaic), and so looking at the Aramaic appearances should give us an idea of its earlier meaning.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It appears <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/Concordance/989">six times in the book of Ezra</a>, and there it always means "to cease". But when an object or person ceases to act, they become idle, so that sense development is not surprising.</p><p style="text-align: left;">While the Hebrew בטל only appears once in Biblical Hebrew, it is very common in Rabbinic Hebrew. There it takes on a number of meanings, all depending on the context (which is frequently a halakhic discussion). These include "to be void", "to abolish", "to suspend", "to cancel", "to undo," "to neglect", and "to nullify".</p><p style="text-align: left;">The adjective <i>batel</i> בָּטֵל can mean "worthless, valueless, invalid, void", and the related <i>mevutal </i>מְבֻטָּל is "cancelled, insignificant, negligible."</p><p style="text-align: left;">One interesting word deriving from the root is <i>batlan</i> בַּטְלָן. As Stahl notes in his Arabic dictionary (p. 80), in Rabbinic Hebrew, a <i>batlan</i> was one who didn't work, not necessarily one who did not <i>want </i>to work (i.e., a lazy person). So those <i>batlanim</i> who couldn't or didn't work, for example the elderly, were important members of the community, particularly for things like making a minyan.<a href="https://www.zuckermann.org/pdf/Secularization-F.pdf"> Zuckermann here</a> complained about how in Modern Hebrew, the word <i>batlan</i> transitioned into "a loafer, an idler, a lazy person." To me this just seems like the natural way a language changes. As an example of that, note the word <i>avtala</i> אַבְטָלָה. As <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%91%D6%B0%D7%98%D6%B8%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi">Klein points out</a>, in Rabbinic Hebrew it meant "idleness", but in Modern Hebrew it means "unemployment." So sometimes the use of בטל is more judgmental, and sometimes less so.</p><p style="text-align: left;">What about the etymology of בטל? Earlier linguists attempted to find other Hebrew roots that might be related. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Steinberg proposed that בטל is related to the roots בדל (to depart, be detached) and בתל (to separate). Since he defines בטל as "to cease," this would seem to imply that the root could be understood as "to detach" or "to separate" from work.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Gesenius suggested that בטל was related to בטן (as in <i>beten </i>בֶּטֶן - "belly"). As such, he says that the original meaning of בטל was "to be empty, vacant", whereas בטן meant "to be empty, hollow." From there בטל meant "to be free from labor", and then later "to cease."</p><p style="text-align: left;">This is somewhat similar to <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D7%98%D7%9C.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein's etymology</a>:<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Related to Aram. and BAram. בְּטֵל, Arab. <i>baṭala</i>, Ethiop. <i>baṭála</i> (= he was vain, was futile), Akka. <i>baṭalu</i> (= to cease).</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">But notably, Klein does not offer any Hebrew cognates, and it seems to me that those of Steinberg and Gesenius remain as conjecture.</p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-60477618261798811902023-07-09T17:02:00.001+03:002023-07-10T11:46:38.060+03:00bitachon and avatiach<div style="background: rgb(234, 209, 220);">
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This post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden. </i>For more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">this Balashon entry.</a>
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A word common in Hebrew today, but rare in Biblical Hebrew, is <i>bitachon</i> בִּטָּחוֹן. It appears in Kohelet:<div><br /></div><div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><div>כִּי־מִי אֲשֶׁר <span class="mam-kq"><span class="mam-kq-k">(יבחר)</span> <span class="mam-kq-q">[יְחֻבַּר]</span></span> אֶל כׇּל־הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּי־לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן־הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת׃</div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">"For he who is attached to the living has something to trust in: that a live dog is better than a dead lion." (Kohelet 9:4)</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Here the word <i>bitachon</i> is translated as "something to trust in." </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The other occurrences of the word are in two parallel verses (Melachim II 18:19 and Yeshayahu 36:4), quoting the Assyrian commander Ravshakeh's words to the Judean king Chizkiyahu:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><div>וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם רַבְשָׁקֵה אִמְרוּ־נָא אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר מָה הַבִּטָּחוֹן הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּטָחְתָּ׃</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">And Ravshakeh said to them, "You tell Chizkiyahu: Thus said the great king, the king of Assyria: 'What is this confidence in which you place trust?'"<br /><br />Here, <i>bitachon</i> is identified as "confidence." The same verse(s) also include the verb בטח - "to place trust", which of course is the root of <i>bitachon. </i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">That root appears much more frequently - 120 times throughout the Tanakh. It generally means "to trust, rely, depend upon." </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">However, there are some verses where the root appears to mean something else. <a href="https://www.safa-ivrit.org/writers/etsion/bitahon.php">This Safa-Ivrit essay</a> does a good job of explaining why, and I'll try to summarize it and provide some additional understandings. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">The author notes that in Arabic, the similar root <i>bataha </i>means "to knock down, throw on the ground." He believes this is cognate with the Hebrew בטח, and writes that this can explain those verses where the meaning "to trust" seems difficult to accept.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">He first cites Yirmiyahu 12:5- </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div>כִּי אֶת־רַגְלִים <small></small> רַצְתָּה וַיַּלְאוּךָ וְאֵיךְ תְּתַחֲרֶה אֶת־הַסּוּסִים וּבְאֶרֶץ שָׁלוֹם אַתָּה בוֹטֵחַ וְאֵיךְ תַּעֲשֶׂה בִּגְאוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן׃</div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">His suggested translation would be something like:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">"If you race with the foot-runners and they exhaust you, how then can you compete with horses? If you tumble [<i>boteach</i>] in a tranquil land, how will you fare in the jungle of the Jordan?"</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">He then quotes Mishlei 14:16 - </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div>חָכָם יָרֵא וְסָר מֵרָע וּכְסִיל מִתְעַבֵּר וּבוֹטֵחַ׃</div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">And again he offers a translation that adopts the meaning found in Arabic:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div dir="rtl"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"A wise man fears, and departs from evil: but the fool rages, and slips [<i>boteach</i>]."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This explanation is also offered by <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Proverbs.14.16?lang=bi&p2=Rashi_on_Proverbs.14.16.4&lang2=bi">Rashi in his commentary</a>, who quotes the verse from Yirmiyahu as support.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The author then suggests that we should understand the root בטח as "to lean on something, be supported by something, place your weight on something." When you lean on something, it may indeed descend to the ground. <br /><br />This helps explain one further difficult verse, Tehilim 22:10 -</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><div>כִּי־אַתָּה גֹחִי מִבָּטֶן מַבְטִיחִי עַל־שְׁדֵי אִמִּי׃</div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Some translations try to explain the word <span style="text-align: right;">מַבְטִיחִי as relating to trust:</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">"You took me from the womb, you <u>made me trust</u> at my mother's breast."</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">But the Safa-Ivrit essay says this can be better explained by utilizing the Arabic cognate, and could be translated as "you lean me [or lay me] on my mother's breast." Of course, in the abstract sense, this does imply as well the trust that the child has in the mother.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: right;">That meaning of "trust" finds itself in other related Hebrew words. The biblical nouns </span><span style="text-align: right;">בֶּטַח and </span>בִּטְחָה mean "safety, security." We also find the <i>hifil</i> form in a few verses. The meaning isn't always entirely clear, and seems to mean more literally "make someone trust you." In later Hebrew this develops into the more common meaning "to promise."</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">In Modern Hebrew, we find many nouns deriving from בטח with specialized meanings that represent much more recent concepts:</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>ביטוח <i>bituach - </i>"insurance"</li><li>בטיחות <i>betichut - </i>"safety"</li><li>אבטחה <i>avtacha - </i>"protection, security" (usually used for protecting people, property, data)</li><li>בטחון <i>bitachon - </i>from the biblical sense of "something to trust in" or "confidence", it later took on the more religious sense of confidence or faith (for example in God), and today has a more secular meaning as self-confidence, as well as security in the military sense, as in שר הבטחון <i>Sar HaBitachon - </i>"Defense Minister."</li></ul><div>We also find the more colloquial term בטח <i>betach, </i>meaning "sure thing, definitely." Starting in the 1930s, the Israeli linguist Yitzhak Avineri railed against its use, saying it was a foreign borrowing, with no earlier Hebrew usage. However, this use is very much part of Hebrew today, and has even developed an opposite, sarcastic meaning of "no way!" or "fat chance!".</div><div><br /></div><div>One potential cognate of בטח is אבטיח <i>avatiach - </i>"watermelon." It only appears once in the Tanakh, in the list of Egyptian foods in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Numbers.11.5">Bemidbar 11:5</a>. It has cognates in the Aramaic אֲבַטִּיחָא and the Arabic <i>batich</i>. In Arabic culture, watermelons were so ubiquitous and cheap, that they were part of a slang expression that later entered Hebrew: “<i>lo</i> <something>,<i> v’lo batich</i>” ולא בטיח – meaning “I didn’t get X, and I didn’t get watermelon,” i.e., I got nothing. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As noted <a href="https://polyglotveg.blogspot.com/2008/10/watermelon.html">here</a>, the Arabic <i style="font-family: Code2000;">baṭṭīḫ </i><span style="font-family: Code2000;">is the source of the "</span><span style="font-family: Code2000;">Spanish <i>budieca</i>, Portuguese <i>pateca</i> and French <i>pateque</i>, the modern French <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/past%C3%A8que">pastèque</a></i>."</span></div><div dir="rtl"></div><br />There are at least two theories of how <i>avatiach </i>might be connected to בטח. The Safa Ivrit article mentioned above suggests that perhaps it is due to the nature of watermelons to grow sprawling on the ground, since as noted, בטח can also indicate being on the ground.</div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Theological-Dictionary-Old-Testament-Set/dp/0802823386">TDOT</a> quotes the linguist Ludwig Kohler as claiming that the Semitic root means "to be plump, taut" (the first of which applies to watermelons) and also "to be firm, tight" (the first of which implies security and trust.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Both theories are plausible, and certainly interesting. However, I can't help but end with the very true reservation offered by the TDOT: </div><div><br /></div><div>"Indeed, in Hebrew homonymous roots are nothing uncommon." </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Betach!</i></div><div><br /><br /></div></div><div> </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-21114715780430780242023-07-04T09:57:00.003+03:002023-07-04T09:57:31.755+03:00email subscriptions have been migrated<p>Hello everyone - <br /><br />Just a quick maintenance note: All existing email subscribers have been migrated to a new service, <a href="https://follow.it">https://follow.it</a>.</p><p>Frustratingly, I've had to switch email services for Balashon several times in the past few years. Hopefully this will be the last switch. </p><p>If any readers would like to subscribe by email, to the right of the main text there's an option for <b>Get new posts by email</b>. Just fill in your email address there, follow any subsequent directions and you'll start getting email notifications about new posts.</p><p>I wanted to get this in order before I start my new series about Kohelet words, in honor of <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2023/06/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html">the launch of my new book</a>. Since it seems this is now resolved, I should be able to put out those posts soon!</p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-68742789068080230762023-06-29T11:10:00.000+03:002023-06-29T11:10:00.013+03:00more changes for email subscribers<p>Once again I need to make some changes to allow people to subscribe by email. So there might be some posts related to that in the days to come. </p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-62167623866092705062023-06-22T17:42:00.002+03:002023-08-30T15:01:59.710+03:00my new book - "Kohelet - A Map to Eden" is now available!<p>I'm so happy to share with all of you that after nearly six years of work, my first book, <i>Kohelet - A Map to Eden</i>, is available:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHzlGV8823Xa1ZpPOdcZP-W1ZbVd1uC_uX-Ap_iGXbAHSy5UwAUdd5A9VzFV3jhWOC6tupF46LeR_Qv1NJgsT03Mh9mUjJc2jcpd9f5ssOuZ01wi7tiJgYsAYkX31F9wk28gA3EwFD4MIIOTC5HteaDIrVteu67vOvbzNlPtCwpq_nwHh8YTa/s960/new-book1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="587" height="712" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHzlGV8823Xa1ZpPOdcZP-W1ZbVd1uC_uX-Ap_iGXbAHSy5UwAUdd5A9VzFV3jhWOC6tupF46LeR_Qv1NJgsT03Mh9mUjJc2jcpd9f5ssOuZ01wi7tiJgYsAYkX31F9wk28gA3EwFD4MIIOTC5HteaDIrVteu67vOvbzNlPtCwpq_nwHh8YTa/w436-h712/new-book1.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><p>While it doesn't deal with etymology per se, it does use a linguistic lens to discover connections and parallels between Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and the opening chapters of Bereshit (Genesis). <br /><br /><span class="break-words"><span dir="ltr">It's a genuine page-turner, and shows how
Kohelet - often viewed as depressing, confusing, and even tedious -
tells a real story, and provides a powerful message of hope. <br /><br /><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><i>Kohelet
– A Map to Eden</i> is not simply a running commentary on Kohelet,
although I do delve into the explanation of its verses. Rather, think of
it as a captivating story. As you read through its pages, you will
embark on a journey with me, where I uncover the parallels between
Kohelet and Bereshit, and the analogies between the lives of Shlomo and
Adam. You’ll then witness how these connections lead to the story of the
Spies and how those episodes of downfall find redemption in the mitzva
of tzitzit, the Yom Kippur service, and the profound words of Kohelet
itself.</span></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It is available on both the US and Israel sites of Koren Publishers, where you can also see a preview of the first 30 pages.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Israel customers can order it here:</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://korenpub.co.il/en/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden">https://korenpub.co.il/en/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden</a></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">US and other international customers can purchase it here:<br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://korenpub.com/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden?fbclid=IwAR3IJh-1SHykh4uPqr93W6uRaksnyHQP-__lBncwM5JXtjWjFsjlW5of7JY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://korenpub.com/products/kohelet-a-map-to-eden</a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br />Those using the korenpub.com site can use the code 𝐤𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐥𝟏𝟎 at checkout to get a 10% discount.<br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It is also available at many other online booksellers and in-person bookstores.<br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Also, as a first-time author, I’d be grateful for any assistance you might offer during this process. If you enjoy the book, please consider telling friends and family about it. Even sharing this post will help!</div></div><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">If you know anyone who might be interested in publicly reviewing the book, please put them in touch with me. And of course, I’m happy to discuss the book with you in person or online, or speak to any groups (schools, synagogues, etc.) who would be interested in hearing more about my discoveries and methods.<br /><br />Lastly, as a chance to further explore Kohelet, I plan on a series of posts where I'll take some of Kohelet's more unusual words and try to give some interesting explanations of their backgrounds. Hope you enjoy!</div></div>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-40508788169764941102023-03-22T16:28:00.000+02:002023-03-22T16:28:58.952+02:00pakach and pikuach nefesh<p>In a <a href="https://tlv1.fm/streetwise-hebrew/2023/03/21/dear-inspector/">recent episode</a> of his great podcast <a href="https://tlv1.fm/podcasts/streetwise-hebrew-show/">Streetwise Hebrew</a>, host Guy Sharett reviews words deriving from the root פקח. He discusses the meaning and usage of such words as:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>פִּקּוּחַ <i>pikuach - </i>"supervision, inspection"</li><li>מְפַקֵּחַ <i>mifakeach - </i>"supervisor"</li><li>פַּקָּח <i>pakach - </i>"inspector"</li><li>פִּקֵּחַ <i>pikeach - </i>"sharp, bright (person)"</li></ul><div>As always, Guy does a great job showing how the root is used in Modern Hebrew. However, he doesn't talk that much about etymology. So let's see what I can contribute.</div><div><br /></div><div>From a quick look at the words above, it might seem that the root פקח is related to vision (or in its expanded senses of supervision and insight). While that is a common connection between these words, that isn't the original meaning. </div><div><br /></div><div>The verb פקח originally meant "to open", but and in <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/Concordance/6491">Biblical Hebrew</a> was always used to describe the opening of the eyes (and in one case - Yeshaya 42:20 - ears). This is preserved in the usage today in the phrases פָּקַח עַיִן / פָּקַח עֵינַיִם <i>pakach ayin / pakach enayim. </i>Literally, they mean "to open one's eye(s)", but figuratively they can mean "to keep an eye on, pay attention, become aware."</div><div><br /></div><div>From here the more abstract senses we mentioned above developed, which are related to oversight or insight. (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A7%D7%97.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein</a> adds that the root <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9B%D7%97.1?lang=bi">פכח</a> - "to be sober" is a secondary form of פקח.)</div><div><br /></div><div>One other phrase that Guy mentioned doesn't seem to fit this rule. This is פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ - <i>pikuach nefesh. </i>It means "saving a life" or "(the obligation of) preservation of life."<i> </i>Quoting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikuach_nefesh">Wikipedia</a>, Guy said it literally means "'watching over a soul." That would make sense based on the cases we'd discussed previously. But this is not the case here.</div><div><br /></div><div>As <a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%97%D7%A7_%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%A8%D7%99">Avineri </a>discusses in Yad HaLashon (p. 475), the term originates in the phrase מְפַקְּחִין עָלָיו אֶת הַגַּל <i>mifakchin alav et hagal </i>found in the Mishna (<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Mishnah_Yoma.8.7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Yoma 8:7</a>, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Mishnah_Rosh_Hashanah.4.8?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Rosh Hashana 4:8</a>). In these two cases it refers to clearing a pile (<i>gal</i>) of rubble (to save a life in Yoma, to uncover a buried shofar in Rosh Hashana). </div><div><br /></div><div>In these examples, the verb פקח goes back to its early meaning "to open" - in this case to open up the pile of rubble. But since the case in Yoma refers to clearing the rubble to save a life, the phrase <i>pikuach nefesh</i> took on the more general sense of saving a life under any circumstances. So in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Tosefta_Shabbat.16.13?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Tosefta 16:13</a>, we read that <i>pikuach nefesh</i> takes precedence even over the serious rules of shabbat. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Rashi_on_Shabbat.150a.11.2?lang=bi">When Rashi explains</a> that Tosefta (as quoted in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Shabbat.150a.11?lang=bi">Shabbat 150a</a>), he quotes the foreign דיקומבימונ"ט - which is the Old French <i><a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Otzar_Laazei_Rashi%2C_Talmud%2C_Shabbat.395?lang=bi&with=Navigation&lang2=en">descombrement </a>- </i>"to purge, clear out, remove". (See other cases where Rashi uses that word <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Isaiah.4.4.5?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">here </a>and <a href="https://www.sefaria.org/Otzar_Laazei_Rashi%2C_Talmud%2C_Ketubot.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">here</a>). Examining <i>descombrement</i>, we see that it is cognate (although an antonym) with the English "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/encumber">encumber</a>", whose etymology is particularly relevant:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>early 14c., "burden, vex, inconvenience," from Old French <i><span class="foreign notranslate">encombrer</span> </i>"to block up, hinder, thwart," from Late Latin <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>incombrare</i></span>, from <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>in</i>-</span> "in" (from PIE root <a class="crossreference notranslate" href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/*en?ref=etymonline_crossreference" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *en ">*en</a> "in") + <i><span class="foreign notranslate">combrus</span> </i>"barricade, obstacle," probably from Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">cumulus</span> "heap" (see <a class="crossreference notranslate" href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/cumulus?ref=etymonline_crossreference" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of cumulus ">cumulus</a>).</blockquote></div><div>That "heap" is the same as our "pile" - an obstacle we must remove to save a life. Avineri concludes that today the original meaning of "evacuate" has been largely forgotten and we assume <i>pikuach nefesh</i> only means "saving a life", which is where the mistaken etymology in Wikipedia originated. </div><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-23333802947778496512023-03-14T18:09:00.000+02:002023-03-14T18:09:24.464+02:00cumin and kimmel<p>The connection between the English "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumin">cumin</a>" and the Hebrew <i>kamon </i>כַּמּוֹן (often pronounced today <i>kamun </i>כַּמּוּן) is broadly accepted. </p><p>Here's Klein's CEDEL entry for "cumin":<br /><br /></p><blockquote>Middle English <i>cumin</i>, <i>comin</i>, from Old English <i>cymen, cymyn, </i>from Latin <i>cuminum, </i>from Greek <i>kyminon</i>, which is of Semitic origin. Compare Hebrew <i>kammon, </i>of same meaning, Aramaic <i>kammona, </i>Syriac <i>kmmuna, </i>Ugaritic <i>kmn</i>, Akkadian <i>kamunu, </i>Punic <i>chaman</i>. </blockquote><p>He notes that the word entered Mycenean Greek as early as the 15th century BCE.</p><p>We find the Hebrew <i>kamon </i>twice in the Bible, in two verses in the same chapter:</p><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">הֲלוֹא אִם־שִׁוָּה פָנֶיהָ וְהֵפִיץ קֶצַח וְכַמֹּן יִזְרֹק וְשָׂם חִטָּה שׂוֹרָה וּשְׂעֹרָה נִסְמָן וְכֻסֶּמֶת גְּבֻלָתוֹ׃</div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"When he has smoothed its surface,</div><div>Does he not rather broadcast black caraway<br />And scatter cumin,<br />Or set wheat in a row,<br />Barley in a strip,<br />And emmer in a patch?" (Yeshaya 28:25) </div><div><br /></div><div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><div>כִּי לֹא בֶחָרוּץ יוּדַשׁ קֶצַח וְאוֹפַן עֲגָלָה עַל־כַּמֹּן יוּסָּב כִּי בַמַּטֶּה יֵחָבֶט קֶצַח וְכַמֹּן בַּשָּׁבֶט׃</div><div><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><div dir="ltr">"So, too, black caraway is not threshed with a threshing board,</div><div dir="ltr">Nor is the wheel of a threshing sledge rolled over cumin;</div><div dir="ltr">But black caraway is beaten out with a stick</div><div dir="ltr">And cumin with a rod." (28:27)</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">These verses also include the word <i>ketzach </i><span style="text-align: right;">קֶצַח</span><span style="text-align: right;"> - translated here as "black caraway". Other translations have "black cumin". In modern Hebrew, <i>ketzach </i>is identified with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigella_sativa">nigella</a>.</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="text-align: right;">We can see, therefore, that cumin and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caraway">caraway</a> can <a href="https://www.saporidelmondo-blog.com/en/cumin-and-caraway-seeds-two-brothers-and-yet-so-different/">sometimes be compared</a> to the same thing. This certainly isn't because of their flavors (<a href="https://spicetutor.com/cumin-vs-caraway/">which are very different</a>), but because their seeds look similar. </span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">The confusion between the two spice seeds likely led to German taking their word for caraway, <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/K%C3%BCmmel">kümmel</a></i>, from the Latin word for cumin - <i><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cuminum">cuminum</a></i>. In Yiddish this became <i>kimmel</i>, and in Hebrew it is the popular word for caraway: קִימֶל. (The official word for caraway in Hebrew is the similar sounding <i>k'rav'ya </i>כְּרַוְיָה, which <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Avodah_Zarah.29a.4?lang=bi">goes back to the Talmud</a>, but I've never heard anyone use it.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And if you're wondering - the surname of the comedian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Kimmel">Jimmy Kimmel</a> has the same origin. He descends from German immigrants whose name was originally Kümmel.</div><div dir="ltr"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="text-align: right;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> </div></div><p> </p><blockquote> </blockquote><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-89085710203237680982023-03-12T19:29:00.001+02:002023-03-12T19:29:15.724+02:00cadmium and kedem<p>The chemical element <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium">cadmium</a> has an interesting etymology. Here's what the <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/cadmium">Online Etymology Dictionary</a> states:</p><p></p><blockquote>bluish-white metallic element, 1822, discovered 1817 by German scientist
Friedrich Strohmeyer (1776-1835), coined in Modern Latin from <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>cadmia</i></span>, a word used by ancient naturalists for various earths and oxides (especially zinc carbonate), from Greek <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>kadmeia </i>(<i>ge</i>)</span> "Cadmean (earth)," from <i><span class="foreign notranslate">Kadmos</span> </i>"Cadmus," legendary founder of Boeotian Thebes. With metallic element ending -ium. So called because the earth was first found in the vicinity of Thebes (<i><span class="foreign notranslate">Kadmeioi</span> </i>was an alternative name for "Thebans" since the time of Homer).</blockquote><p><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/calamine">It then continues</a> to point out that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamine">calamine </a>- known from the calamine lotion used to treat itchiness - may get its origin from cadmium:</p><p></p><blockquote>"zinc carbonate," also, confusedly, "zinc silicate," 1590s, from French <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>calamine</i></span>, from Old French <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>calemine</i></span>, <i><span class="foreign notranslate">chalemine</span> </i>(13c.), from Medieval Latin <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>calamina</i></span>, corrupted by alchemists from Latin <i><span class="foreign notranslate">cadmia</span> </i>"zinc ore," from Greek <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>kadmeia</i></span></blockquote><span class="foreign notranslate"></span><p></p><p><span class="foreign notranslate">But lets go a little further. Where did the Theban king <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmus">Cadmus</a> get his name? </span></p><p><span class="foreign notranslate">According to Greek mythology, he was Phoenician, and according to Herodotus, he was the one that introduced the Phoenician alphabet to the Greeks. The Phoenicians used the same alphabet as the speakers of Hebrew, which is why the the two alphabets (names and shapes of letters) are so similar.</span></p><p>Cadmus coming from Phoenicia also likely explains the origin of his name. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmus#Etymology">Many scholars say</a> it derives from the root קדם, meaning "<a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/05/asia.html">east</a>." For example, in his CEDEL Klein writes that the name denotes "the man who came from the East." </p><p>Hebrew also has <i>kedem </i>קֶֽדֶם meaning "east." But the root קדם can also mean "be before, be in front", because at that time people oriented themselves towards the east. This sense of "before" was not only in space, but also in time, so קדם can also mean to precede. </p><p></p><p></p><p>So if this is the case, cadmium and calamine are cognate with Hebrew words like:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>קָדַם <i>kadam - </i>"to precede, to take precedence"</li><li>קְדָם <i>kedam - </i>"preliminary"</li><li>קֹדֶם <i>kodem - </i>"before, previously"</li><li>קִדֵּם <i>kidem - </i> "to promote, advance"</li><li>קִדְמָה <i>kidma - </i>"advancement, progress"</li><li>קָדִימָה <i>kadima - </i>"forward, onward"</li><li>קַדְמוֹן <i>kadmon - </i>"ancient"</li></ul><div>This last word, <i>kadmon</i>, appears only once in the Bible, in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Ezekiel.47.8?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS&lang=bi">Yechezkel 47:8</a>, where it means "east." <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B7%D7%93%D6%B0%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9F.1?lang=bi">Klein thinks</a> that perhaps the original name of Cadmus was Kadmon, but the suffix was changed to "os" when the name was adopted into Greek.</div><p></p><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2762369273335905542023-03-07T12:11:00.004+02:002023-03-07T12:11:20.768+02:00another email test<p>Thanks again for your patience as I test the email subscriptions once again.</p><p>Since today is Purim, I thought you might enjoy a link to all of the Purim posts on Balashon:</p><p><a href="https://www.balashon.com/search/label/purim">https://www.balashon.com/search/label/purim</a></p><p>Enjoy and happy Purim!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6817900616377790522023-03-06T14:33:00.001+02:002023-03-06T14:33:26.138+02:00more changes for email subscribers<p>For those that remember, <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2021/04/">about two years ago</a> I had to change the service to provide email subscriptions to Balashon. </p><p>Well, it turns out that service also needs to be replaced. So I'm switching to MailerLite. Hopefully it will go smoothly, but expect a few test posts in the next several days so I can confirm that it works well.</p><p>Hopefully all existing subscribers have been migrated successfully, and there's a new subscribe button on the right for anyone who would like to start getting these posts by email.</p><p>If you have any issues with the transition, let me know. If you're not getting the posts, and you are subscribed, try checking your spam/junk email folders, and add the sender to your safe sender group.</p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-55603489940928803392023-01-08T18:49:00.004+02:002023-01-08T18:49:39.922+02:00deyokanWhat is the origin of the Talmudic word דְּיוֹקָן <i>deyokan</i>? In rabbinic literature it meant "image, likeness", and today, in modern Hebrew, means "portrait, profile."<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.steinsaltz-center.org/vault/DafYomi/shabbat_149.pdf">Steinsaltz</a> provides two theories:</div><blockquote><div>The origin of this word is not entirely clear. Some authorities state that it is derived from the Greek δείκανον, <i>deikanon</i>, which refers to a picture, especially an embroidered one. Others think that it is related to the word εἰκών, eikon, which means statue or picture, with the added Hebrew or Greek prefix <i>d</i> or <i>diyu</i>.</div></blockquote><p>In his Hebrew commentary (Hullin, p. 389), he makes a similar statement, quoting both theories and noting that the second one is an explanation of the Geonim, who claim that the prefix means "two", and therefore the word means a duplicate of an image.</p><p>Let's expand on both possibilities.</p><p>The first theory says it derives from the Greek <i>deikanon. </i>That word is cognate with the verb <i>deiknynai</i> meaning "to show." There are a <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=deiknynai">number of English words that ultimately come from that root</a>, including these two:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/paradigm?ref=etymonline_crossreference">paradigm</a>: "an example, a model," from Late Latin <i>paradigma </i>"pattern, example," especially in grammar, from Greek <i>paradeigma </i>"pattern, model; precedent, example," from <i>paradeiknynai </i>"exhibit, represent," literally "show side by side," from <i>para</i>- "beside" + <i>deiknynai </i>"to show"</li><li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/policy#etymonline_v_17570">policy</a>: ["written insurance agreement"], 1560s, "written contract to pay a certain sum on certain contingencies," from French <i>police </i>"contract, bill of lading" (late 14c.), from Italian <i>polizza </i>"written evidence of a transaction, note, bill, ticket, lottery ticket," from Old Italian <i>poliza</i>, which, according to OED, is from Medieval Latin <i>apodissa </i>"receipt for money," from Greek <i>apodexis </i>"proof, declaration," from <i>apo</i>- "off" + <i>deiknynai </i>"to show"</li></ul><div>The latter was interesting to me, since I didn't realize the other meaning of <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/policy?utm_source=related_entries">policy</a>, "way of management", isn't related and has an entirely different etymology. It comes from the Greek <i>polis - </i>"city, state", which has its parallel in the Hebrew מדינה <i><a href="https://www.balashon.com/2007/02/medina.html">medina</a>.</i></div><div><br /></div><div>As far as the second theory as to the origin of <i>deyokan</i>, <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%93%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A7%D6%B8%D7%9F.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Klein concurs</a>:</div><blockquote><div>Surely connected with Gk. <i>eikon</i> (= likeness; see אִיקוֹנִין), but the ד is of uncertain origin. According to some scholars דְּיוֹקָן is the contraction of דְּיוֹ (= Gk. <i>dyo</i>, ‘two’), and <i>eikon</i>, and properly means ‘a double image’.</div></blockquote><p>The Greek <i>eikon</i> gives us the English "<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/icon">icon</a>" as well:</p><p></p><blockquote>"image, figure, picture," also "statue," from Late Latin <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>icon</i></span>, from Greek <span class="foreign notranslate"><i>eikon</i></span> "likeness, image, portrait; image in a mirror; a semblance, phantom image;" in philosophy, "an image in the mind," related to <i><span class="foreign notranslate">eikenai</span> </i>"be like, look like," which is of uncertain origin.</blockquote><p></p><p>Both explanations seem reasonable to me. I'll leave it to you to consider which you consider either a paradigmatic example of a good etymology or an iconic one.</p><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-43307036443132713752023-01-01T19:50:00.002+02:002023-01-10T14:47:43.624+02:00persimmon and afarsemon<p>I was listening to <a href="https://historyofenglishpodcast.com/2022/12/20/episode-164-somewhere-in-the-middle/">an episode of The History of English Podcast</a>, and I was surprised to hear "persimmon" included in a list of words originally from the Native American Algonquin language. I really enjoy eating the fruit persimmon, which goes by the name אֲפַרְסְמוֹן - <i>afarsemon</i> in Hebrew. Those two words are obviously connected, and I know that the word <i>afarsemon</i> appears in the Talmud. So how could persimmon be an Algonquin word?</p><p>Well, I decided to check my facts. First I confirmed that <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/persimmon">persimmon</a> is a New World word:</p><p></p><blockquote>the North American date-plum, a tree common in the U.S. South, 1610s, from Powhatan (Algonquian) <i><span class="foreign notranslate">pasimenan</span> </i>"fruit dried artificially," from <i><span class="foreign notranslate">pasimeneu</span> </i>"he dries fruit," containing Proto-Algonquian <span class="foreign notranslate">*/-<i>min</i>-/</span> "fruit, berry."</blockquote><p>And I was also right about <i>afarsemon</i>. However, in the Talmud it doesn't refer to a sweet, fleshy, orange fruit. Rather, it was a fragrant plant whose oil produced very valuable perfume. As noted <a href="https://steinsaltz.org/daf/shekalim16/">here</a>, the "<i>afarsimon</i> was considered so valuable that at one point it was literally worth its weight in gold."</p><p>Many scholars, such as the botanist Yehuda Feliks, identify the <i>afarsemon </i>with the shrub <i>Commiphora opobalsamum</i>. (<a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9F_(%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9D)">Others</a> say it was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commiphora_gileadensis">Commiphora gileadensis</a>). It went by many different names (or may have been associated with various similar plants.) Many of them are listed in the Wikipedia entry "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balm_of_Gilead">Balm of Gilead</a>." </p><p>Included in this list is the biblical term בֹּשֶׂם <i>bosem</i>, which appears <a href="https://mg.alhatorah.org/Concordance/1314.%D7%91%D6%B9%D6%BC%D7%A9%D6%B6%D7%82%D7%9D">29 times in the Bible</a>, or the variant בְּשָׂמִי (my <i>basam</i>) that appears once in <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Song_of_Songs.5?lang=bi">Shir HaShirim 5:1</a> . We actually discussed <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/03/besumei.html"><i>bosem </i>many years ago</a>, when we noted that it eventually gave the English words "balsam" and "balm" - so it shouldn't be surprising that the term "Balm of Gilead" is related. (The variant <i>basam </i><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9F_(%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9D)#%D7%90%D7%98%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%92%D7%99%D7%94">may have been the one borrowed</a> into Greek.)</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B2%D7%A4%D6%B7%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%A1%D6%B0%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9F.1?lang=bi">Klein</a> (quoting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_L%C3%B6w">Loew</a>), <i>bosem </i>and <i>afarsemon</i> may be related as well. Here is his entry for <i>afarsemon</i>:</p><p></p><blockquote>balsam tree; balm. [According to Löw a blend of Gk. <i>balsamon</i> (see בָּשָׂם) and Aram. <span dir="rtl">אֲפוּרְסְמָא</span> Syr. <span dir="rtl">אֲפוּרְסֶמָא</span> (= balsam tree, balm), which is a loan word from Armenian <i>aprsam</i>.]</blockquote><p>Feliks, in his book <i>Plant World of the Bible </i>(Hebrew), in the entry for <i>bosem</i>, writes that while in Biblical times <i>bosem </i>referred specifically to <i>Commiphora opobalsamum, </i>in Talmudic times <i>bosem </i>took on the general sense of "scent, fragrance" leaving more specific words, like <i>afarsemon</i>, to refer to the expensive balm. (He also mentions the Talmudic terms אפורסמא, בלסמון and אפובלסמון).</p><p>So when and how did the confusion between <i>afarsemon</i> and persimmon begin? I couldn't find an exact date or a specific person who started calling the persimmon as <i>afarsemon</i> in Hebrew. But it seems to have happened in the mid-20th century, and the general consensus is the reasonable conclusion that it was due to the similarity between the two words. Feliks notes (in 1968) that in Israel there is no remnant of the original <i>afarsemon </i>orchards that grew in Jericho and Ein Gedi. So although <i>afarsemon </i>had a rich cultural heritage, it was available for public use by that time.</p><p>I have a theory that may give an additional reason. While the word "persimmon" is Native American, related species <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon#Cultivation">grew elsewhere in the world</a>, particularly in East Asia. In Japanese the word for persimmon is <i>kaki</i>, and that is the adopted word used in many European languages, like French, Spanish, and German. But that word couldn't be adopted in Israel, since in Yiddish, <i>kaki </i>means "poop" (related to <i><a href="https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/162">farkakte</a> - </i>lousy, literally "full of crap.") It has the same meaning in Modern Hebrew. (I've seen European speakers here refer to an <i>afarsemon</i> as <i>kaki</i>, and believe me, that raises some eyebrows.) So there was no way that would be the word used in Israel. So why not adopt the available, and similar, <i>afarsemon</i>?</p><p>But this would not be the only creative Israeli take on the persimmon. According to the <a href="https://books.google.co.il/books?redir_esc=y&id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&q=persimmon#v=onepage&q&f=false">Encyclopedia of Jewish Food</a> (entry "persimmon"), Israelis developed a hybrid of the American and Japanese persimmons, which have "no seeds, no core, and even more importantly, no bitter taste even when unripe." Sometimes called "Sharon fruit", it is exported all over the world, and at least for me, is something I look forward during its season - every winter. It might not be worth its weight in gold, but I wouldn't trade it for any perfume.<br /></p><p><span style="color: red;">** Update:</span></p><p>I just thought of one other reason why modern Hebrew may have been comfortable with adopting <i>afarsemon </i>for persimmon. They already had a fruit that began with a similar sound: <a href="https://www.balashon.com/2006/08/afarsek.html"><i>afarsek</i> </a>אפרסק - "peach." So for speakers of Hebrew, who never witnessed <i>afarsemon </i>as a perfume, may have easily begun using it for a fruit based on the similarity to <i>afarsek</i>.</p><p><span style="color: red;">** Update to the update:</span></p><p>The great blog <a href="https://languagehat.com/persimmon-and-afarsemon/">Language Hat recently shared this post</a>, and as often happens when that occurs, there are great comments by very knowledgeable people. One of them noted:<br /><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The <i>afarsek</i> connection makes sense to me, as I had always (until
looking it up a few years ago and finding the Algonquin connection)
folk-etymologized <i>afarsemon</i> as a blend of <i>afarsek</i> and <i>rimon</i> “pomegranate”, on the model of <i>afarshezif</i> “nectarine” < <i>afarsek</i> + <i>shezif</i> “plum”.</p></blockquote><p>I completely missed mentioning אֲפַרְשְׁזִיף <i>afarshezif. </i>And certainly that additional fruit name would encourage people to think <i>afarsemon</i> had a similar origin. But in my defense, I did look at a few lists of fruits in Hebrew and <i>afarshezif </i>wasn't there. While I definitely know the word, I guess it skipped my mind. But interestingly, it doesn't appear in either Klein or Even-Shoshan. The latter is more surprising, since it includes plenty of slang and colloquialisms. But as <a href="https://he.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%96%D7%99%D7%A3">these pages</a> <a href="https://hevdel.co.il/%F0%9F%8D%91-%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%94%D7%91%D7%93%D7%9C-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%A7-%D7%A0%D7%A7%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%A9/">point out</a>, it's a mistake to call it an <i>afarshezif,</i> since nectarines aren't a crossbreed of peaches and plums, but their own fruit. Therefore, they say it's proper to call it נֶקְטָרִינָה <i>nektarina</i>, and I suppose that's why it didn't enter the dictionary (or any of those lists I looked at.)</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-65352166063510100912022-12-26T18:23:00.000+02:002022-12-26T18:23:28.664+02:00hedyot and idiot<p>What is the connection between the Hebrew <i>hedyot </i>הֶדְיוֹט - "layman, layperson" and the English "idiot"?</p><p>They share a common origin, but in this case the Hebrew is closer to the original meaning than the English is. </p><p><i>Hedyot</i> entered Hebrew in the rabbinic period, being borrowed from Greek. It was used in phrases like כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט <i>kohen hedyot </i>(as distinguished from the High Priest), or in this mishna, discussing permitted work on the intermediate days of the festivals:</p><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"></p><blockquote><p dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;">הַהֶדְיוֹט תּוֹפֵר כְּדַרְכּוֹ, וְהָאֻמָּן מַכְלִיב</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>A layman,</b> who is not a skilled tailor, <b>may sew in his</b> usual <b>manner</b> if necessary for the Festival, <b>whereas a craftsman may form</b> only <b>temporary stitches. </b>(<a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Mishnah_Moed_Katan.1.8?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en">Moed Katan 1:8</a>)</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p><a href="https://www.sefaria.org.il/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%94%D6%B6%D7%93%D6%B0%D7%99%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%98?lang=bi">Klein</a> notes that its original meaning of <i>hedyot</i> was "a private man, a layman, a common person" and provides this etymology:</p><p></p><blockquote>Gk. <i>idiotes</i> (= private person, one not holding office; layman; an ignorant), from <i>idios</i> (= one’s own, private, personal, separated, distinct)</blockquote><p></p><p>The same <i>idios</i> gave us two other English words that preserve that original sense of "separate, private":</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/idiom">idiom</a>: "phrase or expression peculiar to a language"</li><li><a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/idiosyncrasy">idiosyncrasy</a>: behavior or thought particular to an individual</li></ul><div>But what about "idiot"? That seems to have a different meaning than the words we've mentioned so far. Well, it took a <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/idiot">longer journey</a>:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>early 14c., "person so mentally deficient as to be incapable of ordinary
reasoning;" also in Middle English "simple man, uneducated person,
layman" (late 14c.), from Old French <i><span class="foreign notranslate">idiote</span> </i>"uneducated or ignorant person" (12c.), from Latin <i><span class="foreign notranslate">idiota</span> </i>"ordinary person, layman; outsider," in Late Latin "uneducated or ignorant person," from Greek <i><span class="foreign notranslate">idiotes</span>
</i> "layman, person lacking professional skill" (opposed to writer,
soldier, skilled workman), literally "private person" (as opposed to one
taking part in public affairs), used patronizingly for "ignorant
person," from <i><span class="foreign notranslate">idios</span> </i>"one's own"</blockquote><p>So like <i>hedyot</i>, it <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070216165801/https://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/midiot.htm">originally meant</a> a private person (as opposed to a ruler like a king) or a common soldier (as opposed to a military officer). Only later did it come to mean someone uneducated, then a more "technical" term for someone mentally deficient, and eventually in our day simply an informal term for a foolish or stupid person. </p><p>That last meaning exists in modern Hebrew as well - as אִידְיוֹט (borrowed from European languages). Despite their similarities, it's important for any speaker of Hebrew today to not use them interchangeably.</p></div><p></p>Balashonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01200811858068140830noreply@blogger.com0