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It's a fairly common root in Arabic, appearing in many words related to elections. However, I couldn't fnd any Hebrew cognates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/4847281\/Arabic_Etymological_Dictionary\"\u003EArabic Etymological Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E, while including words from that root, didn't provide any additonal Semitic cognates. It left it unknown with the entry (the etymology and cognates go in the brackets):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Enachaba\u003C\/b\u003E: choose, select [?]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI didn't see any entries in Stahl's Arabic dictionary, and a search of Klein's dictionary for related Arabic words also came up blank.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI was about to give up, when I found \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/benyehuda.org\/dict\/24412\/49511\"\u003Ethis brief mention\u003C\/a\u003E in the Ben Yehuda dictionary:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote dir=\"rtl\" style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eנחב\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eממנו אולי השֵם נַחְבִּי.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"footnote\"\u003Eבערב' יש שני שרשים, נחב\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;\"\u003Eنحب\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;במשמ' בכיה חזקה, ונח'ב\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;\"\u003Eنخب\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;במשמ' בחירה ובררה.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis was a strange entry. It was for the root נחב \u003Ci\u003Enakhav\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for which the only word provided was \u003Ci\u003Eperhaps\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;the Biblical name \"Nahbi\". Nahbi, the son of Vofsi, appears only once in the Tanakh, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Numbers.13.14?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBamidbar 13:14\u003C\/a\u003E. He was one of the spies - the representative from the tribe of Naftali.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe Ben-Yehuda dictionary notes that in Arabic there are two (possibly related) roots. One is \u003Ci\u003Enahab \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich means \"strong cry.\" The other is our \u003Ci\u003Enakhab\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"choice, select.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI still don't exactly understand why this hypothetical root was included in the dictionary, which might have been the source of a name, and may have a connection to one of two cognates. But it does at least leave the door open that Nahbi is related to \u003Ci\u003Enukhba\u003C\/i\u003E, which could make sense, considering he was a prince of the tribe.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOnce again, I looked to see if there was support for this theory. I suppose I was surprised how little is written (or at least I could find) about the name Nahbi (even speculation). The Encyclopedia Mikrait (EM) and Daat Mikra both said that no convincing etymology has been found. The EM did note the scholar \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Martin_Noth\"\u003EMartin Noth\u003C\/a\u003E, who proposed it is related to an Arabic root meaning \"coward.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ENoth's suggestion is also mentioned by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/James_Barr_(biblical_scholar)\"\u003EJames Barr\u003C\/a\u003E in his essay, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/pdf\/community.28211921.pdf\"\u003EThe Symbolism of Names in the Old Testament.\u003C\/a\u003E\" (also found \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=xpg1xWbaycUC\u0026amp;newbks=1\u0026amp;newbks_redir=0\u0026amp;lpg=PA87\u0026amp;dq=%22nahbi%22%20%22arabic%22\u0026amp;pg=PA87#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E). On page 23 (of the document), in footnote 2, he writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ENoth, p. 229, n. 12, derives from Arabic \u003Ci\u003Enakhb\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with the sense \"fearful\"; but one could also consider the sense \"choice\" on the same Arabic basis, and also derivation from a quite different root, cf. Huffmon, \u003Ci\u003EAmorite Peraonal Names in the Mari Texts\u003C\/i\u003E, p. 189.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESo Barr does entertain the connection. He also points us in the direction of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/amoritepersonaln0000huff_r1u3\/page\/188\/mode\/2up\"\u003EHuffmon\u003C\/a\u003E, who mentions yet another Arabic root, \u003Ci\u003Enhb\u003C\/i\u003E, this time meaning \"vow, implore, lament\" (perhaps the last of these words equals the \"strong cry\" mentioned in Ben Yehuda).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOne other suggestion for Nahbi doesn't include the letter \u003Ci\u003Enun\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as part of the root. Rather it says the name comes from the root חבא, meaning to hide. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexander_Rof%C3%A9\"\u003EProf. Alexander Rofe\u003C\/a\u003E quotes his teacher Umberto Cassuto \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=ATDWInu5VCwC\u0026amp;lpg=PA55\u0026amp;vq=nahbi\u0026amp;pg=PA55#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eas noting\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESethur, derived from the root \u003Ci\u003Estr \u003C\/i\u003E(to hide), brought to mind the son of Vophsi, Nahbi, from the root \u003Ci\u003Ehb'\u003C\/i\u003E, with the same meaning.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ECassuto was pointing out that the name before Nahbi in the list of spies was סְתוּר בֶּן־מִיכָאֵל, whose name also indicates hiding. If that's the case, both names implying hiding would be fitting for spies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThat same theory is proposed by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/BDB%2C_%D7%A0%D6%B7%D7%97%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B4%D7%99.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBDB\u003C\/a\u003E dictionary, as well as in a midrash in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Sotah.34b.6?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ESotah 34b\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, אַף אָנוּ נֹאמַר: ״נַחְבִּי בֶּן וׇפְסִי״, ״נַחְבִּי״ — שֶׁהֶחְבִּיא דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERabbi Yoḥanan says: We can also say\u003C\/b\u003E an interpretation of the name: \u003Cb\u003E“Nahbi the son of Vophsi”\u003C\/b\u003E (Numbers 13:14): He is called \u003Cb\u003ENahbi, as he concealed [\u003Ci\u003Eheḥbi\u003C\/i\u003E] the statement of the Holy One, Blessed be He,\u003C\/b\u003E that the land is good, by delivering a distorted description of it.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAll of these theories testify to the fact that other than the two spies who brought a faithful report of the land (Yehoshua and Kalev), the rest were soon forgotten and so their legacies are obscure. I hope that someday soon we can say the same about the \u003Ci\u003ENukhba \u003C\/i\u003Eterrorists as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/419735595101697194\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=419735595101697194","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/419735595101697194"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/419735595101697194"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/06\/nukhba-and-nahbi.html","title":"Nukhba and Nahbi"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4664611792652435788"},"published":{"$t":"2024-06-23T22:06:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-23T22:06:16.714+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"fukes"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI was curious about the origin of the Israeli slang term \u003Ci\u003Efukes\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;פוּקְס, meaning \"stroke of luck,\" referring to something positive that happened just by chance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy first thought was to look in Ruvik Rosenthal's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=3JTy9EcFb4YC\u0026amp;lpg=PA298\u0026amp;vq=flux\u0026amp;pg=PA298#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EDictionary of Hebrew Slang\u003C\/a\u003E. He said it came from the English \"flux\", and originated as a lucky shot in billiards:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEiZJ0YY6rI1ItJd7HTdg9t6lU651ZXo9LVfTTLl_Lf9RJP9_qIVuzRfwcQT0fLTSXNiVdNkou_4qCNdbl8esNI1TsXOfChSfnH5AmKue_7B30MnESgLPzVymtQ6BQSwWwOuYIsmgHmB5bSv6ujkVGd824xwIqNCN7WIqsuZCMAzU9oT_CDtoYwM\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"335\" data-original-width=\"546\" height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEiZJ0YY6rI1ItJd7HTdg9t6lU651ZXo9LVfTTLl_Lf9RJP9_qIVuzRfwcQT0fLTSXNiVdNkou_4qCNdbl8esNI1TsXOfChSfnH5AmKue_7B30MnESgLPzVymtQ6BQSwWwOuYIsmgHmB5bSv6ujkVGd824xwIqNCN7WIqsuZCMAzU9oT_CDtoYwM\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut as hard as I tried, I couldn't find any connection between \"flux\" and the game of billiards.\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI put the question aside for a while, and then came back to it again after a few weeks. A new search for the origin of \u003Ci\u003Efukes\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;once again led me to Rosenthanl, but this time to his websites (he has a few). And this time, the answer was much more obvious:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ruvik.co.il\/%D7%94%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%99\/2017\/11217.aspx\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, he wrote:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEg905YyKegSLynHnQmAC-21tGsoathr0Bb_586qq-zBDdQ3XtQWP95wHOhfq8CXMDso7sfBH1NKTfxu_Mn68HUsCm3sXkjSs9941RVbBSKTyd-gg2MEqIBXcxC_GQT0ieS7wdteZ9fss3Du6tZPOkNMCk4sGdbP_B8CF5usiZ_WoXnYbo3Hgc5o\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg data-original-height=\"96\" data-original-width=\"588\" height=\"87\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEg905YyKegSLynHnQmAC-21tGsoathr0Bb_586qq-zBDdQ3XtQWP95wHOhfq8CXMDso7sfBH1NKTfxu_Mn68HUsCm3sXkjSs9941RVbBSKTyd-gg2MEqIBXcxC_GQT0ieS7wdteZ9fss3Du6tZPOkNMCk4sGdbP_B8CF5usiZ_WoXnYbo3Hgc5o=w535-h87\" width=\"535\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blog.ravmilim.co.il\/2014\/11\/20\/%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A7-%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%96%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%92%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%99-%D7%A0%D7%AA%D7%9F-%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%93%D7%9C-%D7%91%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A1\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEjIbJX-sEofiQAaCqL_POmGSU69OCDDohtn-M8o3Ric0dAYhBl84XwRU4xY8zCB5LOnfhw-cerlW7jTuSR9S2qkx-dkwjwEQFvVuzUHjRGwZi88XnajDAX30aCJPVPTt2RtfkQbKcJtjruNOFwmHmRg2z5vchedBaIVB1JGJQtKmzcYeAQY14G5\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"296\" data-original-width=\"505\" height=\"289\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEjIbJX-sEofiQAaCqL_POmGSU69OCDDohtn-M8o3Ric0dAYhBl84XwRU4xY8zCB5LOnfhw-cerlW7jTuSR9S2qkx-dkwjwEQFvVuzUHjRGwZi88XnajDAX30aCJPVPTt2RtfkQbKcJtjruNOFwmHmRg2z5vchedBaIVB1JGJQtKmzcYeAQY14G5=w493-h289\" width=\"493\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt turned out there was a typo in the printed book. The word wasn't \"flux\" but \"flukes.\" He describes how Hebrew speakers during the British Mandate (in form of the language he calls \"Finglish\", meaning \"Palestinian English\") adopted the billiard term \"flukes\", and ignoring the plural form, and dropping the \"L\" sound, turned it into the singular \u003Ci\u003Efukes.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProof of this comes from another slang term, \u003Ci\u003Ehitfalek\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהִתְפַלֵּק, which is the verb form of \u003Ci\u003Efukes \u003C\/i\u003E(meaning to do something unintentionally), but does preserve the \"L\" of \"fluke\" (and doesn't include the plural \"S\".)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFluke is indeed a billiards term. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/fluke\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E has these entries for the different meanings of fluke, which may be related (our meaning is number 2):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003Efluke (n.1)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"flat end of an arm of an anchor,\" 1560s, perhaps from fluke (n.3) \"flatfish,\" on resemblance of shape, or from Low German \u003Ci\u003Eflügel \u003C\/i\u003E\"wing.\" Transferred meaning \"whale's tail\" (in plural, \u003Ci\u003Eflukes\u003C\/i\u003E) is by 1725, so called from resemblance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Efluke (n.2)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"lucky stroke, chance hit,\" 1857, also flook, said to be originally a lucky shot at billiards, of uncertain origin. Century Dictionary connects it with fluke (n.1) in reference to the whale's use of flukes to get along rapidly (to \u003Ci\u003Ego a-fluking\u003C\/i\u003E or some variant of it, \"go very fast,\" is in Dana, Smyth, and other sailors' books of the era). OED (2nd ed. print) allows only that it is \"Possibly of Eng. dialectal origin.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Efluke (n.3)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"flatfish,\" Old English \u003Ci\u003Efloc \u003C\/i\u003E\"flatfish,\" related to Old Norse \u003Ci\u003Efloke \u003C\/i\u003E\"flatfish,\" flak \"disk, floe,\" from Proto-Germanic *\u003Ci\u003Eflok\u003C\/i\u003E-, from PIE root *\u003Ci\u003Eplak\u003C\/i\u003E- (1) \"to be flat.\" The parasite worm (1660s) so called from resemblance of shape.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurther discussion of the origin of \"fluke\" can be found in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blog.inkyfool.com\/2011\/02\/fluke.html\"\u003Ethis post\u003C\/a\u003E on the Inky Fool blog.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECertainly fluke has moved from billiards to a more general sense of an unexpected or accidental stroke of luck, in both English and in Hebrew via \u003Ci\u003Efukes.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI must conclude with a quote from one of my favorite televison shows, The Office. In the episode \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Trivia_(The_Office)\"\u003ETrivia\u003C\/a\u003E, the generally bumbling character Kevin gives an answer in a trivia contest which brings his team to win the game. Everyone doubted him, thinking it was just dumb luck, and in response he gives this retort:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEhxNyRu1PzwKIHh_cLfIMhm58vlj8zSUxGPckvOJybw_LEElnysv8bp9F6GmyOjhh5xzOMNNjR-ut-Tv55xkEKmBCmgFGIMO0vL6hnDbzLIk6M4Q22ouFUaUnHJoynj5XAocFeIaGXQH66MzyAMI0qq_Cd1oUGf5MGSvYvKvWTv_fshnOzVYSIC\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"640\" data-original-width=\"1245\" height=\"248\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEhxNyRu1PzwKIHh_cLfIMhm58vlj8zSUxGPckvOJybw_LEElnysv8bp9F6GmyOjhh5xzOMNNjR-ut-Tv55xkEKmBCmgFGIMO0vL6hnDbzLIk6M4Q22ouFUaUnHJoynj5XAocFeIaGXQH66MzyAMI0qq_Cd1oUGf5MGSvYvKvWTv_fshnOzVYSIC=w484-h248\" width=\"484\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELook, I know it's easy to say tonight was just a fluke, and maybe it \nwas, but here's a piece of trivia: a fluke is one of the most common \nfish in the sea. So if you go fishing for a fluke, chances are, you just\n might catch one.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWisdom for the ages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4664611792652435788\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4664611792652435788","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4664611792652435788"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4664611792652435788"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/06\/fukes.html","title":"fukes"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEiZJ0YY6rI1ItJd7HTdg9t6lU651ZXo9LVfTTLl_Lf9RJP9_qIVuzRfwcQT0fLTSXNiVdNkou_4qCNdbl8esNI1TsXOfChSfnH5AmKue_7B30MnESgLPzVymtQ6BQSwWwOuYIsmgHmB5bSv6ujkVGd824xwIqNCN7WIqsuZCMAzU9oT_CDtoYwM=s72-c","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2522109722516333842"},"published":{"$t":"2024-06-16T19:34:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-16T19:34:26.177+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"dayal, doula, and degel - update"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EI have a long list of words to write about. Today I started looking into one of them, and then only later did it turn out that I had already written about it. This happens occasionally - with nearly 700 posts, and often several words beyond the primary word discussed in each, I suppose it’s to be expected. I’m just relieved when I discover it before I write the whole thing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-d46c1969-7fff-17ea-0428-c0da3e0b5254\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThis time, however, I found some new information, so I thought I’d write a post that updates the earlier one.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EI had intended to write a post about the words \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eדַּיָּל - “steward” and “doula.” I was planning on pointing out how they share a common origin. But I had already discussed it in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/08\/meltzar.html\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Emy post on \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Emeltzar\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eמֶלְצַר, another word meaning “steward”:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EHowever, as Elon Gilad\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.haaretz.co.il\/magazine\/the-edge\/mehasafa\/.premium-1.2080169\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ewrites here\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, Ben Yehuda did not want the word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Emeltzar\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E used for \"waiter\" in Modern Hebrew. He preferred \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E דייל (feminine \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayelet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E דיילת). He coined \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E on the basis of the Talmudic Aramaic word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayala\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E דיילא - \"attendant\", which in turn derives from the Greek word for slave or servant - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoulos. Doulos \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eis also the root of the English word\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/index.php?search=Doula\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoula\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, which literally means \"female slave\".\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EHowever, as happened on more than one occasion, Ben Yehuda's plans did not win out, and people continued referring to waiters as \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Emeltzarim\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E. But his word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E was eventually redeemed - when El Al airlines was founded in 1948, they needed a specialized word for someone attending to passengers - and so a few years later, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E became the Hebrew word for steward. Quite the journey for these words!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EBut as noted, I forgot that post, and began to research. I found \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%93%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%99%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9C.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EKlein’s entry for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ENH waiter, steward (on an airplane). [Nomen opificis coined by Eliezer ben Yehudah (1858–1922) from JAram. דַּיָּלָא (= attendant, waiter), which derives from Gk. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoylos\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (= slave), a word standing for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoelos\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E and derived from Aegean \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoëro\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (= slave).]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAs well as the Online Etymology Dictionary entry for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/doula\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoula\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\"woman trained to assist another woman during childbirth and provide support to the family after the baby is born,\" by 1972, a coinage in anthropology, from Modern Greek \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoule\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, from ancient Greek \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoule \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\"servant-woman,\" fem. of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoulos \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\"slave, servant,\" which probably is a word of Pre-Greek origin.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThat last sentence was interesting. When Etymonline says “Pre-Greek,” it sometimes refers to a Semitic etymology. But could that be the case here?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EIt turns out that it just may be. The Wiktionary entry for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CE%B4%CE%BF%E1%BF%A6%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eδοῦλος\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoulos\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E) has this interesting etymology:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ERelated to\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mycenaean_Greek\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EMycenaean Greek\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%F0%90%80%88%F0%90%80%81%F0%90%80%AB#Mycenaean_Greek\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E𐀈𐀁𐀫\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (do-e-ro \/⁠dohelos⁠\/),\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CE%B4%CE%BF%E1%BF%A6%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82#cite_note-1\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;\"\u003E[1]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E possibly from\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Canaanite_languages\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ECanaanite\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E *\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edōʾēlu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E “servant, attendant” (compare\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Late_Babylonian\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ELate Babylonian\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/w\/index.php?title=%F0%92%81%95%F0%92%80%9D%F0%92%82%B5%F0%92%87%BB\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E𒁕𒀝𒂵𒇻\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (daggālu, “subject, one who waits on another, does their bidding”),\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aramaic\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAramaic\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/w\/index.php?title=%D7%93%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%90\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eדַּיָּילָא\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (dayyālā),\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hebrew_language\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EHebrew\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/w\/index.php?title=%D7%93%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9C\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eדייל\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (dayyal, “flight attendant, store clerk”)).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CE%B4%CE%BF%E1%BF%A6%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82#cite_note-2\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;\"\u003E[2]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 12pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAccording to Parpola,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CE%B4%CE%BF%E1%BF%A6%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82#cite_note-3\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;\"\u003E[3]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E the word δοῦλος is related to the ethnonym\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dahae\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EDahae\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (found as Δάοι, Δάαι, Δαι or Δάσαι in Greek sources) and thus related to\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sanskrit\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ESanskrit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%81#Sanskrit\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eदस्यु\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (dasyu, “bandit, brigand”) and\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sanskrit\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ESanskrit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8#Sanskrit\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eदास\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (dāsa) which originally meant 'demon' and later also 'slave' or 'fiend'.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThe first theory is the one that interested me - since it proposes a Semitic origin. However, it seemed rather mixed up, giving the anachronistic impression that the Greek \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoulos \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ederived from not only the Aramaic \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayala \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E(which we had already seen is purported to derive from the Greek, not the other way around), but also mentions the Modern Hebrew \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, which certainly couldn’t have influenced any Ancient Greek words.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EBut I thought I’d try looking around a bit more. I couldn’t find anything of note about the Canaanite *\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edōʾēlu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, other than websites quoting or referring back to this Wiktionary page. But the Babylonian \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edaggālu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E had more promise. Since Late Babylonian is another word for Akkadian, I looked in Tawil’s dictionary of Akkadian. In the “Akkadian to Hebrew Concordance,” under \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edagālu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, he points back to his entry for דגל. In that entry he writes:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAkkadian \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edagālu \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E… to look (at) …\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAkkadian \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edagālu \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ein the G-Stem and S-stem has a wide variety of nuances and meanings, including “to own” and “to be a subject.” With the prepositions \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eana, pan, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eand \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eina pan\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, it means “to wait for.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThis fits what I wrote in an even earlier post on the Hebrew word דגל \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2008\/05\/degel.html\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edegel\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E. I quoted Milgrom on Bamidbar 2:2\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EHebrew \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edegel \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Epossibly originally meant a military banner. This is supported by the Akkadian \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edagalu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, \"to look\", and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ediglu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, \"sight\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EBut while \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edagālu \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ecould mean “to be a subject,” is there further evidence that it’s related to \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoula\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ESokoloff, in his \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EDictionary of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, does make such a connection. In his entry for the Aramaic \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayala\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E דַּיָּילָא, he provides two definitions. A type of official (as in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yoma.18a.13?lang=bi\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EYoma 18a\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E) or a servant (as in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pesachim.86b.11?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EPesachim 86b\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E). And for the etymology, he says it derives from the Akkadian \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edajalu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E - “inspector.”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003ESo Sokoloff says that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ea (the source of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E) derives from \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edagalu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E. He makes no mention of the Greek \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoulos\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, but there’s nothing in what he wrote that would contradict \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edoulos\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E deriving either from the Akkadian or Aramaic.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EWhere then did Klein get his idea of a Greek origin for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayala\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E? I assume this Ben Yehuda entry:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"border: none; display: inline-block; height: 515px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"515\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXemKH7BfhuoqvVNJT6YcEMCF-ESofKoPxuW8ck5zEmMz0VCNqZ7rvSojWaeh6PteN2RCktBrrdbZoDzjmgRvHKJhEiYiDpLg9Aj3JFptw5RxRDUV_tP4sAPcI0OlVBj1VAMjopZDIKEpGj3tzuVDCQzFGr-?key=TBHPAuezpsPHe6NI9Ib3IQ\" style=\"margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;\" width=\"624\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EBen Yehuda defines a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Edayal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E as someone who serves food (i.e., a waiter) and says it was common in Hebrew speech and also used in newspapers. In the footnote, after quoting Pesachim 86b (see above), it notes that there are those who say it is borrowed from Greek.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EI don’t know who are “those who say” but I imagine it’s possible that Akkadian scholarship at that point had not advanced to the level it later did, and so the dictionary editors weren’t aware of the possibility of an Akkadian origin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2522109722516333842\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2522109722516333842","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2522109722516333842"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2522109722516333842"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/06\/dayal-doula-and-degel-update.html","title":"dayal, doula, and degel - update"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXemKH7BfhuoqvVNJT6YcEMCF-ESofKoPxuW8ck5zEmMz0VCNqZ7rvSojWaeh6PteN2RCktBrrdbZoDzjmgRvHKJhEiYiDpLg9Aj3JFptw5RxRDUV_tP4sAPcI0OlVBj1VAMjopZDIKEpGj3tzuVDCQzFGr-=s72-c?key=TBHPAuezpsPHe6NI9Ib3IQ","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-9066480093027449029"},"published":{"$t":"2024-06-09T20:58:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-09T20:58:50.718+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"intifada and pitzutz"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-0ec0eee4-7fff-48a9-4478-2a192561c144\"\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/spiel.html\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EIn the past\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, I've talked about how I'm a fan of Mike Pesca's podcast, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.mikepesca.com\/\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThe Gist\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E. Recently, Pesca had a segment, “\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.mikepesca.com\/thegist\/episode\/3034ce42\/intifada-revolution-or-is-that-a-linguistic-delusion\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EIntifada Revolution? Or is that a linguistic delusion?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E” (starting at 26:30) where he railed against \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/06\/04\/nx-s1-4958278\/intifada-chants-pro-palestinian-protests-israel\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ethose claiming\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E that because the Arabic word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintifada \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E(“insurrection, uprising”) originated in a more gentle meaning of “shaking off,” the protesters calling for an \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintifada \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Etoday aren’t really inciting for violence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EIt’s a great segment, where Pesca skillfully explains how words change meaning, and how we need to be honest about how the words are used today. The Palestinian expressions of intifada have been very violent, with thousands killed, and it is disingenuous to claim that calls for further “global” intifada would be any less violent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EI won’t repeat all of Pesca’s arguments here - it’s really worth listening to. But the essence of his position is against what is known as the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Etymological_fallacy\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eetymologically fallacy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E - that a word’s meaning is determined by its etymology. On this site, I implicitly campaign against that approach constantly. By showing the development of words over time, even those with weighty religious usage, I try to show that words change, and we need to understand how they were used at the time they were said or written.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThe segment on the Gist did get me thinking. Does the Arabic word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintifada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E have any cognates in Hebrew? It took a little digging, but it certainly does.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAs noted, the word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/intifada\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintifada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E did mean “shaking off.” As noted \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Intifada\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E, it comes\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Efrom the verb \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintafada \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\"to be shaken, shake oneself.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThe verb \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintafada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E in turn is the reflexive form (similar to \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ehitpael\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E in Hebrew) of the verb \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Intifada#Etymology\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enafada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E - “to shake, shake off.” \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D7%A4%D7%A5.1?lang=bi\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EKlein notes\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enafada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E is cognate to the Hebrew verb נפץ - “to shatter, scatter”:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EProb. a secondary base derived from פוץ ᴵ. cp. Aram.-Syr. נְפַץ (= he shook out, emptied), Arab. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enafaḍa\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (= he shook), Akka. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enapāṣu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E (= to shatter).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EFrom the root נפץ, we get many words relating to shattering or exploding such as \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enapatz \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eנַפָּץ - “detonator” (or in modern Hebrew slang “firecracker”), \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Emapatz\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E מַפָּץ - “bang, explosion” (as in “the Big Bang” \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ehamapatz hagadol\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E הַמַּפָּץ הַגָּדוֹל), and the verb \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ehitnapetz\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E הִתְנַפֵּץ - “to shatter, disintegrate, crash.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EKlein noted that נפץ is probably a secondary form of the root פוץ. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A5_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThis root\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E has a similar meaning: “to disperse, scatter, spread.” It’s most commonly seen as a verb in the form הפיץ - “to scatter, spread, disseminate, propagate.” As an adjective, it gives us the word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enafotz\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E נָפוֹץ - “widespread”, and as a noun \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Etefutza \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eתְּפוּצָה - “dispersion, diaspora.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAnother root that comes from פוץ is \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A6%D7%A5.1?lang=he\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eפצץ\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E - “to break, to shatter.” In Biblical Hebrew it could refer to such actions as breaking rocks, like in Yirmiyahu 23:29\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;וּכְפַטִּישׁ יְפֹצֵץ סָלַע - “as a hammer that shatters rock”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EIn modern times, that verb was borrowed to mean “to explode, detonate,” giving such words as \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Epetzatza\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E פְּצָצָה - “bomb” and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Epitzutz\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E פִּיצוּץ - “explosion.”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EAs we can see, many derivatives of these related roots refer to volatile acts of explosions, detonations and shattering. I will remain consistent with my approach, and will point out that these words have also changed meanings over time (such as the coining of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Epetzatza\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E by Ben Yehuda). Even if the original meanings were more violent, that doesn’t mean that the original Arabic \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Enafada\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E had that connotation. But likewise, the meanings of those Arabic words have also changed, and so \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eintifada \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Ecannot be divorced from its more recent associations with terrorism.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/9066480093027449029\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=9066480093027449029","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9066480093027449029"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9066480093027449029"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/06\/intifada-and-pitzutz.html","title":"intifada and pitzutz"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8488835468131595350"},"published":{"$t":"2024-06-04T19:45:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-06T22:05:54.726+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"tallit"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003EThe background to how I began exploring the etymology of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Etallit \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003Eטַלִּית is complicated, but perhaps more interesting than simply the bottom line. Therefore, I’ll tell it more like a story, and hopefully it will be fascinating to you as well.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-504c0c84-7fff-c96c-8241-11d5629db268\"\u003E\u003Cspan face=\"Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;\"\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-6da54cf1-7fff-5dfd-a71e-a07e93076d0a\"\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EIt began when I was watching a video from the wonderful Jewish history YouTube channel by Sam Aranow. This video is called \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dYNpXmE_-5c\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EThe Revival of Hebrew? (1879-1908)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, which focuses on the contributions of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and others in the modern revival of Hebrew.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ETo get a better perspective on the Hebrew language, Sam brought on Yair from the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CheLanguages\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EChe Languages\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E YouTube channel. At 2:20, they mention \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ewords originating in Egyptian, Persian, Greek, and Latin. Many of those words I’ve written about here before. But one word caught my eye - \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, which they claimed had a Greek origin.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EI had never heard such a suggestion before. I was only familiar with the etymology provided by \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%98%D6%B7%D7%9C%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%AA?lang=bi\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eטַלִּית\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E f.n. Post-Biblical Hebrew \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E1\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E cloak. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E2\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E prayer shawl. [Prob. from טִלֵּל (= he covered, roofed).]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EIn fact, I had mentioned that as a tangent on \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/04\/rahut-and-rahit.html\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ea post a while back\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EThe letters \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etzade\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E can switch between Hebrew and Aramaic, as can also be seen in the words \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etzel\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E צל - \"shade\" and טלל - \"to overshadow\", the root of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etalit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E טלית.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EBut where was this Greek origin theory from?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EIt turns out that Yair had found the Greek origin for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E on the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%98%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%AA#Etymology\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EWiktionary page for טלית\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. The page provides two possible etymologies. One the one that I had heard, and the other claiming Greek origin:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EEtymology\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EUnclear. Suggestions include:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul style=\"margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;\"\u003E\u003Cli aria-level=\"1\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 36pt; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EFrom the Aramaic root ט־ל־ל (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Et-l-l\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E) (related to the Hebrew root צ־ל־ל (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ets-l-l\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E); compare צל (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etsél\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E)).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli aria-level=\"1\" dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 36pt; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EFrom Ancient Greek στολή (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Estolḗ\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, “garment”).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EThe only source given on that page was a 2001 post on the Avodah email discussion list by Rabbi Dr. Seth Mandel entitled \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.aishdas.org\/avodah\/vol07\/v07n039.shtml#14\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ETallit\/talles\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E (a follow up from \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.aishdas.org\/avodah\/vol05\/v05n131.shtml#16\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ean earlier post of his\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E and in response to a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20020817093724fw_\/http:\/\/www.forward.com\/issues\/2001\/01.05.04\/arts5.html\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EPhilologos column\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E). This is the relevant section from his post (links and italics are mine):\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EFurthermore, there is another, less well-known word in the Mishna which is certainly associated in meaning (remember, in the Mishna, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallet\/t'lit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E does not mean exclusively \"prayer\" shawl). The word in most modern printed editions is vocalized \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitzt'lit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ealeph, tzadi, lamed, tav\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, with some \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eimmot qriah\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E thrown in as well. Look in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Yoma.7.1?lang=bi\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EYoma 7:1\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Gittin.7.5?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EGittin 7:5\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. That word in the manuscripts is written in various ways: the Kaufmann ms. has \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eestalet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, with no \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eyod \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eat all, a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Esegol \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eunder the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ealeph\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, then a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Esamekh\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, then a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etzere \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eafter the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Elamed \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E(which has no \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Edagesh\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E). The Rambam own hand ms. of the Mishna also has the word without a yod before the tav, indicating the vowel is not a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ehiriq\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. That word, as the various spellings give away, is the Greek word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Estolé \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E(also borrowed in English, by way of Latin, as meaning robe, commonly used as in mink stole). Aramaic and \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ELeshon Hazal\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E could not tolerate two consonants together beginning a word, and so a proclitic vowel was added to such Latin and Greek words, as also in words like \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitztadion \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E(stadium) and many others. That Greek word, with the feminine Aramaic ending, was then \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eestaleta\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\/\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eestalet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E or \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eestalit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. It seems clear that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallet \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ewas either a shortened form of this loan word, or some original Aramaic word from the root \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etll \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E(which word is unattested) became influenced by the Greek loanword and its pronunciation. That would explain both \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallet \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eand \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Et'lit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E: the Greek loanword had a short a vowel (commonly used as a reflex of the Greek omicron), so it either became a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eshva \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ein Hebrew (and hence the Teimani form) or a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Epasah \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E(which would require doubling of the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Elamed \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ewith a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Edagesh\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E). Not only does a foreign origin explain the varying forms of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallet\/t'lit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E…\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E[He then goes on to explain why \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eis often pluralized as \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etalleisim \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ein Ashkenazic Hebrew, for more details, read the rest of his post.]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EMandel is claiming that the word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E derives from the from the Talmudic word \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B4%D7%A6%D6%B0%D7%98%D6%B0%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%90.1?lang=bi\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitztela\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E אִצְטְלָא \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Emeaning “robe, cloak,” which in turn comes \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Efrom the Greek “stole.” The English word “\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/stole\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Estole\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E” has the same origin. It either means a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shawl#Stole\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Elong scarf or shawl\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, particularly used by women, or it can\u0026nbsp; refer to a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stole_(vestment)\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eliturgical vestment worn by Christians\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, which \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=ZYfhDwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA71\u0026amp;dq=stole++shawl+jewish+origin\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;newbks=1\u0026amp;newbks_redir=0\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiF8KWDj8KGAxXOX_EDHc90HsYQ6AF6BAgFEAI#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=stole%20%20shawl%20jewish%20origin\u0026amp;f=false\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Esome say\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E was influenced by the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EIt’s certainly an interesting theory, and Mandel’s explanation is certainly detailed and well thought-out. The words \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitztala \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eand \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ecould be connected linguistically, and certainly have a similar meaning. And the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E was, as Mandel notes, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/tallit\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ea garment for general use\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E - not only for prayer as it is today. But is the etymology his original idea, or did he base it on previous scholarship?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EI intended to ask Rabbi Mandel directly, but sadly \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jewishlink.news\/rabbi-seth-mandel-zt-l\/\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ehe passed away\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E while I was researching the issue. But despite that loss, and hopefully to perpetuate his memory (and our shared love of Hebrew language history), I felt it was important to continue the search.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EI first noticed that Rashi (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Sanhedrin.44a.11?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Rashi\u0026amp;lang2=en\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ESanhedrin 44a, ד”ה איצטלא דמילתא\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E) explains that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitztela \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Emeans \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E That helps in identifying that the words have a shared meaning, but doesn’t necessarily speak to the etymology (and Rashi certainly does not make such a claim.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EI looked at more recent scholars for clues. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%98%D6%B7%D7%9C%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%AA.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EJastrow \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Esupports the טלל origin (not surprisingly, since he generally leans in the direction of Semitic roots for Hebrew and Aramaic words, even when more recent scholarship doesn’t justify it.) \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hebrewbooks.org\/pdfpager.aspx?req=48231\u0026amp;st=\u0026amp;pgnum=40\u0026amp;hilite=\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EKohut\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E prefers a Persian origin (again, that seems to be \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ehis\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E default preference.)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/benyehuda.org\/dict\/24412\/44572\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EBen Yehuda’s entry for טלית\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E is interesting. The footnote (likely edited by Tur-Sinai) says that the origin of the word is unclear. It brings the טלל theory, but rejects it. (This makes Klein’s adoption of the theory surprising, since in general he follows the Ben Yehuda dictionary.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EIn support of this rejection, he quotes an 1890 article by the scholar \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/David_G%C3%BCnzburg\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EDavid Günzburg\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E in the journal \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Revue_des_%C3%89tudes_Juives\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ERevue des Études Juives\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. In the article, “\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.persee.fr\/doc\/rjuiv_0484-8616_1890_num_20_39_3668\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EOrigine du mot Talit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E”, Gunzburg explores a number of possibilities as to the etymology of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EFull disclosure, I wasn’t able to get a fully readable English version from online translation tools. If I’m not mistaken, he suggests a possible connection to the Latin \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/trilix\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etrilix\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, meaning a three-threaded garment. That seems far-fetched, and I can see why Ben-Yehuda didn’t quote it. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EBut one claim of his did draw my attention. Just as Mandel had argued, Gunzburg also writes (page 18) that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E is a masculine noun (not feminine as we use it today), which proves that it is a non-Semitic root. (In other words, the ת at the end is not a suffix, but part of the word.) But neither Gunzburg, nor Ben-Yehuda, offer a conjecture as to what that non-Semitic word might be.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EGunzberg didn’t, but Ginzberg did. I’m referring to the scholar \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis_Ginzberg\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ELouis Ginzberg\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. I found a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de\/freimann\/content\/titleinfo\/800392\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E1916 Festschrift\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/13338-schwarz-adolf\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EAdolf Schwarz\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, edited by the linguist \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Samuel_Krauss\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ESamuel Krauss\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. In the book, Ginzberg has a long essay (329-361) where he discusses the etymology of various Hebrew and Aramaic words. On page 359, he has a paragraph about the origin of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E. He quotes Gunzburg, and accepts the non-Semitic origin of the word. He then goes on to propose that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E derives from \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitztala\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EHere’s where it gets a little confusing. Ginzberg cites Krauss (the editor of the Festschrift). Once again, full disclosure - I’m relying on online translation for Ginzberg’s German. Here’s the original:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"border: none; display: inline-block; height: 852px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"852\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXe5UpFftFgp0nEeZiXP8zS3aXaaSUSFzREf38rtFvp4Z0sE_KF4L5Cqz9zdQIjyS78oBqzf5uFHxcuegrBuGdbtbAXEylS-F-Lu7P3oiYE0U4d8msGhwc1RBKqK_A5Zuu2nl2C6xUexTekjGKJSrjOqS9hB?key=CJp7ubzC8BArmttGjEyFnQ\" style=\"margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;\" width=\"624\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EThe translation seems to indicate that Krauss a) acknowledged the derivation from \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Eitztala\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E but rejected it, and also b) accepted that explanation in another source.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EHowever, in Tosefet HeArukh (of which Krauss was one of the editors) the entry for \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Etallit\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E quotes Ginzburg in the Festschrift:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"border: none; display: inline-block; height: 327px; overflow: hidden; width: 474px;\"\u003E\u003Cimg height=\"327\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXd8F3W-UQsgCZ-rEWaodaeCMn9bkEQfEBhx19zSPXtyzzaOveO_uNkvAWfhz9dxQorxlOUZ-qBebKcit-yUESytrJk4YzQxMQwjFQ_NZsplj7aZcck1j6Q_IOJh2Sqsux1im-5zz5gvSAohl7IdNWolMLM?key=CJp7ubzC8BArmttGjEyFnQ\" style=\"margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;\" width=\"474\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EThis entry also quotes Krauss (so maybe he didn’t write it? or it was written by committee?), and it says Krauss gives it an entirely different origin (the root טלא - “to patch”.) It also goes on to reject Kohut’s Persian origin (significant because one of the other editors was \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Alexander_Kohut\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EGeorge Alexander Kohut\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E, the son of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexander_Kohut\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ethe author of the Arukh HaShalem\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003ESo it seems that Krauss was aware of the idea before Ginzburg. Did he come up with it only to reject it (a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=dZLUDwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA250\u0026amp;lpg=PA250\u0026amp;dq=%22starting+assumption+of+a+talmudic+discussion,+usually+rejected%22\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=uwtWKZgOLN\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U11dWTzI7alk-r7luxTDmGycjC7sQ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjF3MOWscKGAxVBVfEDHbecJK0Q6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22starting%20assumption%20of%20a%20talmudic%20discussion%2C%20usually%20rejected%22\u0026amp;f=false\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003Ehava amina\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E of sorts?), only to have Ginzburg remain convinced? Or was he quoting someone else? \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EI suppose more research needs to be done. And of course, the question remains: did Rabbi Mandel know about the theories of Krauss and Ginzberg? Either way, his scholarship is impressive. If he found their research, that must have taken a good deal of effort (certainly prior to the ease of internet searches which I benefited from). If he came up with it on his own, then he displayed creativity combined with serious intellect.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003EAnd now I’m at the end of my journey. I started off being surprised by a claim in a video from 2023, and ended up finding debates from the turn of the 20th century. I hope you enjoyed the ride!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8488835468131595350\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8488835468131595350","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8488835468131595350"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8488835468131595350"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/06\/tallit.html","title":"tallit"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXe5UpFftFgp0nEeZiXP8zS3aXaaSUSFzREf38rtFvp4Z0sE_KF4L5Cqz9zdQIjyS78oBqzf5uFHxcuegrBuGdbtbAXEylS-F-Lu7P3oiYE0U4d8msGhwc1RBKqK_A5Zuu2nl2C6xUexTekjGKJSrjOqS9hB=s72-c?key=CJp7ubzC8BArmttGjEyFnQ","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3074781397540138900"},"published":{"$t":"2024-05-30T13:09:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-05-30T13:09:27.458+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"edut, od, moed, and muad"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word for testimony is \u003Ci\u003Eedut\u003C\/i\u003E עֵדוּת. Two related words are\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eed\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eעֵד - \"witness\" and \u003Ci\u003Eteudah\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eתְּעוּדָה - originally also meaning \"testimony,\" but today means \"certificate, document.\".\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D6%B5%D7%93%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%AA.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein provides\u003C\/a\u003E two possible roots for the etymology of \u003Ci\u003Eedut\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EProb. from עוד and lit. meaning ‘exhorting sign’, ‘reminder’. Several other scholars derive עֵדוּת from יעד (= to appoint, to fix), and compare Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eadē \u003C\/i\u003E(= statements, commandments).\u003C\/blockquote\u003EEach of those roots provides many familiar Hebrew words. Let's look at each of them.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%93.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein defines\u003C\/a\u003E עוד as \"to return, repeat, do again.\" Therefore, he writes that the verb העיד (the source of \u003Ci\u003Eedut\u003C\/i\u003E) means \"to affirmed solemnly\", and originally meant \"to repeat.\" Other meanings of that root include \"to warn\" and \"to bear witness, attest, testify.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFrom the more general sense of \"to return, repeat,\" we get from עוד the verbs עודד and התעודד - \"to be restored, strengthened.\" As a noun, it appears as \u003Ci\u003Eidud \u003C\/i\u003Eעִדּוּד - \"encouragement.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ETwo\u0026nbsp; words deriving from the root עוד are:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eod \u003C\/i\u003Eעוֹד - an adverb with a number of meanings, such as \"more, another,\" \"yet, still,\" and \"already.\" According to Klein, it was originally a noun meaning \"duration, continuance.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eeid\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eעֵיד - a Talmudic word for an idolatrous festival. It is cognate with the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eeid\u003C\/i\u003E which simply means \"festival.\" Klein writes that the word literally meant \"that which returns (every year).\" Klein adds that a variant spelling is אֵיד, likely due to an association with the homonym אֵיד, which means \"calamity, misfortune,\" but is unrelated etymologically to \u003Ci\u003Eeid \u003C\/i\u003Ederiving from עוד.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003ENow let's take a look at the other root that might be the source of \u003Ci\u003Eedut\u003C\/i\u003E: יעד. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%93.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein defines this root\u003C\/a\u003E as \"to appoint, fix, assign, designate.\" In the noun form, it appears as \u003Ci\u003Eyaad\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eיַעַד - \"aim, target, destination\" or \u003Ci\u003Eyiud\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eיִעוּד - originally \"appointment, assignment,\" now \"destiny, mission.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOther related words include:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emoed\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמוֹעֵד - this is either an appointed time, like a holiday or festival (like the \u003Ci\u003Emoadim \u003C\/i\u003Elisted in Vayikra 23) or an appointed place, like the \u003Ci\u003Eohel moed\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\"tent of meeting\", the tabernacle sanctuary that the Israelites built in the desert). This latter meaning was used by Itamar Ben-Avi (Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's son) to coin \u003Ci\u003Emoadon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמוֹעֲדוֹן - \"meeting place, club.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eedah\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eעֵדָה - \"assembly, congregation.\" Klein writes that the original meaning was \"a group assembled together by appointment.\" Today it frequently refers to an ethnic group.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EKlein notes that the post-biblical root ועד is related to יעד. It also means \"to appoint.\" It gave us three words that all originally meant \"meeting\", but today have distinct meanings:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Evaad\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eוַֽעַד - \"committee,\" \u003Ci\u003Evaadah\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eוְעָדָה - \"commission,\" and \u003Ci\u003Eveidah\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eוְעִידָה - \"conference, convention.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELastly, we have a word I was familiar with, but didn't realize it actually was a homonym pair: \u003Ci\u003Emuad\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמוּעָד. In the Talmud (Mishna Bava Kama 1:4) there is mention of a \u003Ci\u003Eshor hamuad\u003C\/i\u003E שׁוֹר הַמּוּעָד, an ox who has caused damage in the past, and so the owner is considered fully responsible for any damage in the future. Klein provides two entries for \u003Ci\u003Emuad\u003C\/i\u003E, each from a different root:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Col style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPBH    forewarned, cautioned.  [Part. of הוּעַד (= was forewarned), Hoph. of עוד ᴵ.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eadj.    directed.  [Part. of הוּעָד (= was set, was placed), Hoph. of יעד.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EEach of these could have presumably been the meaning of the \u003Ci\u003Eshor hamuad - \u003C\/i\u003Eeither the owner was forewarned of its dangerous behavior (definition 1), or it was designated as a dangerous animal (definition 2). But it's clearly definition 1 as seen from the verse where the concept originates:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eוְאִם שׁוֹר נַגָּח הוּא מִתְּמֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם \u003Cb\u003Eוְהוּעַד\u003C\/b\u003E בִּבְעָלָיו וְלֹא יִשְׁמְרֶנּוּ וְהֵמִית אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה הַשּׁוֹר יִסָּקֵל וְגַם־בְּעָלָיו יוּמָת׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"If, however, that ox has been in the habit of goring, and its owner, though \u003Cb\u003Ewarned\u003C\/b\u003E, has failed to guard it, and it kills a man or a woman—the ox shall be stoned and its owner, too, shall be put to death.\" (Shemot 21:29)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis translation follows Rashi:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eוהועד בבעליו\u003C\/b\u003E. לְשׁוֹן הַתְרָאָה בְעֵדִים, כְּמוֹ הָעֵד הֵעִד בָּנוּ הָאִישׁ (בראשית מ\"ג):\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"This is an expression of warning through witnesses, as in 'The man warned us' (Bereshit 43:3)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EEvery translation and commentary that I found says that\u0026nbsp;וְהוּעַד here means either \"warned\" or \"testified.\" It's rare to find such a consensus.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, nearly every translation. One well-regarded Torah translation, by Everett Fox, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Exodus.21.29?ven=The_Five_Books_of_Moses,_by_Everett_Fox._New_York,_Schocken_Books,_1995\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;aliyot=0\"\u003Efollows definition 2\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EBut if the ox was a gorer from yesterday [and the] day-before, and it was so \u003Cb\u003Edesignated \u003C\/b\u003Eto its owner, and he did not guard it, and it causes the death of a man or of a woman, the ox is to be stoned, and its owner as well is to be put to death.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI was very surprised by this translation. On the one hand, I find Fox incredibly reliable in providing a literal translation that very effectively captures the rhythm and syntax of the original Hebrew text. But on the other, I found no one else who provides a similar opinion, and unlike in other occasions, Fox did not provide any additional commentary explaining his choice. My only possible idea is that Fox was influenced by an earlier verse in that chapter (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Exodus.21.8?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Translations\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E21:8\u003C\/a\u003E) which uses the root יעד and everyone translates it as \"designated.\" But that seems to be a very different context, so I don't see why it would influence his choice here. It's certainly possible I missed an earlier source or resource that justifies this translation. If any of you are aware of one, please let me know.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3074781397540138900\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3074781397540138900","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3074781397540138900"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3074781397540138900"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/05\/edut-od-moed-and-muad.html","title":"edut, od, moed, and muad"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6455524880764266699"},"published":{"$t":"2024-05-23T18:13:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-05-24T09:06:02.865+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"halva'ah and livui"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The root לוה has two meanings in Modern Hebrew: \"to borrow\" and \"to accompany, escort.\" Are they related?\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EMany modern linguists do not make a connection. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%94_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein lists them\u003C\/a\u003E as seperate roots:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E1) to borrow [Arab. \u003Ci\u003Elawā\u003C\/i\u003E (= he delayed payment of debt).]\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E2) to join [Aram.-Syr. לְוָא (= he accompanied)]\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHe does however, note that a third use of לוה, \"to wind, turn, twist\" is associated with meaning 2 (to join, accompany). For that meaning he provides this etymology: \"Arab. \u003Ci\u003Elawā\u003C\/i\u003E (= he wound, turned, twisted), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Elamū, lawā\u003C\/i\u003E (= to surround, encircle).\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere are some scholars, however, who do suggest a common origin. Mitchell First, in his book \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Words-Wise-Sixty-Two-Insights-Holidays\/dp\/1947857975\"\u003EWords for the Wise\u003C\/a\u003E (p. 243) notes that both\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Salomon_Mandelkern\"\u003EMandelkern \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.logos.com\/product\/49541\/theological-dictionary-of-the-old-testament-tdot\"\u003ETDOT \u003C\/a\u003Esay that a connection is possible. He quotes Mandelkern:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E[He] points out that in Lain, a debt is called an \"obligation.\" This word comes from a Latin word \u003Ci\u003Eleig \u003C\/i\u003Ethat means \"to bind.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETDOT (Vol 7, p. 477) adds:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EArabic \u003Ci\u003Elawa(y)\u003C\/i\u003E, \"put off a creditor, delay payment, fail to pay a dept\" ... suggests that the basic meaning of the root \u003Ci\u003Elwy, \u003C\/i\u003E\"twist, turn\" may well be the point of departure for the meaning of the Arabic verb and that Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Elawa \u003C\/i\u003Eis likewise just a a special development of this root \u003Ci\u003Elwy\u003C\/i\u003E. We arrive at the same conclusion if we follow Jacob Levy in understanding \u003Ci\u003Elawa\u003C\/i\u003E, \"borrow\" in the sense of \"as if it were attached to or by...\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAs often happens in these cases, it's difficult to determine with any certainty whether or not there is a connection between these meanings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEach of the uses of the root לוה has provided us with a number of derivative words. Let's take a look at them.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOur first meaning of לוה is \"to borrow,\" or in its \u003Ci\u003Epiel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form \"to loan.\" A loan is a \u003Ci\u003Ehalva'ah\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהַלְוָאָה, a lender is a \u003Ci\u003Emalveh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מַלְוֶה and the borrower (or debtor) is a \u003Ci\u003Elo'veh\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eלוֶֹה. This meaning of לוה is one of those cases where Hebrew has more specific meanings for words than English does. The verb לוה in Hebrew indicates a loan where the actual thing being borrowed is not necessarily expected to return to the loaner. The most common example would be money - when money is lent, there is no expectation that the same coins or bills given to the borrower will be used to repay the debt.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThere is, however, a different root in Hebrew which does refer to the lending of an object which is expected to be directly returned: שאל (and it is not used in regards to money). In English שאל is translated as \"to borrow\" and the \u003Ci\u003Ehif'il \u003C\/i\u003Eform, השאיל, means \"to lend.\" In English, there is no such distinction found when using the words \"lend\" and \"borrow,\" but it is important for Hebrew speakers to choose the word proper for the context of the loan.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe second meaning of לוה is \"to join, accompany, escort.\" This gives us such words as \u003Ci\u003Elivui\u003C\/i\u003E לִוּוּי - \"escorting, accompanyment\" and \u003Ci\u003Emelaveh \u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מְלַוֶּה - \"accompanier, escort.\" It's also the origin of the Hebrew word for funeral. A search on the Morfix website provides \u003Ci\u003Ehalvaya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהַלְוָיָה for \"funeral.\" However, most dictionaries will offer both \u003Ci\u003Ehalvaya \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Elevaya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eלְוָיָה. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%94%D6%B7%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%95%D6%B8%D7%99%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein notes\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that \"The more exact form is לְוָיָה.\" Horowitz (p. 330) goes even further:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eהַלְוָיָה\u0026nbsp; is a funeral, but the word should be לְוָיָה from לוה, escort. The verb הלוה, which would give rise to הַלְוָיָה\u0026nbsp; means lending. It has nothing to do with escorting. In Yiddish the word is still correctly לְוָיָה.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHowever, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2012\/01\/25\/%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%99%D7%94\/\"\u003Ethis more recent review\u003C\/a\u003E by the Hebrew Language Academy points out that neither word (in the sense of \"funeral\") appears in either Biblical or Talmudic literature, and that both appear for the first time in Medieval rabbinic literature. After reviewing the history of the words, it determines that both forms are legitimate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOther more modern words from this meaning include \u003Ci\u003Elavyan\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eלַוְיָן - \"satellite\" (a loan translation of the Russian \u003Ci\u003Esputnik, \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sputnik\"\u003Etraveling companion\u003C\/a\u003E\") and \u003Ci\u003Elavay\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eלְוַאי - \"side\" or \"after\" (as in a side effect or aftertaste.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe third meaning, \"to wind, twist, turn,\" does seem not appear directly with that meaning as a verb. From what I can tell, it is assumed based on the Arabic cognate of the same meaning (\u003Ci\u003Elawa\u003C\/i\u003E) and the Hebrew words that derive from it. Klein provides three:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eלִוְיָה \u003Ci\u003Elivya \u003C\/i\u003Eand לוֹיָה \u003Ci\u003Eloya\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E - \u003C\/i\u003Eboth meaning\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\"wreath\" (the first in Mishlei 1:9 and 4:9, the second in Melachim I 7:29,36)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eלִוְיָתָן \u003Ci\u003Elivyatan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- the creature \"Leviathan\". Klein writes that it literarlly means \"tortuous.\" It is variously identified as a serprent, dragon, crocodile, or whale. Feliks, in \u003Ci\u003ENature and Man in the Bible \u003C\/i\u003E(pp 267-269) notes that in the book of Iyov (from 40:25 to 41:26) there are verses where the \u003Ci\u003Elivyatan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is clearly a crocodile (e.g, 40:29) and others where it is clearly a whale (e.g., 41:11-12). Feliks concludes that \"the author of the Book of Job ... decided to synthesize two wondrous creatures of great strength, and invented the \u003Ci\u003Eleviathan\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003ELastly, we have the name Levi לֵוִי. This son of Yaakov and Leah gets his name in Bereshit 29:34 -\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eוַתַּהַר עוֹד וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר עַתָּה הַפַּעַם יִלָּוֶה אִישִׁי אֵלַי כִּי־יָלַדְתִּי לוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים עַל־כֵּן קָרָא־שְׁמוֹ לֵוִי׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe translation of this verse is affected by the understanding and use of the root לוה. JPS translates it as:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAgain she conceived and bore a son and declared, “This time my husband will become attached to me, for I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis translation understands לוה as \"attached\" as we saw in sense 2 (\"to accompany.\") Other translations, like Fox and Alter, have the phrase as \"my husband will join me\" or \"will be joined to me.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ETawil, however, in his \u003Ci\u003EAn Akkadian Leixcal Companion for Biblical Hebrew\u003C\/i\u003E, leans closer to sense 3:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"and she (Leah) declared, 'this time my huband shall encircle (i.e., accompany) me', therefore he was named Levi (i.e., the one who encircles\" (Gen. 29:34). [...] Whereas Anchor Bible Dictionary asserts that \"the meaning of the name is uncertain,\" it seems that the equation with the Akk. \u003Ci\u003Elawu \u003C\/i\u003E\"to encircle, to move in a circle\" depicts the actual function of the Levites, whose task was to encircle, i.e., protect the Tent of Meeting, e.g., \u003Cb\u003Eוְנִלְווּ\u003C\/b\u003E עָלֶיךָ וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְכֹל עֲבֹדַת הָאֹהֶל וְזָר לֹא־יִקְרַב אֲלֵיכֶם׃ \"they (the Levites) shall move in a circle around you and discharge the duties of the Tent of Meeting, all the service of the Tent, but no outsider shall intrude upon you\" (Num. 18:4)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is in contrast as well to Sarna in his JPS commentary on Genesis 29:34, who wrote:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe true origin of this name is obscure. A similar word in Akkadian and in Minaean inscriptions from northern Arabia designates a special class of temple servitors, but the present midrash, unlike that of Numbers 18:2,4 contains no hint of any future sacral role. The name is given a purely secular twist, for it articulates the mother's yearning for her husband's companionship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIt seems to me that Sarna looked at the same evidence that Tawil did, but came to very different conclusions. I find it difficult to agree that the verse \"contains no hint of any future sacral role.\" Perhaps it does not spell it out visibly, but anyone familar with the sense provided by the Akkadian and Arabic roots would understand the foreshadowing of the role that appears for the Levites in Bamidbar, as Tawil sensibly points out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/0d30cef2-7f43-4e5a-a936-05279d1b13ce\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6455524880764266699\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6455524880764266699","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6455524880764266699"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6455524880764266699"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/05\/halvaah-and-livui.html","title":"halva'ah and livui"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2623438124657468255"},"published":{"$t":"2024-01-14T09:19:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-01-14T09:19:45.302+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"tiron and turai"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter 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 \u003Ci\u003Etiron - \u003C\/i\u003E\"new recruit\" and\u0026nbsp;טוּרַאי \u003Ci\u003Eturai - \u003C\/i\u003E\"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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETiron\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;entered Hebrew in \u003Ca 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\"\u003Ethe rabbinic period\u003C\/a\u003E, borrowed from the Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/tiro#Latin\"\u003Etiro\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/i\u003EThe English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/tyro\"\u003Etyro\u003C\/a\u003E\" has the same meaning and origin:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"a beginner in learning anything,\" 1610s, from Medieval Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etyro\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, variant of Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etiro\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(plural \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tirones\"\u003Etirones\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E) \"young soldier, recruit, beginner\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat Online Etymology Dictionary entry says that the pre-Latin origin is unknown, but Nicholas Ostler, in his book \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Ad-Infinitum-Biography-Nicholas-Ostler-ebook\/dp\/B003GUBI02\/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;amp;qid=1705181859\u0026amp;amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\u0026amp;_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;linkCode=ur2\u0026amp;linkId=d462491129ddf98f44a15373ee60b031\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=9325\"\u003EAd Infinitum\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, says derives from Etruscan, which provided other military terms to Latin as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe more general sense of \"novice\" is seen in the early uses of \u003Ci\u003Etiron \u003C\/i\u003Ein Hebrew. For example, see this midrash:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּגְלָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל משֶׁה טִירוֹן הָיָה משֶׁה לַנְּבוּאָה\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"At the moment that The Holy One blessed be He appeared to Moses, Moses was a novice at prophecy\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Shemot_Rabbah.3.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShemot Rabbah 3:1\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EToday as well \u003Ci\u003Etiron \u003C\/i\u003Ecan 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn contrast, \u003Ci\u003Eturai\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is of much more recent coinage. Linguists such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.co.il\/magazine\/the-edge\/mehasafa\/2018-07-18\/ty-article\/.premium\/0000017f-db60-d3a5-af7f-fbee03eb0000\"\u003EGilad\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blog.ravmilim.co.il\/2014\/03\/17\/armi\/\"\u003ERosenthal\u003C\/a\u003E note that it was coined by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ze%27ev_Jabotinsky\"\u003EZe'ev Jabotinsky\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Edwin_Samuel,_2nd_Viscount_Samuel\"\u003EEdwin Samuel\u003C\/a\u003E in World War I. Rosenthal is quoted \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/israel-news\/tzahalit-slang-from-the-idf-620676\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIn later years, Ze’ev Jabotinsky – who served in the Jewish Legion in \nWorld War I together with Edwin Samuel, the son of the first High \nCommissioner of Palestine Herbert Samuel – published a two-page glossary\n of commands in Hebrew. One of their innovations was the rank of \u003Ci\u003Eturai \u003C\/i\u003E(private) since they marched in line formation (\u003Ci\u003Etor\u003C\/i\u003E).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ca 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\/\"\u003EOthers\u003C\/a\u003E, such as Kutscher, point out that \u003Ci\u003Eturai\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was likely influenced by the Russian word for \"private\" (not surprising considering Jabotinsky's background.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThat Russian word is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D1%80%D1%8F%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9\"\u003Eрядовой \u003C\/a\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Eryadovoy\u003C\/i\u003E), related to the word meaning \"row.\" It also has the sense of \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/rank%20and%20file\"\u003Erank and file\u003C\/a\u003E,\" which has a similar meaning in English:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E1590s, 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).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo based on the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Etur \u003C\/i\u003Eטור - \"row\", Jabotinsky and Samuel came up with \u003Ci\u003Eturai. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca 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\u0026amp;q=8099\"\u003ERosenthal adds\u003C\/a\u003E that there was actually a suggestion to change it to \u003Ci\u003Eshurai \u003C\/i\u003Eשוראי or \u003Ci\u003Eshuran \u003C\/i\u003Eשורן, from the synonym for row in Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Eshura\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שורה, but that was never adopted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2623438124657468255\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2623438124657468255","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2623438124657468255"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2623438124657468255"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/01\/tiron-and-turai.html","title":"tiron and turai"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7560149600985293989"},"published":{"$t":"2024-01-08T17:31:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-01-08T17:31:38.982+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"bedimos"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"How did the word בְּדִימוֹס \u003Ci\u003Ebedimos \u003C\/i\u003E(sometimes pronounced \u003Ci\u003Ebedimus\u003C\/i\u003E) come to mean \"retired, emeritus \"?\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn Talmudic literature, we find the word \u003Ci\u003Edimos\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eדִימוֹס meaning \"pardoned, acquitted.\" For example:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;אמר לו הואיל והאמנתי עליך דימוס פטור אתה\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"The officer \u003Cb\u003Esaid to him: Since you\u003C\/b\u003E put\u003Cb\u003E your trust in me\u003C\/b\u003E, you are\u003Cb\u003E acquitted\u003C\/b\u003E [\u003Ci\u003Edimos\u003C\/i\u003E]; you are exempt.\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Avodah_Zarah.16b.16?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBavli Avoda Zara 16b\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;בְּנוֹהַג שֶׁבְּעוֹלָם מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם יוֹשֵׁב וְדָן כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן דִּימוּס הַכֹּל מְקַלְּסִין אוֹתוֹ\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Usually in the world, if a king of flesh and blood sits in judgment, if he dismisses [\u003Ci\u003Edimus\u003C\/i\u003E] (=throws out the indictment), everybody acclaims him.\" (\u003Ca 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\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYerushalmi Berachot 9:5\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EKlein provides \u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ethe following etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eדִּימוֹס m.n.\u0026nbsp; PBH\u0026nbsp; 1 he was freed, was acquitted.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;NH\u0026nbsp; 2 he resigned (from office).\u0026nbsp; [Probably from Latin \u003Ci\u003Edīmissus\u003C\/i\u003E, p. part. of \u003Ci\u003Edīmittere \u003C\/i\u003E(= to send away, dismiss, release), from \u003Ci\u003Edī\u003C\/i\u003E– (= apart, asunder), and \u003Ci\u003Emittere \u003C\/i\u003E(= to send). .]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis makes \u003Ci\u003Edimos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;cognate with the English \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/dismiss\"\u003Edismiss\u003C\/a\u003E\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eearly 15c., \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edismissen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \"release\n from court restraint or legal charges;\" late 15c., \"remove from office,\n service, or employment,\" apparently from Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edimissus\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, past participle of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Edimittere\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"send away, send different ways; break up, discharge; renounce, abandon,\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBut I asked about the form \u003Ci\u003Ebedimos\u003C\/i\u003E. Where does it come from?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWe also find it in Rabbinic Hebrew. For example here:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eבִּשְׁתֵּים 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"In the twelfth [month], [Adam] was pardoned [\u003Ci\u003Eyatza bedimus\u003C\/i\u003E]. 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.'\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Vayikra_Rabbah.29.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EVayikra Rabbah 29:1\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis is the meaning until modern times. Why then, did it change from \"pardoned\" to \"retired\"?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe linguist Elon Gilad answers the question in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.co.il\/magazine\/the-edge\/mehasafa\/2021-06-16\/ty-article\/.highlight\/0000017f-e857-df5f-a17f-fbdf507d0000\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E. He notes that the first time we find the modern sense of the word is in 1890, when \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nahum_Sokolow\"\u003ENahum Sokolow\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;wrote in his newspaper that \"before \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Otto_von_Bismarck\"\u003EBismarck \u003C\/a\u003Eretired [\u003Ci\u003Eyatza bedimos\u003C\/i\u003E]...\" After writing that phrase, \"יצא ביסמארק בדימוּס\", he adds the following word in parentheses:\u0026nbsp;דימיסיאן. Sokolow does not note what language this foreign word is being transliterated from.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EGilad proposes it's a Yiddish word, coming from the Polish\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edymisja\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"resignation\" or \"dismissal\" from a position. His theory is that this Yiddish meaning is what influenced the change in meaning in Modern Hebrew. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=DteHDAAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA95\u0026amp;lpg=PA95\u0026amp;dq=%22all+of+which+go+back+to+l+dimissio%22\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=8C--mAcWi-\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U3kEbD1OkYltBfU5EivQUUlrmLyhQ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwi0kZyZiMyDAxVdgv0HHfCgBL8Q6AF6BAgJEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22all%20of%20which%20go%20back%20to%20l%20dimissio%22\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EZuckermann here\u003C\/a\u003E concurs, noting other European languages with cognate words with similar meanings, including Russian \u003Ci\u003Edemissiya\u003C\/i\u003E, French \u003Ci\u003Edemission\u003C\/i\u003E, and Italian \u003Ci\u003Edimissioni\u003C\/i\u003E. All of these words derive from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/dimissus\"\u003Ethe Latin\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ci\u003Edimissio \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Edimittere \u003C\/i\u003E(to send away, dismiss)\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E- just as the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Edimos \u003C\/i\u003Edoes. The only difference is that \u003Ci\u003Edimos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;took on the sense of \"freed from judgement,\" while the European words also included \"freed from a position,\" i.e., \"resigned.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn Gilad's article, he continues by writing that the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eyatza bedimos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;spread widely in the early 20th century, and by the 1930s, retired officers were already being referred to simply with the phrase \u003Ci\u003Ebedimos \u003C\/i\u003E(without the verb \u003Ci\u003Eyatza\u003C\/i\u003E). By the middle of the century, \u003Ci\u003Ebedimos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;had generally replaced \u003Ci\u003Eyatza bedimos\u003C\/i\u003E. It is typically used to refer to people who retired from high-level positions, like judges or military officers. The word \u003Ci\u003Edimos\u003C\/i\u003E, without the preposition \u003Ci\u003Ebe\u003C\/i\u003E, is rarely, if ever, found in Hebrew today.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7560149600985293989\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7560149600985293989","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7560149600985293989"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7560149600985293989"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/01\/bedimos.html","title":"bedimos"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7024787408570511727"},"published":{"$t":"2024-01-02T17:50:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-01-02T17:50:02.939+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"andarta"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat is the origin of the word \u003Ci\u003Eandarta\u003C\/i\u003E אַנְדַּרְטָה - \"monument, memorial\"?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word first appears in \u003Ca 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\"\u003Erabbinic Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E, 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat original meaning is reflected in the etymology as well. Here's Klein's entry:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPBH, respectively NH feminine noun. statue, image, bust.\u0026nbsp; [Gk. \u003Ci\u003Eandrias\u003C\/i\u003E, genitive\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eandriatos \u003C\/i\u003E(= the image of a man, statue), from \u003Ci\u003Eaner\u003C\/i\u003E, genitive \u003Ci\u003Eandros \u003C\/i\u003E(= man), which is cognate with Old Indian \u003Ci\u003Enáram \u003C\/i\u003E(= man), \u003Ci\u003Ena’ryaḥ \u003C\/i\u003E(= virile). compare דֶּנֽדִּי and the first element in אַנְדּֽרוֹלוֹמוּסְיָא, אַנְדּֽרוֹמֶדָה and in אַנְתּֽרוֹפּוֹלוֹגֽיָה.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe reference to the Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E1%BC%80%CE%BD%CE%B4%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%AC%CF%82\"\u003Eandrias\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eandros \u003C\/i\u003E(\"man\")\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Emakes \u003Ci\u003Eandarta \u003C\/i\u003Ecognate with such English words as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/anthropology\"\u003Eanthropology\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/android\"\u003Eandroid\u003C\/a\u003E, and the name \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Andrew\"\u003EAndrew\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut 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 \u003Ci\u003Eandarta \u003C\/i\u003Ein the dictionary compiled in the first half of the 20th century. So when did it take on its current meaning?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBoth the linguist Ruvik Rosenthal and the columnist \"Philologos\" wrote about this. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/culture\/188017\/how-an-affront-to-judaism-came-to-memorialize-isra\/\"\u003EPhilologos writes\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWith the end of Greco-Roman antiquity — and with it, the custom of publicly displayed royal statuary — the word \u003Cem\u003Eandarta\u003C\/em\u003E\n disappeared from the Hebrew language. In the first volume of Eliezer \nBen-Yehuda’s monumental Dictionary of the Hebrew Language, which came \nout in 1908 and included all Hebrew words starting with the letter \u003Cem\u003Ealef, andarta\u003C\/em\u003E\n did not even appear. The first prominent modern memorial to fallen \nJewish heroes in Palestine, Abraham Melnikov’s 1934 statue of a roaring \nlion, commemorating the pioneers who died in the 1920 battle of Tel Hai \nin the Galilee, was not called an \u003Cem\u003Eandarta,\u003C\/em\u003E either. It was referred to as a \u003Cem\u003Ematseva —\u003C\/em\u003E a word traditionally designating the headstone on a grave.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is hard to say just when \u003Cem\u003Eandarta\u003C\/em\u003E entered Hebrew as the \naccepted word for a war memorial of the sort found all over Israel \ntoday. The earliest documented use of it is, oddly, in some light verse \npublished in 1950 by Nathan Alterman, a leading 20th-century Hebrew poet\n with a strong grasp of Jewish sources. Reacting to a government refusal\n to cancel purchase taxes on books and paper because they were not \nconsidered crucial commodities, Alterman wrote that if this was the \nofficial attitude, it was time to erect an \u003Cem\u003Eandarta shel even,\u003C\/em\u003E “a stone monument,” to the printed word. Perhaps it was he who reintroduced \u003Cem\u003Eandarta\u003C\/em\u003E to modern Hebrew; perhaps there were others before him.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca 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\"\u003ERosenthal notes\u003C\/a\u003E 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. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.makorrishon.co.il\/nrg\/online\/47\/ART1\/884\/683.html\"\u003EHe adds\u003C\/a\u003E that in 1952, in the journal \u003Ci\u003ELeshonenu La'am\u003C\/i\u003E, a reader asked about the origin of the word \u003Ci\u003Eandarta\u003C\/i\u003E, noting that it was recently being used to describe memorials. In response, the linguist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%A2%D7%9C%D7%99_%D7%90%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%9F\"\u003EEli Eitan\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;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\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ematzevah \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Eor יד\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%99%D6%B8%D7%93.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eyad\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENeither columnist, however, really explains why this new meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eandarta\u003C\/i\u003E was introduced and became so popular that it overruled the objections of official linguists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt's true that the original meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eandarta\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was \"statue.\" But Hebrew already has its own word for statue - \u003Ci\u003Epesel \u003C\/i\u003Eפסל. And yes, as Eitan noted there are already words for monument - \u003Ci\u003Ematzevah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eyad\u003C\/i\u003E. Yet the common meaning of \u003Ci\u003Ematzevah \u003C\/i\u003Eis \"tombstone,\" not the more general \"monument\". And while \u003Ci\u003Eyad \u003C\/i\u003Edoes mean \"memorial\" (as in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yad_Vashem#Etymology\"\u003Ethe biblical source of the name of the museum Yad Vashem\u003C\/a\u003E), certainly the word \u003Ci\u003Eyad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is overwhelmingly associated with its primary meaning, \"hand.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo when some clever individual (or individuals) saw that \u003Ci\u003Eandarta\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7024787408570511727\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7024787408570511727","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7024787408570511727"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7024787408570511727"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2024\/01\/andarta.html","title":"andarta"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-449180334425076766"},"published":{"$t":"2023-12-26T10:07:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-12-26T10:07:37.381+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ukhlusiya"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat is the origin of the word אֻכְלוּסִיָּה \u003Ci\u003Euchlusiya - \u003C\/i\u003E\"population\"?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a word that entered into Hebrew in the Talmudic period (for example,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yevamot.76b.12?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYevamot 36b\u003C\/a\u003E) with the sense of \"multitudes\", borrowed from the Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E1%BD%84%CF%87%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82\"\u003Eochlos\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"crowd.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein says\u003C\/a\u003E that the Greek word is \"perhaps related to \u003Ci\u003Eochein\u003C\/i\u003E (= to carry), and cognate with Latin\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Evehere\u003C\/i\u003E (= to carry, convey).\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the entry for the the related word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/ochlocracy\"\u003Eochlocracy \u003C\/a\u003E- \"government by the rabble\", the Online Etymology Dictionary adds the following:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"government by the rabble,\" 1580s, from French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eochlocratie\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(1560s), from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eokhlokratia\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(Polybius) \"mob rule,\" the lowest grade of democracy, from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ekratos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"rule, power, strength\" (see \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/-cracy\" title=\"Etymology, meaning and definition of -cracy \"\u003E-cracy\u003C\/a\u003E) + \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eokhlos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"(orderless) crowd, multitude, throng; disturbance, annoyance,\" which is probably literally \"moving mass,\" from PIE \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*wogh-lo-\u003C\/span\u003E, suffixed form of root \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/*wegh-\" title=\"Etymology, meaning and definition of *wegh- \"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Ewegh\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/a\u003E\n \"to go, move.\" \u0026nbsp;\"Several possibilities exist for the semantic \ndevelopment: e.g. an agent noun *'driving, carrying, moving', or an \ninstrument noun *'driver, carrier, mover'. ... An original meaning \n'drive' could easily develop into both 'stirred mass, mob' and \n'spiritual excitement, unrest'\" [Beekes]. For sense development, compare\n \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/mob#etymonline_v_17359\" title=\"Etymology, meaning and definition of mob \"\u003Emob\u003C\/a\u003E (n.). Related: \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EOchlocrat, ochlocratic\u003C\/span\u003E; \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eochlocratical\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. Greek also had \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eokhlagogos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"mob-leader, \u003Ci\u003Eochlagogue\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Greek word and its English descendants have a negative connotation, implying orderless rabble, the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Euchlusia \u003C\/i\u003Edoesn't have those associations. (Perhaps because the Hebrew word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/kahal-and-kehila.html\"\u003Eהמון \u003C\/a\u003Ealready 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),\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eukhlusiya \u003C\/i\u003Ecan also refer to the specific inhabitants of that area, in the collective sense.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/449180334425076766\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=449180334425076766","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/449180334425076766"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/449180334425076766"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/12\/ukhlusiya.html","title":"ukhlusiya"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-9103806569121478974"},"published":{"$t":"2023-10-19T11:14:00.004+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-10-26T13:48:42.320+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"hamas"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ch2 style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Hamas - Etymology and Hebrew Cognates \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIsrael 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:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eוַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with violence.\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Genesis.6.11?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBereshit 6:11\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis has led many to wonder - is there a connection between the word for violence in Hebrew - \u003Ci\u003Ehamas\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- and the Arabic name of the violent organization Hamas?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ELet's look at each of these words. The Hebrew root חמס means \"to do violence, to wrong, to rob.\" \u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein says\u003C\/a\u003E that it might be the source of the name of one of the unkosher birds mentioned in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Leviticus.11.16?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;aliyot=0\"\u003EVayikra 11:16\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Deuteronomy.14.15?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;aliyot=0\"\u003EDevarim 14:15\u003C\/a\u003E - the \u003Ci\u003Etachmas\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eתַּחְמָס, presumably because it is a bird of prey. Another such animal is the \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%97%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1\"\u003Ehamos\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Eחָמוֹס - 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 \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/ferret\"\u003Eferret\u003C\/a\u003E\" comes from a Latin word meaning \"thief.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe name of the terror group Hamas, on the other hand, is an acronym. Here's the etymology from the\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Hamas\"\u003EWiktionary entry for Hamas\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Ean acronym for حَرَكَة اَلْمُقَاوَمَةِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ‎ (\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eḥ\u003C\/b\u003Earakat al-\u003Cb\u003Em\u003C\/b\u003Euqāwama l-'\u003Cb\u003Eis\u003C\/b\u003Elāmiyya\u003C\/i\u003E, “Islamic Resistance Movement”).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E(In Hebrew, this is even more clear, with its spelling חמאס).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut that choice of acronym was influenced by the Arabic word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3\"\u003Eحَمَاس‎ \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eḥamās\u003C\/i\u003E, which means \"enthusiasm, zeal.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDoes this Arabic word have any Hebrew cognates?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAccording to scholars, there might be in one meaning of the Hebrew root חמש. Here's what \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=UiM1AQAAMAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PA327\u0026amp;ots=PrXL57a__s\u0026amp;dq=%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3%20%22etymology%22\u0026amp;pg=PA327#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EGesenius writes\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEjD0j0r4NbGY3Hn6D8kypvkMhJpsG43IQtbyQYqO5azfMsY3P_kfXKsy1jH_muELprLqQ_fQlM6n61PeksBFJlLpWjwa-OYW2LZrGqKmJr1rZ6tu2WjMTxbbWkkcqHU8ZyJoUUlk0RBUE16sEcuz3Mz_CW6yGxikL94xLmFV8WAdFw3U64rgIJL\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg 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\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWe've \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/05\/chamesh.html\"\u003Ediscussed this root in the past\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe Hebrew word for the number five is חמש - \u003Ci\u003Echamesh\u003C\/i\u003E. Another set of words that would seem to have the same root are\u003Ci\u003E chamush\u003C\/i\u003E חמוש - armed and \u003Ci\u003Etachmoshet\u003C\/i\u003E תחמושת - ammunition. Is there a connection between them?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe earliest source that might provide an answer is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Exodus.13.18?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;aliyot=0\"\u003EShemot 13:18\u003C\/a\u003E - \nוַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. \"Bnei Yisrael \nwent up, \u003Ci\u003Echamushim\u003C\/i\u003E, from the land of Egypt\". Most translators and commentaries explain \u003Ci\u003Echamushim\u003C\/i\u003E here as meaning \"armed.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 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, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Onkelos_Exodus.13.18?lang=he\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=he\"\u003Ewho renders the phrase as\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eוּמְזָרְזִין\u003C\/b\u003E סְלִיקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרָיִם\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAccording 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%96%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%B7%D7%96_I.1?lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHow should we understand the usage by Onkelos here?\u0026nbsp; Rashi (certainly according \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Rashi_on_Exodus.13.18.3?lang=bi\"\u003Ethis translation\u003C\/a\u003E) understands the Aramaic root זרז as meaning \"armed\" in this case.\u0026nbsp;R. Aryeh Kaplan in The Living Torah, on the other hand, explains the Targum as \"with eagerness\" or \"with enthusiasm.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIt 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 \u003Ci\u003Ehamas\u003C\/i\u003E in Arabic (which therefore may have been present in the related Aramaic as well.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe connection between the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ehamas\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and this particular use of חמש is also noted in footnote 2 in the Ben Yehuda dictionary for חמש (as armed):\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca 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;\"\u003E\u003Cimg 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\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI find it convincing. As we've previously discussed regarding the word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/04\/hamsin.html\"\u003Ehamsin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, the Hebrew חמש becomes \u003Ci\u003Ehams \u003C\/i\u003Ein Arabic.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAs far as the claim by Gesenius of a link to other roots like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/04\/chametz.html\"\u003Eחמץ\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Exodus.34.24?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShemot 34:24\u003C\/a\u003E), but I would need to see more research on the subject.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFor now, I just pray that this prophecy will come true very soon - both regarding Hamas and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eחָמָס:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eלֹא־יִשָּׁמַע עוֹד חָמָס בְּאַרְצֵךְ\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\"Violence [\u003Ci\u003Ehamas\u003C\/i\u003E] s\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Ehall no more be heard in your land...\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Isaiah.60.18?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYeshaya 60:18\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/9103806569121478974\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=9103806569121478974","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9103806569121478974"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9103806569121478974"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/10\/hamas.html","title":"hamas"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEjD0j0r4NbGY3Hn6D8kypvkMhJpsG43IQtbyQYqO5azfMsY3P_kfXKsy1jH_muELprLqQ_fQlM6n61PeksBFJlLpWjwa-OYW2LZrGqKmJr1rZ6tu2WjMTxbbWkkcqHU8ZyJoUUlk0RBUE16sEcuz3Mz_CW6yGxikL94xLmFV8WAdFw3U64rgIJL=s72-w341-h707-c","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5999759333189790128"},"published":{"$t":"2023-10-02T09:54:00.008+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-23T11:40:50.880+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Kohelet - A Map To Eden"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI'm so happy to share with all of you that after nearly six years of work, my first book,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden\u003C\/i\u003E, is available:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca 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;\"\u003E\u003Cimg 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\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile 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).\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"break-words\"\u003E\u003Cspan dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIt'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.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h\" dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKohelet – A Map to Eden\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EIt is available on both the US and Israel sites of Koren Publishers, where you can also see a preview of the first 30 pages.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEgAIyzuxYWj8OvrLCrbDeVYWMY44Em18X4KPAHvGtyyiUMsgePsyF_M-tl2e5nkhgsSwNBdys8_gawitf6a_f_2NiMd2kyND24GOvXK9WvRJJoCOPcc8OSBpN0XjRR9WVHvPI58HRugsCnOgi9ULz5hdxqKf-6z8RaW4N3c1K6xLUrPgIg3v5VE\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg 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\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EIsrael customers can order it here:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/korenpub.co.il\/en\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/korenpub.co.il\/en\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EUS and other international customers can purchase it here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca 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\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/korenpub.com\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose using the korenpub.com site can use the code 𝐤𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐥𝟏𝟎 at checkout to get a 10% discount.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EIt is also available at many other online booksellers and in-person bookstores. (And a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Kohelet-Map-Eden-Intertextual-Journey-ebook\/dp\/B0CBSDKS2G\/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=\u0026amp;sr=\"\u003EKindle version\u003C\/a\u003E is available at Amazon!)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EAlso, 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!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h\" dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EIf 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.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBook reviews:\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERabbi Dr. Israel Drazin - in the San Diego Jewish World: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sdjewishworld.com\/2023\/07\/03\/comparing-biblical-stories-with-other-tales-enhances-their-meaning\/\"\u003E\"Comparing Biblical Stories With Other Tales Enhances Their Meaning\u003C\/a\u003E\" (as well as on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogs.timesofisrael.com\/comparing-biblical-stories-with-other-tales-enhances-their-meaning\/\"\u003ETimes of Israel\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBen Rothke - in The Jewish Link:\u0026nbsp; \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jewishlink.news\/two-interesting-new-books-on-kohelet\/\"\u003ETwo Interesting New Books on Kohelet\u003C\/a\u003E\" (as well as on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogs.timesofisrael.com\/the-5-best-books-of-5783\/\"\u003ETimes of Israel\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uri.pilichowski\/posts\/pfbid0eEyAZ5sMhN1DrB8uPfrastnCgnsVrDt6QSXc6SdtiBxSqFMU6U9C8Ekk9HErJBDel\"\u003ERabbi Uri Pilichowski on Facebook\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERabbi Steven Gotlib: \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/rabbistevengotlib.substack.com\/p\/kohelet-and-varieties-of-interpretation\"\u003EKohelet and\u0026nbsp;Varieties of Interpretation\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERabbi Dr. Stu Halpern in the Jewish Journal\":\u0026nbsp; \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jewishjournal.com\/judaism\/363475\/three-new-views-of-ecclesiastes\/\"\u003EThree New Views of Ecclesiastes\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERabbi \u003Cspan class=\"author_a single\"\u003EHayyim J. Angel in Tradition: \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/traditiononline.org\/review-essay-of-making-many-books-new-works-on-ecclesiastes\/\"\u003EOf Making Many Books: New Works on Ecclesiastes\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EKate Havard Rozansky discusses the book and adds here own ideas in \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/sheets\/515576?lang=bi\"\u003EDvar Torah for Kohelet 5784\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERabbi Reuven Chaim Klein in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jbqnew.jewishbible.org\/2023\/vol-51-no-4-204-october-december-2023\/\"\u003EJewish Bible Quarterly\u003C\/a\u003E: \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jbqnew.jewishbible.org\/assets\/Uploads\/514\/jbq_514_kleinbookreviewKohelet.pdf\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: var(--awb-text-font-style);\"\u003EBOOK REVIEW:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci 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);\"\u003EKOHELET: A MAP TO EDEN – \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci 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);\"\u003EAN INTERTEXTUAL JOURNEY\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan 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);\"\u003E\" and in Jewish Action (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/books\/reviews\/review-of-kohelet-a-map-to-eden-an-intertextual-journey\/\"\u003Ehere \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/jewishaction\/docs\/spring_2024?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan 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);\"\u003EDom Anselm Brumwell in \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/00125806241235483?journalCode=tdra\"\u003EThe Downside Review\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EPodcast interviews:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/newbooksnetwork.com\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\"\u003ENew Books Network\u003C\/a\u003E with Michael Morales - on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/4yRcGnSHBFZeVGYUPz8OLX?si=cFjz1Q1QS_CsFi4DtBG61w\"\u003ESpotify\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/il\/podcast\/david-curwin-kohelet-a-map-to-eden-maggid-2023\/id425369034?i=1000620995227\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003ERabbi Leonard Matanky of Congregation KINS - video on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CongregationKINS\/posts\/pfbid02PRNj2fT74yXMKiMeCR8vAR2EEzJ9WU8CitVWhNSBDFmKviAHs7VYt5V4xQoToQbul\"\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NfcamdSAYJ8\"\u003EYouTube\u003C\/a\u003E, audio on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/1KLbFXWzOpQkqndocstDf1?si=a6001454006142d8\"\u003ESpotify \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/af\/podcast\/kins-presents-daytime-dialogues-with-david-curwin-s3-e43\/id1524029091?i=1000623216037\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.judaismdemystified.com\/podcast\/episode\/1d1d6789\/episode-73-david-curwin-a-map-to-eden\"\u003EJudaism Demystified\u003C\/a\u003E - video on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=y3vM1Mzf-XY\u0026amp;t=1008s\"\u003EYouTube\u003C\/a\u003E, audio on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/27M9Rue5C9GDQY0QAr5agv?si=d0d76d0a0f8f4915\u0026amp;fbclid=IwAR35p-IjhGVL5D6U43f6FbORNBkT6DwZEswKS1P-AtKCddhogU6nipYpOL0\u0026amp;nd=1\"\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/episode-73-david-curwin-a-map-to-eden\/id1572203778?i=1000624708136\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/thelandofisrael.com\/view\/2581\"\u003ERejuvenation\u003C\/a\u003E with Eve Harow - on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/4dbHKoj7FJUbonUFbcivuU?si=iAm9oNCXSbi8klFN6DPS_g\"\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/rejuvenation-kohelet-a-map-to-eden\/id1051088186?i=1000626051911\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.matan.org.il\/en\/online\/episode-127-sukkot-kohelet-and-eden\/\"\u003EMatan: One on One Parsha Podcast\u003C\/a\u003E with Dr. Yosefa (Fogel) Wruble - on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0uHMFnL8JwLwsCSmNbtibw\"\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/matan-one-on-one-parsha-podcast\/id1493702879\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ERZ Weekly Podcast\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003Ewith Mali Brofsky, Reuven Spolter, and Johnny Solomon - video on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rzweekly\/videos\/288066654016161\/\"\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E and audio on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/4L7lPqJLdpC2kCZPI3EL5I?si=LpjP0GlLSNuW1BGIX9z-8g\u0026amp;fbclid=IwAR1507OBEjJf0CZk_5RUmHXa9TGDJTR2KU5beaIVELsuffD_c4a08Jc0CfU\u0026amp;nd=1\"\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/contemplating-kohelet\/id1450263541?i=1000629220241\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/seforimchatter.com\/2023\/09\/27\/with-david-curwin-discussing-koheles-and-its-connection-to-bereishis\/\"\u003ESeforim Chatter\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;with Nachi Weinstein\u0026nbsp; - on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/7cm2Tz8NHffOkcQ9Fp7k2Z?si=35b4409b1bee4b3a\"\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/il\/podcast\/with-david-curwin-discussing-koheles-and-its-connection\/id1523682676?i=1000629374230\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003ERabbi Steven Gotlib - on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=f-LB42sLDhQ\"\u003EYouTube\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=300780222672037\"\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: small; font-weight: 400;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/the-koren-podcast.castos.com\/episodes\/live-from-shavua-hasefer\"\u003EThe Koren Podcast\u003C\/a\u003E (recorded live at Shavua Hasefer)- on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/2BvcYy5ZdYL13uA9CSOnHW\"\u003ESpotify\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/il\/podcast\/live-from-shavua-hasefer\/id1519723673?i=1000659937086\"\u003EApple Podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy talks about the book:\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBook launch at the Women's Beit Midrash of Efrat and Gush Etzion - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fUPga2CKr6A\"\u003EYouTube\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;recording (and pictures on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0e25jPAox9edsTA6vJtrEoxabaGNHVb5bezdUR3NjQw5ZWgxTrSBHgi2oi4wRa6Wdl\u0026amp;id=100064714867368\"\u003EFacebook\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/82afd3d1-f2de-41ca-aa6d-50c778db1b98\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cscript src=\"moz-extension:\/\/0d30cef2-7f43-4e5a-a936-05279d1b13ce\/js\/app.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5999759333189790128\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5999759333189790128","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5999759333189790128"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5999759333189790128"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/10\/kohelet.html","title":"Kohelet - A Map To Eden"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjYHzlGV8823Xa1ZpPOdcZP-W1ZbVd1uC_uX-Ap_iGXbAHSy5UwAUdd5A9VzFV3jhWOC6tupF46LeR_Qv1NJgsT03Mh9mUjJc2jcpd9f5ssOuZ01wi7tiJgYsAYkX31F9wk28gA3EwFD4MIIOTC5HteaDIrVteu67vOvbzNlPtCwpq_nwHh8YTa\/s72-w436-h712-c\/new-book1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2825318820677127896"},"published":{"$t":"2023-08-30T15:05:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-08-30T15:05:46.665+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"\"Kohelet - A Map to Eden\" is now available in Israel!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EMy book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is now fully available in Israel!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEibGGW9jFxoXF6Q-9imdywVjSvSzPW1XemLnIWl_5W1LZ5m3JGVobivYIwr8OVrcrhIFSb0-pgzhgJCi8XlJSZWr8mb9JIRkA0CVIRUPTbjpskNgrhAWX0elYaq6bw3_SG71yQ7rwXApt8pDCDvy0sUuEsKZbbhuNLlL3QqEHvDjFI1Khx_C8JH\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg 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\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"\" dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13\" data-ad-comet-preview=\"message\" data-ad-preview=\"message\" id=\":r9e:\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"xu06os2 x1ok221b\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h\" dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EIt is available in many of the book stores in Israel that carry Judaica books in English, as well as on the Koren website:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Ca 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\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/korenpub.co.il\/en\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Ca tabindex=\"-1\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EThrough that website you can also see a preview of the first 30 pages. For more information about the book, see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Emy post where I first announced its release\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003EI hope you enjoy the book, and looking forward to your feedback!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2825318820677127896\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2825318820677127896","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2825318820677127896"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2825318820677127896"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/08\/kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now-available-in.html","title":"\"Kohelet - A Map to Eden\" is now available in Israel!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/a\/AVvXsEibGGW9jFxoXF6Q-9imdywVjSvSzPW1XemLnIWl_5W1LZ5m3JGVobivYIwr8OVrcrhIFSb0-pgzhgJCi8XlJSZWr8mb9JIRkA0CVIRUPTbjpskNgrhAWX0elYaq6bw3_SG71yQ7rwXApt8pDCDvy0sUuEsKZbbhuNLlL3QqEHvDjFI1Khx_C8JH=s72-c","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2289586646865901272"},"published":{"$t":"2023-08-20T17:05:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:45:23.992+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"takif and tekufa"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"background: rgb(234, 209, 220);\"\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThis post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden. \u003C\/i\u003EFor more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethis Balashon entry.\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A word that only appears in Kohelet is the adjective \u003Ci\u003Etakif\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;תַּקִּיף:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eמַה־שֶּׁהָיָה כְּבָר נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ וְנוֹדָע אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אָדָם וְלֹא־יוּכַל לָדִין עִם (שהתקיף) [שֶׁתַּקִּיף] מִמֶּנּוּ׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"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)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E(The \u003Ci\u003Ekri \u003C\/i\u003Ereading - \u003Ci\u003Etakif\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- is preferred over the \u003Ci\u003Eketiv \u003C\/i\u003Eהתקיף. And while \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/8630\"\u003Ethis concordance\u003C\/a\u003E considers the \u003Ci\u003Eketiv \u003C\/i\u003Eas 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\u0026nbsp; and עם שתקיף - \"with the One mightier than he.\" See Gordis, p. 263).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe biblical meaning of \u003Ci\u003Etakif \u003C\/i\u003Eas \"\u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Estrong, mighty, powerful\u003C\/a\u003E,\" is recalled in its modern sense as \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.morfix.co.il\/%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%A3\"\u003Edecisive, resolute, tough\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 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 (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Ecclesiastes.4.12?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E4:12\u003C\/a\u003E) meaning \"to attack.\" In \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Job.14.20?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EIyov 14:20\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Job.15.24?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E15:24\u003C\/a\u003E, the verb means \"to overpower.\" It also appears as a noun, \u003Ci\u003Etokef\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eתֹּקֶף in Daniel 11:17 and Esther 9:29 \u0026amp; 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.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/8631\"\u003Eit appears as well\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein expands on this in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%A3.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehis etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBAram. תְּקַף (= was strong), Aram.–Syr. תְּקֵף (= was strong, prevailed), which is related to Nab. תקף (= authority). Many scholars connect Aram.–Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eתּֽקֵף\u003C\/span\u003E with Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ethaqafa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he attained to, overtook, overpowered). However, in this case the base would be שׁקף in Hebrew (Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eth\u003C\/i\u003E corresponds to Heb. שׁ). Haupt connects this base with Akka. \u003Ci\u003Epashqu\u003C\/i\u003E (= arduous), \u003Ci\u003Epushqu\u003C\/i\u003E (= hardship, necessity).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis rejection of the connection to Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ethaqafa \u003C\/i\u003Eis earlier found in the Ben Yehuda dictionary. Despite the standing of those sources, I found others who do maintain a connection (Even-Shoshan and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/BDB%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A7%D6%B5%D7%A3.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBDB \u003C\/a\u003Efor example.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AB%D9%82%D9%81\"\u003EArabic cognate root\u003C\/a\u003E 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.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon provides another interesting cognate in Arabic. In the entry for the Aramaic root \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/cal.huc.edu\/oneentry.php?lemma=tqp%20V\u0026amp;cits=all\"\u003Etqp\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"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:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ENot in Old Aramaic, where the original etymon \u003Ci\u003Eyqp \u003C\/i\u003E(=Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ewqf\u003C\/i\u003E, \"to stand, withstand\") still occurs. This accounts for the later form אתוקף, from which the simplified root \u003Ci\u003Etqp \u003C\/i\u003Edeveloped.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis would make \u003Ci\u003Etakif \u003C\/i\u003Ecognate with the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ewaqf. \u003C\/i\u003EThat term is known in Israel as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jerusalem_Waqf\"\u003EJordanian organization that manages the Islamic sites on the Temple mount\u003C\/a\u003E. But more generally, a \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Waqf\"\u003Ewaqf\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eis 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 \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/hekdesh\"\u003Ehekdesh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETherefore, according to the theory suggested in the CAL above, the root \u003Ci\u003Eykp \u003C\/i\u003E- \"to stand, withstand\", eventually came to be \u003Ci\u003Etkp - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to be strong.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf this is the case, then\u003Ci\u003E takif \u003C\/i\u003Emay have another Hebrew cognate. In his entry for the root נקף, meaning \"to go round,\" Klein provides the following etymology:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאַקִּיף\u003C\/span\u003E (= he surrounded), Syr. נְקֵף (= he clung to, stuck to, was joined), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ewaqafa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he stood still).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStahl 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 - \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/10\/atzeret.html\"\u003Eatzeret\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, which like \u003Ci\u003Ewaqf\u003C\/i\u003E, 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.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong the Hebrew words deriving from נקף include \u003Ci\u003Ehakafa\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהַקָּפָה - \"encirclement\" (and the dancing done on Simchat Torah, i.e., Shemini Atzeret) and \u003Ci\u003Ehekef\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהֶקֵּף - \"perimeter, circumference.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd perhaps most surprisingly, \u003Ca 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\"\u003EKlein also links\u003C\/a\u003E נקף to \u003Ci\u003Etekufa\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eתְּקוּפָה. 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.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking at \u003Ci\u003Etakif \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Etekufa\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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, \u003Ci\u003Etakif \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Etekufa\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;may indeed be cousins.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2289586646865901272\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2289586646865901272","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2289586646865901272"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2289586646865901272"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/08\/takif-and-tekufa.html","title":"takif and tekufa"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-9020741487387621306"},"published":{"$t":"2023-08-14T19:33:00.004+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:45:39.296+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"pesher and efshar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"background: rgb(234, 209, 220);\"\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThis post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden. \u003C\/i\u003EFor more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethis Balashon entry.\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;The eighth chapter of Kohelet opens with this verse:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eמִי כְּהֶחָכָם וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ פֵּשֶׁר דָּבָר חׇכְמַת אָדָם תָּאִיר פָּנָיו וְעֹז פָּנָיו יְשֻׁנֶּא׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Who is like the wise man,\u0026nbsp;and who knows the meaning of the adage: 'A man’s wisdom lights up his face,\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo that his deep discontent is dissembled'?\" (Kohelet 8:1)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe word translated here as \"meaning\" is the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eפֵּשֶׁר. Other translations render it as \"solution\", \"explanation,\" or \"interpretation.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn his commentary, Alter notes:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPesher\u003C\/i\u003E, “solution,” occurs only here in the Bible, though it is common in later Hebrew. It is cognate with \u003Ci\u003Epatar\u003C\/i\u003E, the verb used for Joseph’s solving the enigma of dreams, and would seem to suggest laying open a hidden meaning.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein also notes\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"is related to base \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%AA%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eפתר\u003C\/a\u003E\" (\u003Ci\u003Epatar\u003C\/i\u003E). \u003Ci\u003EPata\u003C\/i\u003Er is generally translated today as \"to solve\", and is the root of \u003Ci\u003Epitaron\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;פִּתְרוֹן - \"solution.\" This is different from \u003Ci\u003Epesher \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich 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 \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u003C\/i\u003E\" or \"there is no \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein also connects \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to two other uses of the root פשר - \"to compromise, reconcile\" and \"to thaw, melt.\" Here's his full entry:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפשׁר\u003C\/strong\u003E    to melt, dissolve; to be or become lukewarm; to solve, interpret.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQal\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפָּשַׁר\u003C\/strong\u003E    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E melted, was dissolved;     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E was or became lukewarm;     \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E he interpreted.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Pi.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפִּשֵּׁר\u003C\/strong\u003E  PBH  \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he disengaged, freed;   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E he arbitrated, compromised;   NH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E he explained.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHiph.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהִפֽשִׁיר\u003C\/strong\u003E  PBH  \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he caused to melt;   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E he made lukewarm;   MH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E he compromised.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBAram. 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. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפּֽשַׁר\u003C\/span\u003E (= it melted, was dissolved; he interpreted a dream, solved a riddle), פַּשֵּׁר (= he melted, solved, liquefied; he interpreted a dream), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Epashāru\u003C\/i\u003E (= to solve, to interpret dreams). Arab. \u003Ci\u003Efassara\u003C\/i\u003E (= he explained), is prob. a Syr. loan word.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein'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.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo 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 \u003Ci\u003Epeshara\u003C\/i\u003E) is reached. This is similar to the relationship in English between the words \"solve\" and \"dissolve.\" The Online Etymology provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/solve\"\u003Ethis origin\u003C\/a\u003E for \"solve\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Elate 14c., \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esolven\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \"to disperse, dissipate, loosen,\" from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Esolvere\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to loosen, dissolve; untie, release, detach; depart; unlock; scatter; dismiss; accomplish, fulfill; explain; remove,\" [...]\u0026nbsp; The meaning \"explain, clear up, answer\" is attested from 1530s.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/dissolve\"\u003Edissolve\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;similarly originally meant:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"to loosen up, break apart,\" from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edis\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E \"apart\" \u0026nbsp;+ \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Esolvere\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to loosen, untie\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein connects פשר to two more possible roots. One is שבר \u003Ci\u003Eshever\u003C\/i\u003E. It can also mean \"interpretation (of a dream)\", as in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Judges.7.15?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShoftim 7:15\u003C\/a\u003E. Since the root שבר generally means \"to break\", \u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that it probably means a \"solution (i.e., 'breaking') of a dream.\" But he also quotes the linguist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/2556-barth-jacob\"\u003EJacob Barth\u003C\/a\u003E, who connects this meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eshever \u003C\/i\u003Eto \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u003C\/i\u003E, presumably through \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Metathesis_(linguistics)\"\u003Emetathesis\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other word he sort of connects to \u003Ci\u003Epesher\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \u003Ci\u003Eefshar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eאֶפְשָׁר, usually translated as \"possible\/possibly\", \"permitted.\" or \"perhaps.\" In his entry for פשר, he adds \"compare to אפשר.\" But in the entry for \u003Ca 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\"\u003Eאפשר\u003C\/a\u003E, he writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EOf uncertain origin. The usual connection with פָּשַׁר (= it melted, dissolved), must be rejected for semantic reasons.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis also is a case where Klein follows the Ben Yehuda dictionary, which notes the \u003Ci\u003Epesher - efshar \u003C\/i\u003Econnection is suggested by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/9889-levy-jacob\"\u003ELevy\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexander_Kohut\"\u003EKohut\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marcus_Jastrow\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E, but remains unconvincing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHowever, Even-Shoshan writes in the entry for \u003Ci\u003Eefshar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;that maybe it comes from פשר. It does sound reasonable - \u003Ci\u003Eefshar \u003C\/i\u003Eis something possible, \"released\" from the realm of impossibility.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELet's leave it as a possible solution - \u003Ci\u003Epesher efshari...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/9020741487387621306\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=9020741487387621306","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9020741487387621306"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9020741487387621306"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/08\/pesher-and-efshar.html","title":"pesher and efshar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6335235084062677491"},"published":{"$t":"2023-08-06T20:14:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-08-07T17:40:01.372+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"sandak"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003ETaking a quick break from the series of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003EKohelet\u003C\/a\u003E posts, for an investigation of a special word: \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;סַנְדָּק. Our daughter just gave birth to our first grandchild, and this past Shabbat, I had the privilege of being the \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;at his \u003Ci\u003Ebrit milah\u003C\/i\u003E - meaning he was placed on my lap during the ceremony.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was one of the most special moments of my life, so I thought it deserved a post.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;doesn't look Hebrew, and indeed isn't. Here are\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's definition and etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eסַנְדָּק m.n. MH\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; ‘sandak’, godfather, one who holds the child on his knees for circumcision).\u0026nbsp; [Either from Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esynteknos \u003C\/i\u003E(= foster brother; lit.: ‘a child growing up with another’), or from Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esyndikos \u003C\/i\u003E(= one who helps in a court of justice, advocate).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThese are certainly the most popular etymologies I found online. The second theory he presents, that \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is an advocate, is easily recognized from the origin of the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/syndicate\"\u003Esyndicate\u003C\/a\u003E\" ( a \"council or body of representatives\"). It comes from an earlier word, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/syndic\"\u003Esyndic\u003C\/a\u003E\", with this origin:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Ec. 1600, \"a civil magistrate, especially in Geneva,\" from French \u003Ci\u003Esyndic \u003C\/i\u003E\"chief representative\" (14c.), from Late Latin \u003Ci\u003Esyndicus \u003C\/i\u003E\"representative of a group or town,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003Esyndikos \u003C\/i\u003E\"public advocate,\" as an adjective, \"belonging jointly to,\" from \u003Ci\u003Esyn\u003C\/i\u003E- \"together\"\u0026nbsp; + \u003Ci\u003Edike \u003C\/i\u003E\"judgment, justice, usage, custom\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe first theory that Klein offers actually fits the meaning of \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;somewhat better. It doesn't have\u0026nbsp; obvious English cognates. Like syndicate, it is comprised of \u003Ci\u003Esyn \u003C\/i\u003E(\"together\"), but the second half is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CF%84%CE%AD%CE%BA%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%BD\"\u003Etéknon\u003C\/a\u003E - \u003C\/i\u003EGreek for \"child.\" (The closest cognate to an English word - and this is pretty distant is \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/thane\"\u003Ethane\u003C\/a\u003E\", but I had never heard of it before.) So\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Esynteknos\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;would be translated as \"companion of (literally, \"with\") a child.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHowever, there's a problem with both of these suggestions. The term \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;doesn't appear in rabbinic Hebrew until the Middle Ages, which is strange for a role in such an important religious ceremony. Philologos in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/news\/423\/the-sandak-and-the-kvater\/\"\u003Ethis 2006 column\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;after quoting both theories that Klein mentioned, notes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAlthough 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, \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E, 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 \u003Ci\u003Esandakos\u003C\/i\u003E, 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPresumably, then, \u003Ci\u003Esandakos \u003C\/i\u003Ewas in use among Jews for hundreds of years before this but simply left no record.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe goes on to focus more about the origin of \u003Ci\u003Ekvater\u003C\/i\u003E, a Yiddish word also associated with the \u003Ci\u003Ebrit milah\u003C\/i\u003E. Today it means one of the people carrying the baby from the mother to the \u003Ci\u003Esandak.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;But originally it simply meant \"godfather\" and was may have been synonymous with the \u003Ci\u003Esandak. \u003C\/i\u003E(In fact, \u003Ci\u003Ekvater\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is simply a Yiddish version of the German \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Gevatter\"\u003Egevatter\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich like the Latin parallel \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/compater\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecompater\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Emeant \"joint father\"\u003Ci\u003E. \u003C\/i\u003EWhile the sources I found say that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/godfather\"\u003Egodfather \u003C\/a\u003Ecomes from God+father in English, I can't help but wonder if it really just derived from the Old English version of \u003Ci\u003Egevatter\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;-\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gef%C3%A6dera#Old_English\"\u003Egefædera \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E- and the later spelling Godfather was just the result of a folk etymology to give it religious meaning. But let's get back to \u003Ci\u003Esandak...\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt'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, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/27104566\/Sandak_and_Godparent_in_Midrash_and_Medieval_Practice\"\u003ESandak and Godparent in Midrash and Medieval Practice\u003C\/a\u003E.\" (Thank you to Elon Gilad who shared that article with me, along with \u003Ca 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\u0026amp;data=05%7C01%7C%7C643a34d625ab4c6d0e1a08db94126d37%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638266579295727187%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=OtYbw6tJbVkPVtrQqeOUXt%2F49bP%2FuLckiwsEubbnrqs%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\"\u003Ehis Hebrew summary published two years ago in HaAretz\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENewman 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 \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in \u003Ca 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.\"\u003EMidrash Tehillim\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(also quoted in a slightly different form in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yalkut_Shimoni_on_Nach.723.2?vhe=Yalkut_Shimoni_on_Nach\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EYalkut Shimoni\u003C\/a\u003E). 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:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eבברכיי אני נעשה סינדיקנוס לילדים הנימולים על ברכיי\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"With my knees I become a \u003Ci\u003Esyndikenos \u003C\/i\u003Efor the children circumcised on my knees.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter 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 \u003Cu\u003Ebecome\u003C\/u\u003E a a \u003Ci\u003Esandak\" \u003C\/i\u003Ebut rather \"I make a \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\" (relying on versions that use the verb עושה instead of נעשה).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBased on this, he suggests that we shouldn't be looking at the original meaning of \u003Ci\u003Esandak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as a type of person, but rather a thing that the person makes. He offers the Greek word\u0026nbsp;σάνδυξ (\"\u003Ci\u003Esandux\"\u003C\/i\u003E), meaning \"chest, casket, box.\" He writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAs 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. [....]\u0026nbsp;it is σάνδυξ\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;of Hesychius which is phonetically the closest to סנדיקוס\u0026nbsp;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.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis word meaning \"crate, box\" has cognates in an astonishing number of languages, including: Arabic \u003Ci\u003Esanduk \u003C\/i\u003E(which has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=3JTy9EcFb4YC\u0026amp;pg=PA266\u0026amp;lpg=PA266\u0026amp;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\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=eJn7LLfxwA\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U0wP1mKQdNfDj9xw_ZoRcc8hkx8GA\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiqjt2b48qAAxUFhv0HHRLwCeUQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;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\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eentered Hebrew slang\u003C\/a\u003E with the same meaning as well), Russian \u003Ci\u003Esunduk\u003C\/i\u003E, Persian \u003Ci\u003Esanduq, \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%82#Arabic\"\u003Emany more\u003C\/a\u003E. Almost all theories point to an ultimate Greek origin. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/4847281\/Arabic_Etymological_Dictionary\"\u003EArabic Etymological Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E says it comes from the Greek\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Esyndocheion \u003C\/i\u003E(perhaps related to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/synecdoche\"\u003Esynecdoche\u003C\/a\u003E - \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/synecdoche\"\u003Ereceiving together\u003C\/a\u003E\"?). \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CF%83%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%B8%CE%AE%CE%BA%CE%B7#Ancient_Greek\"\u003EOthers \u003C\/a\u003Esuggest\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Esuntíthēmi - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to place or put together\", which would make it cognate with \"synthesis.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhatever 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 \u003Ci\u003Ebrit\u003C\/i\u003E.) 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6335235084062677491\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6335235084062677491","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6335235084062677491"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6335235084062677491"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/08\/sandak.html","title":"sandak"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4165963761218277955"},"published":{"$t":"2023-08-01T23:32:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:45:07.094+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"holelut and hallel"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"background: rgb(234, 209, 220);\"\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThis post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden. \u003C\/i\u003EFor more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethis Balashon entry.\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ci\u003Eholelut\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(or \u003Ci\u003Eholelot\u003C\/i\u003E) 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:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe common rendering of \u003Ci\u003Eholelut \u003C\/i\u003Eas “madness” (for which in biblical Hebrew, as in the modern language, the primary term would be \u003Ci\u003Eshigaʿon\u003C\/i\u003E) confuses this idea; \u003Ci\u003Eholelut \u003C\/i\u003Esuggests a wild and unruly indulgence of the senses in which lucidity is lost—hence “revelry.”\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA different version, הולל \u003Ci\u003Eholel \u003C\/i\u003E(but always in the plural הוללים \u003Ci\u003Eholelim\u003C\/i\u003E) appears in Tehilim (5:6, 73:3, 75:5).\u0026nbsp; This has a different meaning. It refers to the wanton, to evildoers. For example:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eלֹא־יִתְיַצְּבוּ הוֹלְלִים לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ שָׂנֵאתָ כׇּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן׃ \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\"Wanton men cannot endure in Your sight, You detest all evildoers\" (5:6)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThere 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EI 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 \u003Ci\u003EHallel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;הלל indicating particular sections of Tehilim that are used for praise in our prayers.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003ESo why would הלל mean both to act foolishly, and to praise (frequently to praise God)?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EBefore we answer that question, it's important to note that there is one more meaning of הלל. It only\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003Eappears in four verses (Yeshaya 13:10; Iyov 29:3, 31:26, 41:10), and means \"to shine.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EGesenius 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\u0026nbsp; (which both Gesenius and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/BDB%2C_%D7%94%D6%B8%D7%9C%D6%B7%D7%9C%C2%B2.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBDB\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003ETDOT (4:411) quotes a few different theories, including:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Ea parallel to the Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Ealalu \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"shout, sing, rejoice, boast\" which would apply to both the \"boasting\" and \"praise\" senses of הלל.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Egoing to the root meaning \"to shine\", the foolish \u003Ci\u003Eholelim \u003C\/i\u003Eshould be considered \"moonstruck\". (This doesn't address a possible connection to \"praise,\" however.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOf course some linguists don't make no connection between any of the three meanings of הלל (for an example of that approach, see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jewishlink.news\/the-multiple-meanings-of-the-root-h-l-l\/\"\u003Ethis column\u003C\/a\u003E.) 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERegardless 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/search?q=contronym\"\u003Econtronym \u003C\/a\u003E- where a word (or its homonym) also means its opposite. Other terms used to refer to these words include \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Auto-antonym\"\u003Eauto-antonym\u003C\/a\u003E\" and Janus word (after the Roman deity with two faces).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 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 (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.il\/books\/edition\/Vertical_Grammar_of_Parallelism_in_Bibli\/g9msEAAAQBAJ?hl=en\u0026amp;gbpv=1\u0026amp;dq=janus+word+schramm\u0026amp;pg=PA93\u0026amp;printsec=frontcover\"\u003Esee here for example of a citation\u003C\/a\u003E). I hope to share more of his insights here in the future.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4165963761218277955\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4165963761218277955","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4165963761218277955"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4165963761218277955"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/08\/holelut-and-hallel.html","title":"holelut and hallel"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8510247437783131559"},"published":{"$t":"2023-07-23T22:08:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:44:47.030+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"takana and tikun"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"background: rgb(234, 209, 220);\"\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThis post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden. \u003C\/i\u003EFor more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethis Balashon entry.\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the Tanakh, the Hebrew root תקן appears only in Kohelet (1:15, 7:13, 12:9). As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%9F?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein notes\u003C\/a\u003E, it means \"to be or become straight\", as in its first appearance in Kohelet:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eמְעֻוָּת לֹא־יוּכַל לִתְקֹן וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא־יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.\" (Kohelet 1:15)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIt also appears once in the Aramaic section of Daniel, with the meaning \"to establish\":\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E...\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Eוְעַל־מַלְכוּתִי הׇתְקְנַת ...\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"And I was [re]established over my kingdom.\" (Daniel 4:33).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAs 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:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto become straight\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto repair\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto prepare\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto arrange\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto establish\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto amend\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EKlein provides this etymology:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EBorrowed from JAram. תַּקֵּן (= he fixed, arranged, prepared), which is related to BAram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהָתְקְנֵת\u003C\/span\u003E (= I was established), Arab. \u003Ci\u003E’atkana\u003C\/i\u003E (= he confirmed, perfected, brought to perfection), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Etaqānu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to be well ordered).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe then suggests comparing תקן to the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D7%9B%D7%9F.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eתכן\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; Despite that suggestion, in that entry he surprisingly says (following Ben-Yehuda):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EUsually connected with, but prob. not related to base כון or base תקן.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2008\/04\/ken.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe root תקן has many applications today. In addition to the ones mentioned above, we have the verb \u003Ci\u003Ehitkin\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהתקין - \"to install\" (as in software) and the adjective \u003Ci\u003Etakin \u003C\/i\u003Eתקין - \"intact, in order, proper,\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are also a number of nouns. Two of the most common are \u003Ci\u003Etakana \u003C\/i\u003Eתקנה and \u003Ci\u003Etikun \u003C\/i\u003Eתיקון.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Takkanah\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETakkanah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eoriginally meant \"arrangement, ordinance, ruling\", and today means \"rule\", usually as set by a legislative or executive body. It is the source of the related \u003Ci\u003Etakanon \u003C\/i\u003Eתקנון - \"set of rules, bylaws.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tikkun\"\u003ETikkun\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has many more meanings. In a different book, \u003Ci\u003EThe Medieval Heritage of Modern Hebrew Usage \u003C\/i\u003E[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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a gerund of תקן, \u003Ci\u003Etikun \u003C\/i\u003Ecan mean \"correction, fixing, improvement, emendation, regulation.\" But it has taken on many more specific meanings over time:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etikun soferim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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 \u003Ci\u003Ewriting \u003C\/i\u003Ea Torah scroll. A version of this for those preparing the \u003Ci\u003Ereading\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;of the Torah is known as a \u003Ci\u003Etikun korim \u003C\/i\u003Eתיקון קוראים.\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the other meaning of תקן - \"to correct\" or \"to amend\" - gives us a different meaning of \u003Ci\u003Etikun soferim. \u003C\/i\u003EIn this other sense, it refers to corrections or emendations to a text that the scribes themselves made (see for example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Midrash_Tanchuma%2C_Beshalach.16.2?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMidrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 16\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EA \u003Ci\u003Etikun \u003C\/i\u003Ecan also refer to a set of readings proscribed by kabbalistic practice to be recited at certain special times. These include \u003Ci\u003Etikun chatzot \u003C\/i\u003Eתיקון חצות (read at midnight) and \u003Ci\u003ETikun Leil Shavuot \u003C\/i\u003Eתיקון 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 \u003Ci\u003Etikunim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;got their names because of their ability to enact repairs in the \"Higher Worlds\".\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETikkun Olam \u003C\/i\u003Eתיקון עולם - Literally meaning \"repairing\", \"improving\" or \"establishing\" the world, it has been adopted for different purposes over the centuries. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tikkun_olam\"\u003EWikipedia entry\u003C\/a\u003E divides them as follows:\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn Rabbinic literature, it referred to \"legal enactments intended to preserve the social order\" (for example, Mishna Gittin 4:2-9)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn the Aleinu prayer, it refers to \"the eradication of idolatry.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn Kabbalistic uses, it has mystical connotations - \"to return the sparks of Divine light to their source by means of ritual performance.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn modern times, it has come to mean \"the pursuit of social justice.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EYet 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, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hakirah.org\/Vol%2011%20First.pdf\"\u003EAleinu: Obligation to Fix the World or the Text?\u003C\/a\u003E\") 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8510247437783131559\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8510247437783131559","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8510247437783131559"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8510247437783131559"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/07\/takana-and-tikun.html","title":"takana and tikun"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1006209572556414869"},"published":{"$t":"2023-07-16T22:22:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:46:34.035+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"bitul"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"background: rgb(234, 209, 220);\"\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThis post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden. \u003C\/i\u003EFor more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethis Balashon entry.\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAt 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.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 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:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eוּבָטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנוֹת כִּי מִעֵטוּ\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe word of interest is\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eוּבָטְלוּ - this is the only time the root בטל appears in Biblical Hebrew. Its different meanings are reflected in these two translations.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe JPS translates the phrase as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"And the maids that grind, grown few, are idle\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EGordis (\"Koheleth - the man and his world\") offers: \"The grinding maidens cease, for they are few.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBoth 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIt appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/989\"\u003Esix times in the book of Ezra\u003C\/a\u003E, 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhile 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\".\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe adjective \u003Ci\u003Ebatel\u003C\/i\u003E בָּטֵל\u0026nbsp; can mean \"worthless, valueless, invalid, void\", and the related \u003Ci\u003Emevutal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמְבֻטָּל is \"cancelled, insignificant, negligible.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOne interesting word deriving from the root is \u003Ci\u003Ebatlan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בַּטְלָן. As Stahl notes in his Arabic dictionary (p. 80), in Rabbinic Hebrew, a \u003Ci\u003Ebatlan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was one who didn't work, not necessarily one who did not \u003Ci\u003Ewant \u003C\/i\u003Eto work (i.e., a lazy person). So those \u003Ci\u003Ebatlanim\u003C\/i\u003E who couldn't or didn't work, for example the elderly, were important members of the community, particularly for things like making a minyan.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.zuckermann.org\/pdf\/Secularization-F.pdf\"\u003E Zuckermann here\u003C\/a\u003E complained about how in Modern Hebrew, the word \u003Ci\u003Ebatlan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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 \u003Ci\u003Eavtala\u003C\/i\u003E אַבְטָלָה. As \u003Ca 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\"\u003EKlein points out\u003C\/a\u003E, 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhat about the etymology of בטל? Earlier linguists attempted to find other Hebrew roots that might be related.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESteinberg 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EGesenius suggested that בטל was related to בטן (as in \u003Ci\u003Ebeten\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eבֶּטֶן - \"belly\"). As such, he says that the original meaning of בטל was \"to be empty, vacant\", whereas בטן meant \"to be empty, hollow.\"\u0026nbsp; From there בטל meant \"to be free from labor\", and then later \"to cease.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis is somewhat similar to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D7%98%D7%9C.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ERelated to Aram. and BAram. בְּטֵל, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ebaṭala\u003C\/i\u003E, Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Ebaṭála\u003C\/i\u003E (= he was vain, was futile), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Ebaṭalu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to cease).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBut notably, Klein does not offer any Hebrew cognates, and it seems to me that those of Steinberg and Gesenius remain as conjecture.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1006209572556414869\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1006209572556414869","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1006209572556414869"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1006209572556414869"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/07\/bitul.html","title":"bitul"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6047761826179881190"},"published":{"$t":"2023-07-09T17:02:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:45:56.402+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"bitachon and avatiach"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv style=\"background: rgb(234, 209, 220);\"\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\nThis post is part of a series about words from Kohelet, in honor of the release of my new book, \u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden. \u003C\/i\u003EFor more information about the book, and how to get a discount for your purchase, see\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethis Balashon entry.\u003C\/a\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\nA word common in Hebrew today, but rare in Biblical Hebrew, is \u003Ci\u003Ebitachon\u003C\/i\u003E בִּטָּחוֹן. It appears in Kohelet:\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eכִּי־מִי אֲשֶׁר \u003Cspan class=\"mam-kq\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mam-kq-k\"\u003E(יבחר)\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\"mam-kq-q\"\u003E[יְחֻבַּר]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E אֶל כׇּל־הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּי־לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן־הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"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)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHere the word \u003Ci\u003Ebitachon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is translated as \"something to trust in.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe 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:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eוַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם רַבְשָׁקֵה אִמְרוּ־נָא אֶל־חִזְקִיָּהוּ כֹּה־אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגָּדוֹל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר מָה הַבִּטָּחוֹן הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּטָחְתָּ׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnd 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?'\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere, \u003Ci\u003Ebitachon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is identified as \"confidence.\" The same verse(s) also include the verb בטח - \"to place trust\", which of course is the root of \u003Ci\u003Ebitachon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThat root appears much more frequently - 120 times throughout the Tanakh. It generally means \"to trust, rely, depend upon.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHowever, there are some verses where the root appears to mean something else. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.safa-ivrit.org\/writers\/etsion\/bitahon.php\"\u003EThis Safa-Ivrit essay\u003C\/a\u003E does a good job of explaining why, and I'll try to summarize it and provide some additional understandings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe author notes that in Arabic, the similar root \u003Ci\u003Ebataha \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHe first cites Yirmiyahu 12:5-\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eכִּי אֶת־רַגְלִים \u003Csmall\u003E\u003C\/small\u003E רַצְתָּה וַיַּלְאוּךָ וְאֵיךְ תְּתַחֲרֶה אֶת־הַסּוּסִים וּבְאֶרֶץ שָׁלוֹם אַתָּה בוֹטֵחַ וְאֵיךְ תַּעֲשֶׂה בִּגְאוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHis suggested translation would be something like:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"If you race with the foot-runners and they exhaust you, how then can you compete with horses? If you tumble [\u003Ci\u003Eboteach\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;in a tranquil land, how will you fare in the jungle of the Jordan?\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHe then quotes Mishlei 14:16 -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eחָכָם יָרֵא וְסָר מֵרָע וּכְסִיל מִתְעַבֵּר וּבוֹטֵחַ׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnd again he offers a translation that adopts the meaning found in Arabic:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"A wise man fears, and departs from evil: but the fool rages, and slips [\u003Ci\u003Eboteach\u003C\/i\u003E].\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis explanation is also offered by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Proverbs.14.16?lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Rashi_on_Proverbs.14.16.4\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003ERashi in his commentary\u003C\/a\u003E, who quotes the verse from Yirmiyahu as support.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis helps explain one further difficult verse, Tehilim 22:10 -\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eכִּי־אַתָּה גֹחִי מִבָּטֶן מַבְטִיחִי עַל־שְׁדֵי אִמִּי׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESome translations try to explain the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eמַבְטִיחִי as relating to trust:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\"You took me from the womb, you \u003Cu\u003Emade me trust\u003C\/u\u003E at my mother's breast.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003EBut 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.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003EThat meaning of \"trust\" finds itself in other related Hebrew words. The biblical nouns\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eבֶּטַח and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eבִּטְחָה mean \"safety, security.\" We also find the \u003Ci\u003Ehifil\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn Modern Hebrew, we find many nouns deriving from בטח with specialized meanings that represent much more recent concepts:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eביטוח \u003Ci\u003Ebituach - \u003C\/i\u003E\"insurance\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eבטיחות \u003Ci\u003Ebetichut - \u003C\/i\u003E\"safety\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eאבטחה \u003Ci\u003Eavtacha - \u003C\/i\u003E\"protection, security\" (usually used for protecting people, property, data)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eבטחון \u003Ci\u003Ebitachon - \u003C\/i\u003Efrom 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 \u003Ci\u003ESar HaBitachon - \u003C\/i\u003E\"Defense Minister.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWe also find the more colloquial term בטח \u003Ci\u003Ebetach, \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"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!\".\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne potential cognate of בטח is אבטיח \u003Ci\u003Eavatiach - \u003C\/i\u003E\"watermelon.\" It only appears once in the Tanakh, in the list of Egyptian foods in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Numbers.11.5\"\u003EBemidbar 11:5\u003C\/a\u003E. It has cognates in the Aramaic אֲבַטִּיחָא and the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ebatich\u003C\/i\u003E. In\u0026nbsp;Arabic culture, watermelons were so ubiquitous and cheap, that they were part of a slang expression that later entered Hebrew:\u0026nbsp; “\u003Ci\u003Elo\u003C\/i\u003E \u0026lt;something\u0026gt;,\u003Ci\u003E v’lo batich\u003C\/i\u003E” ולא בטיח – meaning “I didn’t get X, and I didn’t get watermelon,” i.e., I got nothing.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAs noted \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/polyglotveg.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/watermelon.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, the Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci style=\"font-family: Code2000;\"\u003Ebaṭṭīḫ \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Code2000;\"\u003Eis the source of the \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Code2000;\"\u003ESpanish \u003Ci\u003Ebudieca\u003C\/i\u003E, Portuguese \u003Ci\u003Epateca\u003C\/i\u003E and French \u003Ci\u003Epateque\u003C\/i\u003E, the modern French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/past%C3%A8que\"\u003Epastèque\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are at least two theories of how \u003Ci\u003Eavatiach \u003C\/i\u003Emight 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Theological-Dictionary-Old-Testament-Set\/dp\/0802823386\"\u003ETDOT\u003C\/a\u003E 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.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBoth theories are plausible, and certainly interesting. However, I can't help but end with the very true reservation offered by the TDOT:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\"Indeed, in Hebrew homonymous roots are nothing uncommon.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBetach!\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6047761826179881190\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6047761826179881190","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6047761826179881190"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6047761826179881190"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/07\/bitachon-and-avatiach.html","title":"bitachon and avatiach"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2111471578043078024"},"published":{"$t":"2023-07-04T09:57:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-07-04T09:57:31.755+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"email subscriptions have been migrated"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EHello everyone -\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EJust a quick maintenance note: All existing email subscribers have been migrated to a new service,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/follow.it\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/follow.it\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrustratingly, I've had to switch email services for Balashon several times in the past few years. Hopefully this will be the last switch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf any readers would like to subscribe by email, to the right of the main text there's an option for \u003Cb\u003EGet new posts by email\u003C\/b\u003E. Just fill in your email address there, follow any subsequent directions and you'll start getting email notifications about new posts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI wanted to get this in order before I start my new series about Kohelet words, in honor of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html\"\u003Ethe launch of my new book\u003C\/a\u003E. Since it seems this is now resolved, I should be able to put out those posts soon!\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2111471578043078024\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2111471578043078024","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2111471578043078024"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2111471578043078024"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/07\/email-subscriptions-have-been-migrated.html","title":"email subscriptions have been migrated"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6874278906808023076"},"published":{"$t":"2023-06-29T11:10:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-06-29T11:10:00.013+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"more changes for email subscribers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOnce 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6874278906808023076\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6874278906808023076","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6874278906808023076"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6874278906808023076"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/more-changes-for-email-subscribers.html","title":"more changes for email subscribers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6216762386609270506"},"published":{"$t":"2023-06-22T17:42:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-08-30T15:01:59.710+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"my new book - \"Kohelet - A Map to Eden\" is now available!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI'm so happy to share with all of you that after nearly six years of work, my first book,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EKohelet - A Map to Eden\u003C\/i\u003E, is available:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca 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;\"\u003E\u003Cimg 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\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile 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).\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"break-words\"\u003E\u003Cspan dir=\"ltr\"\u003EIt's a genuine page-turner, and shows how \nKohelet - often viewed as depressing, confusing, and even tedious - \ntells a real story, and provides a powerful message of hope.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h\" dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKohelet\n – A Map to Eden\u003C\/i\u003E is not simply a running commentary on Kohelet, \nalthough I do delve into the explanation of its verses. Rather, think of\n it as a captivating story. As you read through its pages, you will \nembark on a journey with me, where I uncover the parallels between \nKohelet and Bereshit, and the analogies between the lives of Shlomo and \nAdam. You’ll then witness how these connections lead to the story of the\n Spies and how those episodes of downfall find redemption in the mitzva \nof tzitzit, the Yom Kippur service, and the profound words of Kohelet \nitself.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003EIt is available on both the US and Israel sites of Koren Publishers, where you can also see a preview of the first 30 pages.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003EIsrael customers can order it here:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/korenpub.co.il\/en\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/korenpub.co.il\/en\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003EUS and other international customers can purchase it here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Ca 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\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/korenpub.com\/products\/kohelet-a-map-to-eden\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose using the korenpub.com site can use the code 𝐤𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐥𝟏𝟎 at checkout to get a 10% discount.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003EIt is also available at many other online booksellers and in-person bookstores.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003EAlso, 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!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h\" dir=\"auto\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"auto\" style=\"text-align: start;\"\u003EIf 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.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELastly, 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!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6216762386609270506\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6216762386609270506","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6216762386609270506"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6216762386609270506"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/06\/my-new-book-kohelet-map-to-eden-is-now.html","title":"my new book - \"Kohelet - A Map to Eden\" is now available!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjYHzlGV8823Xa1ZpPOdcZP-W1ZbVd1uC_uX-Ap_iGXbAHSy5UwAUdd5A9VzFV3jhWOC6tupF46LeR_Qv1NJgsT03Mh9mUjJc2jcpd9f5ssOuZ01wi7tiJgYsAYkX31F9wk28gA3EwFD4MIIOTC5HteaDIrVteu67vOvbzNlPtCwpq_nwHh8YTa\/s72-w436-h712-c\/new-book1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4050878816976494110"},"published":{"$t":"2023-03-22T16:28:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-03-22T16:28:58.952+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"pakach and pikuach nefesh"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/tlv1.fm\/streetwise-hebrew\/2023\/03\/21\/dear-inspector\/\"\u003Erecent episode\u003C\/a\u003E of his great podcast \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/tlv1.fm\/podcasts\/streetwise-hebrew-show\/\"\u003EStreetwise Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E, host Guy Sharett reviews words deriving from the root פקח. He discusses the meaning and usage of such words as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפִּקּוּחַ \u003Ci\u003Epikuach - \u003C\/i\u003E\"supervision, inspection\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eמְפַקֵּחַ \u003Ci\u003Emifakeach - \u003C\/i\u003E\"supervisor\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפַּקָּח \u003Ci\u003Epakach - \u003C\/i\u003E\"inspector\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפִּקֵּחַ \u003Ci\u003Epikeach - \u003C\/i\u003E\"sharp, bright (person)\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAs 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFrom 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe verb פקח originally meant \"to open\", but and in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/6491\"\u003EBiblical Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E 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\u0026nbsp;פָּקַח עַיִן \/\u0026nbsp;פָּקַח עֵינַיִם\u0026nbsp; \u003Ci\u003Epakach ayin \/ pakach enayim. \u003C\/i\u003ELiterally, they mean \"to open one's eye(s)\", but figuratively they can mean \"to keep an eye on, pay attention, become aware.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EFrom here the more abstract senses we mentioned above developed, which are related to oversight or insight. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A7%D7%97.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E adds that the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9B%D7%97.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eפכח\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to be sober\" is a secondary form of פקח.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne other phrase that Guy mentioned doesn't seem to fit this rule. This is\u0026nbsp;פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ - \u003Ci\u003Epikuach nefesh. \u003C\/i\u003EIt means \"saving a life\" or \"(the obligation of) preservation of life.\"\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003EQuoting \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pikuach_nefesh\"\u003EWikipedia\u003C\/a\u003E, 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.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAs \u003Ca 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\"\u003EAvineri \u003C\/a\u003Ediscusses in Yad HaLashon (p. 475), the term originates in the phrase מְפַקְּחִין עָלָיו אֶת הַגַּל \u003Ci\u003Emifakchin alav et hagal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Efound in the Mishna (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Yoma.8.7?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYoma 8:7\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Rosh_Hashanah.4.8?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ERosh Hashana 4:8\u003C\/a\u003E). In these two cases it refers to clearing a pile (\u003Ci\u003Egal\u003C\/i\u003E)\u0026nbsp;of rubble (to save a life in Yoma, to uncover a buried shofar in Rosh Hashana).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn 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 \u003Ci\u003Epikuach nefesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;took on the more general sense of saving a life under any circumstances. So in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Tosefta_Shabbat.16.13?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETosefta 16:13\u003C\/a\u003E, we read that \u003Ci\u003Epikuach nefesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;takes precedence even over the serious rules of shabbat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Rashi_on_Shabbat.150a.11.2?lang=bi\"\u003EWhen Rashi explains\u003C\/a\u003E that Tosefta (as quoted in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Shabbat.150a.11?lang=bi\"\u003EShabbat 150a\u003C\/a\u003E), he quotes the foreign דיקומבימונ\"ט - which is the Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Otzar_Laazei_Rashi%2C_Talmud%2C_Shabbat.395?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Navigation\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Edescombrement \u003C\/a\u003E- \u003C\/i\u003E\"to purge, clear out, remove\". (See other cases where Rashi uses that word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Rashi_on_Isaiah.4.4.5?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehere \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Otzar_Laazei_Rashi%2C_Talmud%2C_Ketubot.3?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E). Examining \u003Ci\u003Edescombrement\u003C\/i\u003E, we see that it is cognate (although an antonym) with the English \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/encumber\"\u003Eencumber\u003C\/a\u003E\", whose etymology is particularly relevant:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eearly 14c., \"burden, vex, inconvenience,\" from Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eencombrer\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to block up, hinder, thwart,\" from Late Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eincombrare\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ein\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E \"in\" (from PIE root \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/*en?ref=etymonline_crossreference\" title=\"Etymology, meaning and definition of *en \"\u003E*en\u003C\/a\u003E \"in\") + \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecombrus\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"barricade, obstacle,\" probably from Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecumulus\u003C\/span\u003E \"heap\" (see \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cumulus?ref=etymonline_crossreference\" title=\"Etymology, meaning and definition of cumulus \"\u003Ecumulus\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThat \"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 \u003Ci\u003Epikuach nefesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;only means \"saving a life\", which is where the mistaken etymology in Wikipedia originated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4050878816976494110\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4050878816976494110","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4050878816976494110"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4050878816976494110"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/03\/pakach-and-pikuach-nefesh.html","title":"pakach and pikuach nefesh"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2333380294777849651"},"published":{"$t":"2023-03-14T18:09:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-03-14T18:09:24.464+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"cumin and kimmel"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe connection between the English \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cumin\"\u003Ecumin\u003C\/a\u003E\" and the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ekamon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eכַּמּוֹן (often pronounced today \u003Ci\u003Ekamun\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eכַּמּוּן) is broadly accepted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere's Klein's CEDEL entry for \"cumin\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EMiddle English\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ecumin\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ecomin\u003C\/i\u003E, from Old English\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ecymen, cymyn, \u003C\/i\u003Efrom Latin \u003Ci\u003Ecuminum, \u003C\/i\u003Efrom Greek \u003Ci\u003Ekyminon\u003C\/i\u003E, which is of Semitic origin. Compare Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ekammon, \u003C\/i\u003Eof same meaning, Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Ekammona, \u003C\/i\u003ESyriac \u003Ci\u003Ekmmuna, \u003C\/i\u003EUgaritic \u003Ci\u003Ekmn\u003C\/i\u003E, Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Ekamunu, \u003C\/i\u003EPunic \u003Ci\u003Echaman\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe notes that the word entered Mycenean Greek as early as the 15th century BCE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe find the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ekamon \u003C\/i\u003Etwice in the Bible, in two verses in the same chapter:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eהֲלוֹא אִם־שִׁוָּה פָנֶיהָ וְהֵפִיץ קֶצַח וְכַמֹּן יִזְרֹק וְשָׂם חִטָּה שׂוֹרָה וּשְׂעֹרָה נִסְמָן וְכֻסֶּמֶת גְּבֻלָתוֹ׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"When he has smoothed its surface,\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDoes he not rather broadcast black caraway\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd scatter cumin,\u003Cbr \/\u003EOr set wheat in a row,\u003Cbr \/\u003EBarley in a strip,\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd emmer in a patch?\" (Yeshaya 28:25)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eכִּי לֹא בֶחָרוּץ יוּדַשׁ קֶצַח וְאוֹפַן עֲגָלָה עַל־כַּמֹּן יוּסָּב כִּי בַמַּטֶּה יֵחָבֶט קֶצַח וְכַמֹּן בַּשָּׁבֶט׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\"So, too, black caraway is not threshed with a threshing board,\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003ENor is the wheel of a threshing sledge rolled over cumin;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EBut black caraway is beaten out with a stick\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EAnd cumin with a rod.\" (28:27)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003EThese verses also include the word \u003Ci\u003Eketzach\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eקֶצַח\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;- translated here as \"black caraway\". Other translations have \"black cumin\". In modern Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Eketzach \u003C\/i\u003Eis identified with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nigella_sativa\"\u003Enigella\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003EWe can see, therefore, that cumin and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Caraway\"\u003Ecaraway\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;can \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.saporidelmondo-blog.com\/en\/cumin-and-caraway-seeds-two-brothers-and-yet-so-different\/\"\u003Esometimes be compared\u003C\/a\u003E to the same thing. This certainly isn't because of their flavors (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/spicetutor.com\/cumin-vs-caraway\/\"\u003Ewhich are very different\u003C\/a\u003E), but because their seeds look similar.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe confusion between the two spice seeds likely led to German taking their word for caraway, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/K%C3%BCmmel\"\u003Ekümmel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, from the Latin word for cumin -\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/cuminum\"\u003Ecuminum\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. In Yiddish this became \u003Ci\u003Ekimmel\u003C\/i\u003E, and in Hebrew it is the popular word for caraway: קִימֶל. (The official word for caraway in Hebrew is the similar sounding \u003Ci\u003Ek'rav'ya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eכְּרַוְיָה, which \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Avodah_Zarah.29a.4?lang=bi\"\u003Egoes back to the Talmud\u003C\/a\u003E, but I've never heard anyone use it.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnd if you're wondering - the surname of the comedian \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jimmy_Kimmel\"\u003EJimmy Kimmel\u003C\/a\u003E has the same origin. He descends from German immigrants whose name was originally\u0026nbsp;Kümmel.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2333380294777849651\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2333380294777849651","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2333380294777849651"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2333380294777849651"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/03\/cumin-and-kimmel.html","title":"cumin and kimmel"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8908571020323768098"},"published":{"$t":"2023-03-12T19:29:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-03-12T19:29:15.724+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"cadmium and kedem"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe chemical element \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cadmium\"\u003Ecadmium\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has an interesting etymology. Here's what the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cadmium\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E states:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ebluish-white metallic element, 1822, discovered 1817 by German scientist\n Friedrich Strohmeyer (1776-1835), coined in Modern Latin from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecadmia\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, a word used by ancient naturalists for various earths and oxides (especially zinc carbonate), from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekadmeia \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Ege\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E \"Cadmean (earth),\" from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EKadmos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"Cadmus,\" legendary founder of Boeotian Thebes. With metallic element ending -ium. So called because the earth was first found in the vicinity of Thebes (\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EKadmeioi\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Ewas an alternative name for \"Thebans\" since the time of Homer).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/calamine\"\u003EIt then continues\u003C\/a\u003E to point out that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Calamine\"\u003Ecalamine \u003C\/a\u003E- known from the calamine lotion used to treat itchiness - may get its origin from cadmium:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"zinc carbonate,\" also, confusedly, \"zinc silicate,\" 1590s, from French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecalamine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecalemine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Echalemine\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(13c.), from Medieval Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecalamina\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, corrupted by alchemists from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecadmia\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"zinc ore,\" from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekadmeia\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EBut lets go a little further. Where did the Theban king \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cadmus\"\u003ECadmus\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;get his name?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EAccording 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.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECadmus coming from Phoenicia also likely explains the origin of his name. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cadmus#Etymology\"\u003EMany scholars say\u003C\/a\u003E it derives from the root קדם, meaning \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/05\/asia.html\"\u003Eeast\u003C\/a\u003E.\" For example, in his CEDEL Klein writes that the name denotes \"the man who came from the East.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHebrew also has\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekedem\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eקֶֽדֶם\u0026nbsp; 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo if this is the case, cadmium and calamine are cognate with Hebrew words like:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקָדַם \u003Ci\u003Ekadam - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to precede, to take precedence\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקְדָם \u003Ci\u003Ekedam - \u003C\/i\u003E\"preliminary\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקֹדֶם \u003Ci\u003Ekodem - \u003C\/i\u003E\"before, previously\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקִדֵּם \u003Ci\u003Ekidem -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"to promote, advance\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקִדְמָה \u003Ci\u003Ekidma - \u003C\/i\u003E\"advancement, progress\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקָדִימָה \u003Ci\u003Ekadima - \u003C\/i\u003E\"forward, onward\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקַדְמוֹן \u003Ci\u003Ekadmon - \u003C\/i\u003E\"ancient\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis last word, \u003Ci\u003Ekadmon\u003C\/i\u003E, appears only once in the Bible, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Ezekiel.47.8?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EYechezkel 47:8\u003C\/a\u003E, where it means \"east.\" \u003Ca 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\"\u003EKlein thinks\u003C\/a\u003E that perhaps the original name of Cadmus was Kadmon, but the suffix was changed to \"os\" when the name was adopted into Greek.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8908571020323768098\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8908571020323768098","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8908571020323768098"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8908571020323768098"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/03\/cadmium-and-kedem.html","title":"cadmium and kedem"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-276236927333590554"},"published":{"$t":"2023-03-07T12:11:00.004+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-03-07T12:11:20.768+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"another email test"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThanks again for your patience as I test the email subscriptions once again.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince today is Purim, I thought you might enjoy a link to all of the Purim posts on Balashon:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/search\/label\/purim\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.balashon.com\/search\/label\/purim\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnjoy and happy Purim!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/276236927333590554\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=276236927333590554","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/276236927333590554"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/276236927333590554"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/03\/another-email-test.html","title":"another email test"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-681790061637779052"},"published":{"$t":"2023-03-06T14:33:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-03-06T14:33:26.138+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"more changes for email subscribers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EFor those that remember, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/04\/\"\u003Eabout two years ago\u003C\/a\u003E I had to change the service to provide email subscriptions to Balashon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHopefully 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf 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.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/681790061637779052\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=681790061637779052","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/681790061637779052"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/681790061637779052"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/03\/more-changes-for-email-subscribers.html","title":"more changes for email subscribers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5560348994092880339"},"published":{"$t":"2023-01-08T18:49:00.004+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-01-08T18:49:39.922+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"deyokan"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"What is the origin of the Talmudic word דְּיוֹקָן \u003Ci\u003Edeyokan\u003C\/i\u003E? In rabbinic literature it meant \"image, likeness\", and today, in modern Hebrew, means \"portrait, profile.\"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.steinsaltz-center.org\/vault\/DafYomi\/shabbat_149.pdf\"\u003ESteinsaltz\u003C\/a\u003E provides two theories:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe origin of this word is not entirely clear. Some authorities state that it is derived from the Greek δείκανον, \u003Ci\u003Edeikanon\u003C\/i\u003E, 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 \u003Ci\u003Ed\u003C\/i\u003E or \u003Ci\u003Ediyu\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet's expand on both possibilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first theory says it derives from the Greek\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edeikanon. \u003C\/i\u003EThat word is cognate with the verb \u003Ci\u003Edeiknynai\u003C\/i\u003E meaning \"to show.\" There are a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/search?q=deiknynai\"\u003Enumber of English words that ultimately come from that root\u003C\/a\u003E, including these two:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/paradigm?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Eparadigm\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\"an example, a model,\" from Late Latin \u003Ci\u003Eparadigma \u003C\/i\u003E\"pattern, example,\" especially in grammar, from Greek \u003Ci\u003Eparadeigma \u003C\/i\u003E\"pattern, model; precedent, example,\" from \u003Ci\u003Eparadeiknynai \u003C\/i\u003E\"exhibit, represent,\" literally \"show side by side,\" from \u003Ci\u003Epara\u003C\/i\u003E- \"beside\"\u0026nbsp; + \u003Ci\u003Edeiknynai \u003C\/i\u003E\"to show\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/policy#etymonline_v_17570\"\u003Epolicy\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;[\"written insurance agreement\"], 1560s, \"written contract to pay a certain sum on certain contingencies,\" from French \u003Ci\u003Epolice \u003C\/i\u003E\"contract, bill of lading\" (late 14c.), from Italian \u003Ci\u003Epolizza \u003C\/i\u003E\"written evidence of a transaction, note, bill, ticket, lottery ticket,\" from Old Italian \u003Ci\u003Epoliza\u003C\/i\u003E, which, according to OED, is from Medieval Latin \u003Ci\u003Eapodissa \u003C\/i\u003E\"receipt for money,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003Eapodexis \u003C\/i\u003E\"proof, declaration,\" from \u003Ci\u003Eapo\u003C\/i\u003E- \"off\" + \u003Ci\u003Edeiknynai \u003C\/i\u003E\"to show\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe latter was interesting to me, since I didn't realize the other meaning of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/policy?utm_source=related_entries\"\u003Epolicy\u003C\/a\u003E, \"way of management\", isn't related and has an entirely different etymology. It comes from the Greek \u003Ci\u003Epolis - \u003C\/i\u003E\"city, state\",\u0026nbsp; which has its parallel in the Hebrew מדינה \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/02\/medina.html\"\u003Emedina\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAs far as the second theory as to the origin of \u003Ci\u003Edeyokan\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ca 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\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein concurs\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESurely connected with Gk. \u003Ci\u003Eeikon\u003C\/i\u003E (= likeness; see אִיקוֹנִין), but the ד is of uncertain origin. According to some scholars דְּיוֹקָן is the contraction of דְּיוֹ (= Gk. \u003Ci\u003Edyo\u003C\/i\u003E, ‘two’), and \u003Ci\u003Eeikon\u003C\/i\u003E, and properly means ‘a double image’.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Greek \u003Ci\u003Eeikon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;gives us the English \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/icon\"\u003Eicon\u003C\/a\u003E\" as well:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"image, figure, picture,\" also \"statue,\" from Late Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eicon\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eeikon\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"likeness, image, portrait; image in a mirror; a semblance, phantom image;\" in philosophy, \"an image in the mind,\" related to \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eeikenai\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"be like, look like,\" which is of uncertain origin.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth 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.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5560348994092880339\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5560348994092880339","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5560348994092880339"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5560348994092880339"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/01\/deyokan.html","title":"deyokan"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4330703644313271375"},"published":{"$t":"2023-01-01T19:50:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-01-10T14:47:43.624+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"persimmon and afarsemon"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI was listening to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/historyofenglishpodcast.com\/2022\/12\/20\/episode-164-somewhere-in-the-middle\/\"\u003Ean episode of The History of English Podcast\u003C\/a\u003E, 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 - \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Hebrew. Those two words are obviously connected, and I know that the word \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears in the Talmud. So how could persimmon be an Algonquin word?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, I decided to check my facts. First I confirmed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/persimmon\"\u003Epersimmon\u003C\/a\u003E is a New World word:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ethe North American date-plum, a tree common in the U.S. South, 1610s, from Powhatan (Algonquian) \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epasimenan\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"fruit dried artificially,\" from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epasimeneu\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"he dries fruit,\" containing Proto-Algonquian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\/-\u003Ci\u003Emin\u003C\/i\u003E-\/\u003C\/span\u003E \"fruit, berry.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd I was also right about \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E. 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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/steinsaltz.org\/daf\/shekalim16\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, the \"\u003Ci\u003Eafarsimon\u003C\/i\u003E was considered so valuable that at one point it was literally worth its weight in gold.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany scholars, such as the botanist Yehuda Feliks, identify the \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon \u003C\/i\u003Ewith the shrub\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ECommiphora opobalsamum\u003C\/i\u003E. (\u003Ca 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)\"\u003EOthers\u003C\/a\u003E say it was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commiphora_gileadensis\"\u003ECommiphora gileadensis\u003C\/a\u003E). It went by many different names (or may have been associated with various similar plants.) Many of them are listed in the Wikipedia entry \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Balm_of_Gilead\"\u003EBalm of Gilead\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncluded in this list is the biblical term\u0026nbsp;בֹּשֶׂם \u003Ci\u003Ebosem\u003C\/i\u003E, which appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/1314.%D7%91%D6%B9%D6%BC%D7%A9%D6%B6%D7%82%D7%9D\"\u003E29 times in the Bible\u003C\/a\u003E, or the variant\u0026nbsp;בְּשָׂמִי (my \u003Ci\u003Ebasam\u003C\/i\u003E) that appears once in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Song_of_Songs.5?lang=bi\"\u003EShir HaShirim 5:1\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;. We actually discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/besumei.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebosem \u003C\/i\u003Emany years ago\u003C\/a\u003E, 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 \u003Ci\u003Ebasam \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca 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\"\u003Emay have been the one borrowed\u003C\/a\u003E into Greek.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to \u003Ca 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\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E (quoting \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Immanuel_L%C3%B6w\"\u003ELoew\u003C\/a\u003E), \u003Ci\u003Ebosem \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;may be related as well. Here is his entry for \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ebalsam tree; balm.  [According to Löw a blend of Gk. \u003Ci\u003Ebalsamon\u003C\/i\u003E (see בָּשָׂם) and Aram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאֲפוּרְסְמָא\u003C\/span\u003E Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאֲפוּרְסֶמָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= balsam tree, balm), which is a loan word from Armenian \u003Ci\u003Eaprsam\u003C\/i\u003E.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeliks, in his book \u003Ci\u003EPlant World of the Bible \u003C\/i\u003E(Hebrew), in the entry for \u003Ci\u003Ebosem\u003C\/i\u003E, writes that while in Biblical times \u003Ci\u003Ebosem \u003C\/i\u003Ereferred specifically to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ECommiphora opobalsamum, \u003C\/i\u003Ein Talmudic times \u003Ci\u003Ebosem \u003C\/i\u003Etook on the general sense of \"scent, fragrance\" leaving more specific words, like \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E, to refer to the expensive balm. (He also mentions the Talmudic terms אפורסמא, בלסמון and אפובלסמון).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo when and how did the confusion between \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and persimmon begin?\u0026nbsp;I couldn't find an exact date or a specific person who started calling the persimmon as \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;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 \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon \u003C\/i\u003Eorchards that grew in Jericho and Ein Gedi. So although \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon \u003C\/i\u003Ehad a rich cultural heritage, it was available for public use by that time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have a theory that may give an additional reason. While the word \"persimmon\" is Native American, related species \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Persimmon#Cultivation\"\u003Egrew elsewhere in the world\u003C\/a\u003E, particularly in East Asia. In Japanese the word for persimmon is \u003Ci\u003Ekaki\u003C\/i\u003E, 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, \u003Ci\u003Ekaki \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"poop\" (related to \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jel.jewish-languages.org\/words\/162\"\u003Efarkakte\u003C\/a\u003E - \u003C\/i\u003Elousy, literally \"full of crap.\")\u0026nbsp;It has the same meaning in Modern Hebrew. (I've seen European speakers here refer to an \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \u003Ci\u003Ekaki\u003C\/i\u003E, 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, \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut this would not be the only creative Israeli take on the persimmon. According to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?redir_esc=y\u0026amp;id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC\u0026amp;q=persimmon#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EEncyclopedia of Jewish Food\u003C\/a\u003E (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.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E** Update:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI just thought of one other reason why modern Hebrew may have been comfortable with adopting \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon \u003C\/i\u003Efor persimmon. They already had a fruit that began with a similar sound: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/08\/afarsek.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eafarsek\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eאפרסק - \"peach.\" So for speakers of Hebrew, who never witnessed \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon \u003C\/i\u003Eas a perfume, may have easily begun using it for a fruit based on the similarity to \u003Ci\u003Eafarsek\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E** Update to the update:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe great blog \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/languagehat.com\/persimmon-and-afarsemon\/\"\u003ELanguage Hat recently shared this post\u003C\/a\u003E, and as often happens when that occurs, there are great comments by very knowledgeable people. One of them noted:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe \u003Ci\u003Eafarsek\u003C\/i\u003E connection makes sense to me, as I had always (until \nlooking it up a few years ago and finding the Algonquin connection) \nfolk-etymologized \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E as a blend of \u003Ci\u003Eafarsek\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003Erimon\u003C\/i\u003E “pomegranate”, on the model of \u003Ci\u003Eafarshezif\u003C\/i\u003E “nectarine” \u0026lt; \u003Ci\u003Eafarsek\u003C\/i\u003E + \u003Ci\u003Eshezif\u003C\/i\u003E “plum”.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI completely missed mentioning אֲפַרְשְׁזִיף \u003Ci\u003Eafarshezif. \u003C\/i\u003EAnd certainly that additional fruit name would encourage people to think \u003Ci\u003Eafarsemon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;had a similar origin. But in my defense, I did look at a few lists of fruits in Hebrew and \u003Ci\u003Eafarshezif \u003C\/i\u003Ewasn'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 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%96%D7%99%D7%A3\"\u003Ethese pages\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca 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\/\"\u003Epoint out\u003C\/a\u003E, it's a mistake to call it an \u003Ci\u003Eafarshezif,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;since nectarines aren't a crossbreed of peaches and plums, but their own fruit. Therefore, they say it's proper to call it\u0026nbsp;נֶקְטָרִינָה \u003Ci\u003Enektarina\u003C\/i\u003E, and I suppose that's why it didn't enter the dictionary (or any of those lists I looked at.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4330703644313271375\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4330703644313271375","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4330703644313271375"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4330703644313271375"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2023\/01\/persimmon-and-afarsemon.html","title":"persimmon and afarsemon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6535216606351010091"},"published":{"$t":"2022-12-26T18:23:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T18:23:28.664+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"hedyot and idiot"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat is the connection between the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ehedyot\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eהֶדְיוֹט - \"layman, layperson\" and the English \"idiot\"?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey share a common origin, but in this case the Hebrew is closer to the original meaning than the English is.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHedyot\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;entered Hebrew in the rabbinic period, being borrowed from Greek. It was used in phrases like כֹּהֵן הֶדְיוֹט \u003Ci\u003Ekohen hedyot \u003C\/i\u003E(as distinguished from the High Priest), or in this mishna, discussing permitted work on the intermediate days of the festivals:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eהַהֶדְיוֹט תּוֹפֵר כְּדַרְכּוֹ, וְהָאֻמָּן מַכְלִיב\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA layman,\u003C\/b\u003E who is not a skilled tailor, \u003Cb\u003Emay sew in his\u003C\/b\u003E usual \u003Cb\u003Emanner\u003C\/b\u003E if necessary for the Festival, \u003Cb\u003Ewhereas a craftsman may form\u003C\/b\u003E only \u003Cb\u003Etemporary stitches. \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Moed_Katan.1.8?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMoed Katan 1:8\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca 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\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E notes that its original meaning of \u003Ci\u003Ehedyot\u003C\/i\u003E was \"a private man, a layman, a common person\" and provides this etymology:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EGk. \u003Ci\u003Eidiotes\u003C\/i\u003E (= private person, one not holding office; layman; an ignorant), from \u003Ci\u003Eidios\u003C\/i\u003E (= one’s own, private, personal, separated, distinct)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same \u003Ci\u003Eidios\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;gave us two other English words that preserve that original sense of \"separate, private\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/idiom\"\u003Eidiom\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\"phrase or expression peculiar to a language\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/idiosyncrasy\"\u003Eidiosyncrasy\u003C\/a\u003E: behavior or thought particular to an individual\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut what about \"idiot\"? That seems to have a different meaning than the words we've mentioned so far. Well, it took a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/idiot\"\u003Elonger journey\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eearly 14c., \"person so mentally deficient as to be incapable of ordinary\n reasoning;\" also in Middle English \"simple man, uneducated person, \nlayman\" (late 14c.), from Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eidiote\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"uneducated or ignorant person\" (12c.), from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eidiota\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"ordinary person, layman; outsider,\" in Late Latin \"uneducated or ignorant person,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eidiotes\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/i\u003E \"layman, person lacking professional skill\" (opposed to writer, \nsoldier, skilled workman), literally \"private person\" (as opposed to one\n taking part in public affairs), used patronizingly for \"ignorant \nperson,\" from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eidios\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"one's own\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo like \u003Ci\u003Ehedyot\u003C\/i\u003E, it \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20070216165801\/https:\/\/www.straightdope.com\/mailbag\/midiot.htm\"\u003Eoriginally meant\u003C\/a\u003E 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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat last meaning exists in modern Hebrew as well - as\u0026nbsp;אִידְיוֹט (borrowed from European languages). Despite their similarities, it's important for any speaker of Hebrew today to not use them interchangeably.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6535216606351010091\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6535216606351010091","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6535216606351010091"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6535216606351010091"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/12\/hedyot-and-idiot.html","title":"hedyot and idiot"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4950406184115394546"},"published":{"$t":"2022-11-27T16:02:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-11-27T16:02:04.257+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"choref and cherpa"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA reader recently asked if I've explored the words חֹרֶף \u003Ci\u003Echoref - \u003C\/i\u003E\"winter\" and\u0026nbsp;חֶרְפָּה \u003Ci\u003Echerpa \u003C\/i\u003E- \"shame.\" I know that I wrote about \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/09\/stav-and-horef.html\"\u003Echoref\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/i\u003EIt's a post I go back to often, since it's a quick way of explaining how words can change over time (\u003Ci\u003Estav\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;used to be the later season, and \u003Ci\u003Echoref\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;the earlier one.) In fact, I revisited it in a recent column in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mizrachi.org\/hamizrachiweekly\"\u003EHaMizrachi Weekly\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(see page 28 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1OvAOc0_t4Mc_hkaKB23XnHokMcQq-gpP\/view\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, to my \"shame\" I never thought to write about a connection to \u003Ci\u003Echerpa\u003C\/i\u003E. Perhaps that's because \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B9%D6%BD%D7%A8%D6%B6%D7%A3?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein doesn't suggest one\u003C\/a\u003E, and back in 2007 when I first wrote that post, I relied on him even more heavily than I do now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo I thought of writing an update to that post, exploring the possible connection to those two words. But as it happened, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rootsandrituals.org\/\"\u003EMitchell First\u003C\/a\u003E beat me to it. He recently sent me a copy of his latest book, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Words-Wise-Sixty-Two-Insights-Holidays\/dp\/1947857975\"\u003EWords for the Wise\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. As with his \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Words-Wise-Sixty-Two-Insights-Holidays\/dp\/1947857975\"\u003Eprevious books\u003C\/a\u003E, it includes many interesting short essays on history, liturgy, and of course the history and meaning of Hebrew words. (For the latter topic, you'll often notice credit to Balashon, which is always appreciated).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMitchell wrote a truly comprehensive review of the root חרף and at this point, I don't feel that I have much to add. His original column on the topic \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/jewishlink.news\/features\/48055-the-multiple-meanings-of-chet-resh-peh\"\u003Ecan be viewed here\u003C\/a\u003E, although the book has an expanded version (pp. 167-174), so if you can, it's worth taking a look there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHappy winter everyone!\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4950406184115394546\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4950406184115394546","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4950406184115394546"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4950406184115394546"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/11\/choref-and-cherpa.html","title":"choref and cherpa"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1885357719492037584"},"published":{"$t":"2022-11-20T18:53:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-11-20T18:53:06.611+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"pulmus and polemic"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe connection between the English word \"polemic\" and the Hebrew\u0026nbsp;פּוּלְמוּס \u003Ci\u003Epulmus\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;seems fairly obvious. They both mean \"controversy, dispute, debate\" and both ultimately derive from the Greek \u003Ci\u003Epolemos. \u003C\/i\u003ECased closed, right?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, I, for one, was surprised to learn that while what I wrote above is true, they each shared an earlier meaning, no longer in use. The Greek \u003Ci\u003Epolemos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meant \"war\", and that was the original meaning of both \u003Ci\u003Epulmus\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and polemic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere are the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/polemic\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary entries\u003C\/a\u003E for \"polemic\" both as noun and adjective:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Epolemic (n.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1630s, \"controversial argument or discussion, a controversy,\" from French \u003Ci\u003Epolémique \u003C\/i\u003E(16c.\/17c.), noun use of adjective meaning \"disputatious, controversial\" (see polemic (adj.)). From 1670s as \"a disputant, one who writes or argues in opposition to another.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Epolemic (adj.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"of or pertaining to controversy,\" 1640s, from French \u003Ci\u003Epolémique \u003C\/i\u003E\"disputatious, controversial,\" or directly from Greek \u003Ci\u003Epolemikos \u003C\/i\u003E\"of war, warlike, belligerent; skilled in war, fit for service; like an enemy, stirring up hostility,\" from \u003Ci\u003Epolemos \u003C\/i\u003E\"war,\" a word of unknown origin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's entry\u003C\/a\u003E for \u003Ci\u003Epulmus\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפּוּלְמוֹס\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפֻּלְמוֹס\u003C\/strong\u003E m.n. (pl. פּוּלְמוֹסִים, also \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפּוּלְמוֹסִיּוֹת\u003C\/span\u003E) PBH  \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E war.   NH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E polemic.  [From Gk. \u003Ci\u003Epolemos\u003C\/i\u003E (= war), which is related to \u003Ci\u003Epelemixein\u003C\/i\u003E (= to shake, cause to tremble), from IE * \u003Ci\u003Epelem\u003C\/i\u003E–, enlargement of base *\u003Ci\u003Epel\u003C\/i\u003E– (= to shake, swing).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe find the meaning \"war\" in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A4%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A1?lang=bi\"\u003Ea number of Talmudic sources\u003C\/a\u003E, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Sotah.9.14?lang=bi\"\u003EMishna Sotah 9:14\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eבַּפֻּלְמוֹס שֶׁל אַסְפַּסְיָנוּס גָּזְרוּ עַל עַטְרוֹת חֲתָנִים, וְעַל הָאֵרוּס. בַּפֻּלְמוֹס שֶׁל טִיטוּס גָּזְרוּ עַל עַטְרוֹת כַּלּוֹת, וְשֶׁלֹא יְלַמֵּד אָדָם אֶת בְּנוֹ יְוָנִית. בַּפֻּלְמוֹס הָאַחֲרוֹן גָּזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא תֵצֵא הַכַּלָּה בָּאַפִּרְיוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ הִתִּירוּ שֶׁתֵּצֵא הַכַּלָּה בָּאַפִּרְיוֹן בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר:\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIn the war [\u003Ci\u003Epulemus\u003C\/i\u003E] of Vespasian\u003C\/b\u003E the Sages \u003Cb\u003Edecreed upon the crowns of bridegrooms,\u003C\/b\u003E i.e., that bridegrooms may no longer wear crowns, \u003Cb\u003Eand upon the drums,\u003C\/b\u003E meaning they also banned the playing of drums. \u003Cb\u003EIn the war of Titus they\u003C\/b\u003E also \u003Cb\u003Edecreed upon the crowns of brides, and\u003C\/b\u003E they decreed \u003Cb\u003Ethat a person should not teach his son Greek.\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cb\u003EIn the last war,\u003C\/b\u003E meaning the bar Kokheva revolt, \u003Cb\u003Ethey decreed that a bride may not go out in a palanquin inside the city, but our Sages permitted a bride to go out in a palanquin inside the city,\u003C\/b\u003E as this helps the bride maintain her modesty.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe have a citation above as to the earliest appearance of \"polemic\" meaning dispute in English. When did the meaning change in Hebrew?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKutcher (\u003Ci\u003EMilim V'Toldotehen\u003C\/i\u003E, 31) writes that the change from \"war\" to \"war of words\" was a result of influence from European languages like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Polemik\"\u003EGerman\u003C\/a\u003E and English.\u0026nbsp;However, he doesn't say exactly when.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBen-Yehuda has no entry for \u003Ci\u003Epulmus \u003C\/i\u003Ein his dictionary at all - which isn't surprising since he avoided including in it words that he considered \"foreign.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il\/Pages\/PMain.aspx?koderekh=25785\u0026amp;page=3\"\u003EHistorical Dictionary Project of the Academy of the Hebrew Language\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;has the earliest \"modern\" meaning in a 1911 work.\u0026nbsp; That surprised me, since I assumed that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jewish_polemics_and_apologetics_in_the_Middle_Ages\"\u003Ethe polemics written in the Middle Ages to defend Judaism\u003C\/a\u003E were known as \u003Ci\u003Epulmusim\u003C\/i\u003E, but that doesn't seem to be the case.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo as so frequently happens, even the most obvious words leave much for me to discover.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1885357719492037584\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1885357719492037584","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1885357719492037584"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1885357719492037584"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/11\/pulmus-and-polemic.html","title":"pulmus and polemic"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7256289277931805584"},"published":{"$t":"2022-11-07T19:09:00.003+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:38:59.622+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Shemini"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"chesed and chasid"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThere are some words in Biblical Hebrew that are difficult to interpret because they only appear once in the entire Tanakh. We've discussed plenty of those. However, there are other roots that are so common, and have such variety of meaning, that it can be just as difficult to pin down the \"main\" sense (if there even is one.) The root חסד is certainly one of those cases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIts two main forms appear frequently: חֶסֶד \u003Ci\u003Ehesed \u003C\/i\u003E(246 times) and חָסִיד \u003Ci\u003Ehasid \u003C\/i\u003E(32 times). But what do they mean? \u003Ci\u003EHesed \u003C\/i\u003Ecan be easily defined as \"kindness\" (or an act of kindness), \"grace\", or \"mercy.\" The related \u003Ci\u003Ehasid \u003C\/i\u003Eis either an adjective, \u003Ci\u003Ehesed-like\u003C\/i\u003E, or a noun, \"one who does \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E.\" But that doesn't make its translation any simpler - it can mean (one who is) pious, devout\/devoted or kind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo lets look at some different explanations of these words and how scholars have tried to interpret them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein has both words representing kindness. He defines \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B7%D7%A1.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ehesed\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in this order:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E kindness, goodness, mercy.     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E affection.     \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E lovely appearance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B8%D7%A1%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%93.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehasid\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Eaccording to him,\u0026nbsp;has a similar development. In Biblical Hebrew it means \"kind, benevolent\", and only in Modern Hebrew does it gain the sense of \"pious, godly, devout.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/BDB%2C_%D7%97%D6%B6%D6%AB%D7%A1%D6%B6%D7%93?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=SidebarSearch\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBDB entry\u003C\/a\u003E (note the new \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/BDB?tab=contents\"\u003ESefaria BDB resource\u003C\/a\u003E!) goes further than Klein. They also have the root starting with \"kindness\", but note that both words can refer to piety in the Tanakh as well (e.g, \u003Ci\u003Ehesed - \u003C\/i\u003EYeshaya 57:1; \u003Ci\u003Ehasid - \u003C\/i\u003ETehilim 4:4).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGesenius says the root has a different original meaning: \"to love, desire.\" This \"desire\" comes to mean \"zeal\" or \"love\" for anyone - expressing itself in kindness or mercy. In other contexts, it can reflect piety (towards God) or the grace of God toward humans. That sense of grace is expanded, in some cases, to beauty in general (as in Esther 2:9,17).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Ben Yehuda dictionary entry for \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;begins with the translation \"grace\" and explains it as something \"beyond the requirement of the law, not done out of obligation but because of love.\" In fact, this is the only translation offered by Ben Yehuda. As far as \u003Ci\u003Ehasid\u003C\/i\u003E, he initially defines it as \"one who acts with \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E,\" then \"one who acts with \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/tzedek-and-tzedaka.html\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Etzedek\u003C\/a\u003E,\" and only in the third definition offers the translation \"pious\" (for which he does provide biblical sources.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteinberg goes in a different direction. He says that the root חסד means \"diligent.\" When diligent in the positive sense, that can lead to generosity, kindness, love, and devotion. Perhaps this sense of devotion can explain how \u003Ci\u003Ehasid \u003C\/i\u003Ecame to mean someone devoted to God (i.e., devout, pious) more than just someone who is kind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the sense of \"pious ones\", the term was adopted \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hasideans\"\u003Eby those opposing Hellenistic Jews in the Second Temple period\u003C\/a\u003E, and later following this, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ashkenazi_Hasidim\"\u003Eby an Ashkenazi religious community in the 12th and 13th centuries\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hasidic_Judaism\"\u003EJewish spiritual movement begun in 18th century Europe\u003C\/a\u003E. Today, in secular Hebrew, a \u003Ci\u003Ehasid\u003C\/i\u003E, can be a devotee or follower of any movement or individual.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are two related terms to חסד that we have not yet discussed. One is the surprising use of \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a negative context. It is not common - only appearing in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Leviticus.20.17?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EVayikra 20:17\u003C\/a\u003E where it means \"disgrace\" and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Proverbs.14.34?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishlei 14:34\u003C\/a\u003E, where it means \"reproach\" (as well as in the verb form in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Proverbs.25.10?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishlei 25:10\u003C\/a\u003E). How did it obtain this opposite meaning to all else that we've seen?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein gives two possible answers. One is that they come from different roots. He \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A1%D7%93_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ewrites\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for this meaning of חסד:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Ehe insulted (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Pr. 25:10). [Aram. חֲסַד (= was put to shame), Aram.-Syr. חַסֵּד (= he reproached, reviled), Aram. חִסְדָּא (= shame), Syr. חֶסֽדָּא (= shame, reproach, ignominy), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eḥasada \u003C\/i\u003E(= he envied). Some scholars connect Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eḥasada \u003C\/i\u003Ewith MH חָשַׁד (= he suspected). See \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%93.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eחשׁד\u003C\/a\u003E. See also חֶסֶד ᴵᴵ.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut he also offers the suggestion that this is a case where one root can contain two opposite meanings. For his second definition of \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E, he notes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAccording to some scholars חֶסֶד ᴵᴵ and חֶסֶד ᴵ are of the same origin. For the ambivalence of meaning cp. בֵּרַךְ (= he cursed), which is ult. identical with בֵּרַךְ (= he blessed)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerhaps this is a case of a contronym, which \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/search?q=contronym\"\u003Ewe have discussed several times\u003C\/a\u003E. The BDB, for example, writes that the same \"eager zeal or desire\" which led to kindness, can also lead to envy, shame, and reproach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other word which may be related is the Hebrew word for \"stork\", חֲסִידָה - \u003Ci\u003Ehasida. \u003C\/i\u003EIn\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B2%D7%A1%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%93%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ehis entry\u003C\/a\u003E, he defines it as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Elit.: ‘the pious bird’; so called in allusion to its love for its young\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe notes that the Latin word for stork,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Epietaticultrix\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pietas#Iconography\"\u003Ehad the same meaning\u003C\/a\u003E - representing its dedication to both its young and its parents. When the \u003Ci\u003Ehasida\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is mentioned in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Leviticus.11.19?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EVayikra 11:19\u003C\/a\u003E, Rashi, quoting \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Chullin.63a.16?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EHullin 63a\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Leviticus.11.19?lang=bi\u0026amp;aliyot=0\u0026amp;p2=Rashi_on_Leviticus.11.19.1\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003Ecomments\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhy is it called \u003Ci\u003Ehasida\u003C\/i\u003E? Because it acts kindly with its fellows in respect to food.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, a question remains: if the stork acts with \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E, why is it listed as a non-kosher bird?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;An answer offered in the name of various Chassidic (!) rebbes is that the stork is devoted \u003Cu\u003Eonly\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;to its own kind. That may be a sign of piety, but it is not a sign of kindness - and so the stork is not kosher. In our review of the various meanings of \u003Ci\u003Ehesed\u003C\/i\u003E, this is a very important lesson to remember.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7256289277931805584\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7256289277931805584","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7256289277931805584"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7256289277931805584"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/11\/chesed-and-chasid.html","title":"chesed and chasid"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3867961564453725722"},"published":{"$t":"2022-10-31T19:51:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:39:34.715+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayigash"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"chok and chakika"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word for \"law, statute\" חֹק \u003Ci\u003Echok\u003C\/i\u003E, derives from the root חקק. That root can mean \"to decree, legislate\", but it can also mean \"to engrave\" or \"to carve (out).\"\u0026nbsp; What is the connection?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBefore researching this question, I would have assumed that the laws were originally engraved in stone or clay, and that would explain the development. But that doesn't seem to be exactly the case.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein provides the following entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%A7.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eחקק\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAram. חֲקַק (= he engraved), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eḥaqqa\u003C\/i\u003E (= was right, was obligatory), \u003Ci\u003Eḥaqq\u003C\/i\u003E (= justness, truth, necessity, obligation), Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Eḥeq\u003C\/i\u003E (= moderate, sufficient).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;(While he mentions here the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ehaqq \u003C\/i\u003E\"truth\", there is also an Arabic cognate, \u003Ci\u003Ehuqq\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"a hollow place\". This developed into \u003Ci\u003Ehuqqah - \u003C\/i\u003E\"a small box, vessel\", which eventually entered English as \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/hookah\"\u003Ehookah\u003C\/a\u003E\".)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein also notes the related root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%94.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eחקה\u003C\/a\u003E, which while also meaning \"to engrave,\" more commonly means \"to imitate.\" One definition that Klein provides for this root is \"to trace,\" which seems to be the bridge between engraving and imitating.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, regarding חקק, the cognates from the other Semitic languages imply that the development went from \"engraving\" to \"set in place.\" This led to the Arabic \"truth\" and eventually to the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Echok\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as well. This also can be seen from the progress of the word \u003Ci\u003Echok\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;itself. Note the order of definitions in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B9%D7%A7?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E something prescribed, enactment, decree, statute, law, rule.     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E prescribed portion, prescribed due.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt didn't originally mean \"law\" but rather a set portion, a prescription. We see that usage in this verse, describing the portion the Egyptian priests received from Pharoah:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eרַק אַדְמַת הַכֹּהֲנִים לֹא קָנָה כִּי חֹק לַכֹּהֲנִים מֵאֵת פַּרְעֹה וְאָכְלוּ אֶת־חֻקָּם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם פַּרְעֹה עַל־כֵּן לֹא מָכְרוּ אֶת־אַדְמָתָם׃\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Only the land of the priests he did not take over, for the priests had an allotment [\u003Ci\u003Echok\u003C\/i\u003E] from Pharaoh, and they lived off the allotment which Pharaoh had made to them; therefore they did not sell their land.\" (Bereshit 47:22)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIt is easy to see how the word for a prescription can turn into a word for a law or rule.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn the Tanakh, we also find the related word\u0026nbsp;חֻקָּה \u003Ci\u003Echuka\u003C\/i\u003E. In Biblical Hebrew it is essentially synonymous with \u003Ci\u003Echok\u003C\/i\u003E. But in Modern Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Echukah\u003C\/i\u003E got a more specific meaning - \"constitution.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3867961564453725722\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3867961564453725722","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3867961564453725722"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3867961564453725722"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/10\/chok-and-chakika.html","title":"chok and chakika"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6260807294221923485"},"published":{"$t":"2022-10-02T19:39:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-10-02T19:39:51.456+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"snif"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI was recently asked about the etymology of the word\u0026nbsp;סְנִיף \u003Ci\u003Esnif\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- meaning \"branch,\" as in the branch of a bank or the local branch of a youth movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein provides some information. For \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D6%B0%D7%A0%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%A3.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Esnif\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, he writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPBH 1 attachment, addition. NH 2 branch of a school or of a business institution. [From סנף.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut in his entry for the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D7%A0%D7%A3.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eסנף\u003C\/a\u003E, he doesn't have much to offer regarding the origin. He defines the verb as \"to add, join, insert\" (with some forms also meaning \"to annex\"), but leaves the etymology as \"of uncertain origin.\" This is actually surprising, since he tends to rely heavily on the Ben Yehuda dictionary's etymologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this case the entry for סנף in Ben Yehuda suggest that סנף may be the ספעל (\u003Ci\u003Esaf'el\u003C\/i\u003E)\u0026nbsp;verb form of the Hebrew root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D6%B8%D7%A0%D6%B8%D7%A3.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eענף\u003C\/a\u003E, also meaning \"branch.\" (\u003Ci\u003ESaf'el\u003C\/i\u003E is similar to \u003Ci\u003Eshaf'el, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich we saw \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/10\/shukran.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and is more likely to be found in words wtih Aramaic influence.) So the meaning would be \"to cause to become a branch.\" Even-Shoshan expands on this, implying that the original form was סענף, but the \u003Ci\u003Eayin \u003C\/i\u003Edropped out, leaving סנף.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/daat.ac.il\/daat\/ktav_et\/maamar.asp?ktavet=1\u0026amp;id=1290\"\u003Ethis essay\u003C\/a\u003E, Yaakov Etsion notes that in Talmudic Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Esnif\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;referred to wedges or beams that were attached to larger pieces. From there it was later borrowed into the more abstract sense of any type of attachment. And in the end, Etsion notes that it was Eliezer Ben-Yehuda himself who gave \u003Ci\u003Esnif\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;the modern meaning of \"branch, affiliate.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6260807294221923485\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6260807294221923485","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6260807294221923485"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6260807294221923485"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/10\/snif.html","title":"snif"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-208911338483544065"},"published":{"$t":"2022-08-21T22:41:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:40:40.095+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Naso"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"taar and morah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the Tanakh, there are two words for razor for shaving. The more common one,\u0026nbsp;תַּעַר \u003Ci\u003Eta'ar\u003C\/i\u003E, is found in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/8593.%D7%AA%D6%B7%D7%A2%D6%B7%D7%A8\"\u003Efive verses\u003C\/a\u003E: Bamidbar 6:5, 8:7; Yeshaya 7:20; Tehilim 52:4,\u0026nbsp; and Yechezkel 5:1. (In Yirmiyahu 36:23, it refers to a scribe's knife.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe less frequent word,\u0026nbsp;מוֹרָה \u003Ci\u003Emorah\u003C\/i\u003E, only appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/4177.%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%94\"\u003Ethree times\u003C\/a\u003E: Shoftim 13:5, 16:17; and Shmuel I 1:11. All of these mentions of \u003Ci\u003Emorah\u003C\/i\u003E refer to nazirites (Shimshon and Shmuel).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe laws of the nazirite are found in Bamidbar, and that is where \u003Ci\u003Eta'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears. The phrasing of the verses is very similar. Bamidbar 6:5 says תַּעַר לֹא־יַעֲבֹר עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ \"no razor [\u003Ci\u003Eta'ar\u003C\/i\u003E] shall touch his head.\" Of both Shimshon and Shmuel the verses say וּמוֹרָה לֹא יַעֲלֶה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ \"and no razor [\u003Ci\u003Emorah\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;shall come on his head.\" This would seem to indicate that the two words are synonymous - referring to the same object, first in the law of the nazir, and then in the stories of two nazirites.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis understanding is reflected in the etymology of the two words. Many recent scholars say that they share a common origin. For example, Klein writes in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%94_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehis entry for \u003Ci\u003Emorah\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EOf uncertain origin; possibly contraction of מַעֲרָה, from ערה ᴵ (= to lay bare), whence תַּעַר (= razor).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe root ערה, \"to lay bare, strip\" (the source of \u003Ci\u003Earom \u003C\/i\u003Eערום - \"naked\") therefore led to both words. \u003Ci\u003EMorah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was a contraction (the ayin dropped out) of \u003Ci\u003Ema'areh \u003C\/i\u003E(meaning an open, bare place - see Shoftim 20:33), and \u003Ci\u003Eta'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was a different way the noun was formed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKaddari also accepts this theory, and expands it by noting the connection between the root גלח - \"to shave\" and גלה - \"to uncover, expose.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis same root - \"to reveal\" - can explain another usage of \u003Ci\u003Eta'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the Tanakh. It can also mean \"sheath (of a sword), scabbard\" (Shmuel I 17:51; Shmuel II 20:8; Yirmiyahu 47:6; Yechezkel 21:8,9,10,35).\u0026nbsp;As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B7%D6%BC%D6%BD%D7%A2%D6%B7%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein points out\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EProb. from ערה ᴵ (= to lay bare, uncover), whence also Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Et‘rt\u003C\/i\u003E (= sheath of a sword); hence of the same etymology as תַּעַר ᴵ.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGesenius says that \u003Ci\u003Eta'ar \u003C\/i\u003Eas sheath, \"perhaps so called from emptiness.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday, \u003Ci\u003Emorah \u003C\/i\u003Eis almost never used for \"razor\" (probably because its other meaning, female teacher, is much more prevalent). \u003Ci\u003ETa'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is used for razor, although the phrase סַכִּין גִּלּוּחַ \u003Ci\u003Esakin giluach\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is also common. As far as sheath\/scabbard, I guess I never had a reason to use the word, since the current word surprised me: נָדָן \u003Ci\u003Enadan\u003C\/i\u003E. But it too is biblical, found in Divrei Hayamim I 21:27. However its origin is Persian (see a discussion \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1451063\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/208911338483544065\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=208911338483544065","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/208911338483544065"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/208911338483544065"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/08\/taar-and-morah.html","title":"taar and morah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4489027917372520018"},"published":{"$t":"2022-08-08T19:32:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-08-08T19:32:44.357+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gazam and higzim"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E'When discussing \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/07\/hiflig-and-muflag.html\"\u003Ehiflig\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, I mentioned that while one definition is \"exaggerate\", that's not a use common in Hebrew today.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI've now given it a bit more thought, and I think the reason is perhaps the popularity of the word \u003Ci\u003Ehigzim \u003C\/i\u003Eהגזים for \"exaggerate.\" With a word that pervasive, there wasn't need for a synonym, which left \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig \u003C\/i\u003Eas \"exaggerate\" an archaic usage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat got me wondering about \u003Ci\u003Ehigzim\u003C\/i\u003E. It is the \u003Ci\u003Ehifil \u003C\/i\u003Eform of the verb גזם. That verb, in its \u003Ci\u003Ekal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form, means \"to cut\", or more specifically \"to prune, trim.\" (We've \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/01\/gezer.html\"\u003Ealready\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/gimmel.html\"\u003Enoted \u003C\/a\u003Ethat it fits the pattern of roots beginning with *גז meaning \"to cut.\") How did a root that means \"to prune\" (the process of shortening) come to mean \"to exaggerate\" - which is making something bigger than it really is?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D7%96%D7%9D_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein notes\u003C\/a\u003E that in addition \u003Ci\u003Ehigzim \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"to exaggerate\", it also means \"to threaten.\" While not in common use today, that sense is found in Talmudic Hebrew. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%92%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%96%D6%B7%D7%9D.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E provides a few such cases in his entry. For example, he quotes Shevuot 46a:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eעביד איניש דגזים וכ׳\u003C\/span\u003E a man frequently threatens mischief and does not do it. Ib. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהכי נמי ג׳ וכ׳\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;..\u0026nbsp;in this case, too, he may have threatened and not done it.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Shevuot.46a.15?lang=bi\"\u003EThe English Steinsaltz translation\u003C\/a\u003E is slightly different than Jastrow's:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eאלמא עביד איניש דגזים ולא עביד הכא נמי דגזים ולא עביד\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEvidently, a person is prone\u003C\/b\u003E to \u003Cb\u003Ebluster without acting\u003C\/b\u003E on his threat. \u003Cb\u003EHere, also,\u003C\/b\u003E it could be \u003Cb\u003Ethat he was blustering\u003C\/b\u003E about seizing collateral, \u003Cb\u003Ebut did not act\u003C\/b\u003E on it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe choice of \"to bluster\" as the translation of the Aramaic cognate גזים was a clever choice. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/bluster\"\u003EMeaning\u003C\/a\u003E \"to talk or act with noisy swaggering threats\" and \"to utter with noisy self-assertiveness\", it encompasses both the sense of \"to threaten\" and \"to exaggerate.\" This is appropriate for the case above, where the person doesn't carry through with his threat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut not every threat is a bluster. For example, the midrash (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Bamidbar_Rabbah.14.7?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBamidbar Rabbah 14:6\u003C\/a\u003E) refers to the story of Joseph and Potifar's wife, saying that if Joseph did not acquiesce to her request, she threatened to tell her her husband that Joseph assaulted her. And yet Joseph did not give in to her, despite what she threatened to do to him -\u0026nbsp;שֶׁהָיְתָה מַגְזֶמֶת לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ. And as we know from the biblical story - she did indeed tell her husband that Joseph assaulted her - she carried out her threat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne word can't therefore contain all the meanings of \u003Ci\u003Ehigzim\u003C\/i\u003E. So we need a different explanation as to the different meanings of the verb גזם. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D7%96%D7%9D_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E provides just such an explanation. After providing an initial definition of גזם meaning \"to cut down, hew down,\" in his explanation of the second meaning (\"to exaggerate, to threaten\"), he writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThis base is prob. identical with גזם ᴵ. The phases of sense development prob. are: cut; ‘to speak in a cutting or sharp manner; to exaggerate; to threaten’.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt seems to me that \"to threaten\" probably preceded \"to exaggerate\", but his connecting of \"to cut\" and to speak in a \"cutting or sharp manner\" makes sense to me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4489027917372520018\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4489027917372520018","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4489027917372520018"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4489027917372520018"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/08\/gazam-and-higzim.html","title":"gazam and higzim"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3375226035819407661"},"published":{"$t":"2022-07-31T19:38:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-07-31T19:38:10.733+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"hiflig and muflag"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA few months ago, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/04\/folk-pelach-and-peleg.html\"\u003Ewe discussed the root \u003Ci\u003Epeleg\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;פלג. I noted the following:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cognate \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Eפלג \u003C\/a\u003Eprovides\n even more words. As with פלח, the root means \"cleave, split, divide.\" \nHere are a sample of some of the words deriving from that root:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפִּלֵּג\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Epileg -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\"to divide, separate\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eהִפְלִיג \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to depart (by ship), to set sail\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking back, I don't think I gave enough attention to the form \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig\u003C\/i\u003E, and I didn't even mention the passive form - \u003Ci\u003Emuflag \u003C\/i\u003Eמופלג. Let's look at them now.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike \u003Ci\u003Epileg\u003C\/i\u003E, these forms only appear in post-Biblical Hebrew. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein provides\u003C\/a\u003E a few different meanings:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EHiph.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהִפֽלִיג\u003C\/strong\u003E    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he separated (orig. ‘he divided’);     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E he went off (lit.: ‘he separated himself’); for sense development cp. Fren. \u003Ci\u003Epartir\u003C\/i\u003E (= to divide, separate), \u003Ci\u003Ese partir\u003C\/i\u003E (= to separate oneself, depart, leave);     \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E he set sail;     \u003Cb\u003E4\u003C\/b\u003E he turned aside, diverted, put off;     \u003Cb\u003E5\u003C\/b\u003E he removed;     \u003Cb\u003E6\u003C\/b\u003E he exaggerated (lit. prob. meaning ‘he went too far’). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Hoph.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהֻפֽלַג\u003C\/strong\u003E    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E was diverted;     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E was removed.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%BB%D7%A4%D6%B0%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%92.1?lang=bi\"\u003Emuflag\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;he offers a few more:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026nbsp;PBH  \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E distant, remote.   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E distinguished, excellent.   NH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E exaggerated.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, there are many more meanings found in Talmudic and Rabbinic Hebrew. Jastrow lists the following (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9C%D6%B7%D7%92.1?lang=bi\"\u003Esee the link\u003C\/a\u003E for citations) for \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto part, go away\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto go to sea\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto rest from work, to pause\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto divert, put off; to discard\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto reject, disregard, discard\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto decline from the road\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto withdraw one's self, to be reserved, speak in indefinite and general terms\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto differ\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto go too far\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd for \u003Ci\u003Emuflag\u003C\/i\u003E, Jastrow adds: removed, far, distinguished, special expert.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut Jastrow is only a dictionary of Talmudic and Midrashic Hebrew. The Ben-Yehuda dictionary, which goes all the way up to the early modern period, has even more. For example, it also includes:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto put off with fair words\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto put aside\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto separate oneself\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto branch off, to step aside\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto not mind, to not pay attention\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto go astray\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto go far\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIt also has \"detached\" for \u003Ci\u003Emuflag.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(I should note that the Ben-Yehuda dictionary has 6 (!) pages of examples of uses of these two roots, and they cover far more subtle differences than the translations I provided above).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat I find remarkable, is that with the root having so many meanings and connotations over the centuries, in modern Hebrew very few are still in use.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe dictionary web site Morfix only provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9C%D6%B7%D7%92.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ethree definitions for \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9C%D6%B7%D7%92.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ehiflig\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Eto depart (by ship, boat); to sail; to exaggerate\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHowever, I don't recall hearing \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig \u003C\/i\u003Eused in the sense \"to exaggerate\" in conversation in Israel. That could simply be an oversight on my part, but looking at the site Reverso, which takes its examples from a corpus of translated texts, I think I'm not so far off. For \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/context.reverso.net\/translation\/hebrew-english\/%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%92#\"\u003EReverso\u003C\/a\u003E only suggests the following:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Esailed, sail, sailing, shipped out, proceeded, departed\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf we add the word שבח \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/05\/shevach_02.html\"\u003Eshevach \u003C\/a\u003E- \u003C\/i\u003E\"praise\" - to the phrase, then we find examples both in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/search?q=%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%92%20%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%97%D7%95\u0026amp;tab=text\u0026amp;tvar=1\u0026amp;tsort=relevance\u0026amp;svar=1\u0026amp;ssort=relevance\"\u003EMedieval Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E and in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%92+%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%97\u0026amp;client=firefox-b-d\u0026amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsa7aIzgPBj7vdx0cRmj7lupMwuWDA:1659285397787\u0026amp;source=lnms\u0026amp;tbm=nws\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjA6dzlx6P5AhX6JMUKHdpICMwQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA\u0026amp;biw=2560\u0026amp;bih=1279\u0026amp;dpr=1\"\u003EModern Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E of הפליג בשבח meaning \"lavish praise (on someone\/something).\" Those examples don't imply exaggeration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERegarding \u003Ci\u003Emuflag\u003C\/i\u003E, we see a similar phenomenon. Looking at the definition found in the various dictionaries, you might think that the common meaning was \"exaggerated.\" That's particularly true if you consider some of the negative connotations of \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;cited, like \"to go astray\", \"to reject', and in particular, \"to go too far\", which Klein suggested was the origin of the meaning \"exaggerated\".\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut again, that's not really what we see in common use. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.morfix.co.il\/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92\"\u003EMorfix\u003C\/a\u003E does suggest \"exaggerated\", but the meanings listed are \"grand\" and \"exalted\".\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/context.reverso.net\/translation\/hebrew-english\/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92\"\u003EReverso \u003C\/a\u003Edoesn't have \"exaggerated\" at all, instead offering:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Esuperlative, ripe old, old age, great age, overdrive, superlatively, superfluous\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI do recognize that \"superfluous\" isn't so far from \"exaggerated\", but I think the latter implies more conscious intent. A common use of \u003Ci\u003Emuflag\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;today is in the phrase \u003Ci\u003Egil muflag\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;גיל מופלג (as seen in some of Reverso's suggestion), referring to someone very old.\u0026nbsp; So I think good translations of \u003Ci\u003Emuflag \u003C\/i\u003Ecould be \"exceeding(ly great)\" or \"excessive\", depending on the context. Sometimes it would reflect the earlier sense of \"to go far\" and other times \"to go too far.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3375226035819407661\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3375226035819407661","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3375226035819407661"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3375226035819407661"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/07\/hiflig-and-muflag.html","title":"hiflig and muflag"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3704903252542085834"},"published":{"$t":"2022-07-24T19:51:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-07-24T19:51:04.351+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"olar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA reader asked about the etymology of\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;אוֹלָר \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"pen knife\" - since \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E reports that the word is \"of unknown origin.\" The more recent Even-Shoshan dictionary also does not provide the origin of the word.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears for the first time in Mishnaic Hebrew, but appears in only a very few sources, making its history difficult to decipher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe most prominent source is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Kelim.12.8?vhe=Torat_Emet_357\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishna Kelim 12:8\u003C\/a\u003E, which lists various utensils subject to ritual impurity. It begins by mentioning:\u0026nbsp;הָאוֹלָר, וְהַקֻּלְמוֹס\u0026nbsp; - the \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the \u003Ci\u003Ekulmos. \u003C\/i\u003ESince the latter is a \"reed pen\" (as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/05\/kalmar.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E), the \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was understood to specifically refer to a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Penknife\"\u003Epenknife\u003C\/a\u003E, since that kind of small knife was originally used for cutting the quills used for pens. Like the English word penknife, today \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;refers to any kind of pocket knife, like the famous Swiss Army knife.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe also find the \u003Ci\u003Eolar \u003C\/i\u003Eand the \u003Ci\u003Ekulmos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;together in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Tosefta_Kelim_Batra.7.4?vhe=Tosefta_Keilim_Batra_-_Machon_Mamre\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;lookup=%D7%94%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%A8%20%D7%95%D7%94%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%A1\u0026amp;with=Lexicon\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETosefta Kelim BB 7:12\u003C\/a\u003E, and that's pretty much it. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il\/Pages\/PMain.aspx?koderekh=1747\u0026amp;page=1\"\u003EHistorical Dictionary Project\u003C\/a\u003E of the Academy of the Hebrew Language provides a few more mentions, but none shed light on the possible origin of the word. However, looking at the quotes mentioned there, we do find that some sources have the word spelled\u0026nbsp;אוֹלָד \u003Ci\u003Eolad\u003C\/i\u003E, instead of \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%90%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9C%D7%95%D6%B9%D6%BE?ven=London,_Luzac,_1903\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E prefers this spelling, and provides this definition:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ea tool for hollowing out and cutting the writing reed\u003C\/i\u003E (scalprum), a sort of \u003Ci\u003Epen-knife\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollowing his general tendency to look for Semitic origins for Talmudic words, Jastrow suggests that \u003Ci\u003Eolad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;comes from the roots ילד or ולד, presumably in the way that a fetus fills the abdominal cavity of a pregnant woman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat suggestion seems farfetched to me. Yet putting his etymology aside, it's not clear which is the original word - \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Eolad. \u003C\/i\u003EBased on the similarity between the letters \u003Ci\u003Eresh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Edalet\u003C\/i\u003E, it's understandable how such a rare word could have been the subject of a scribal error in either direction. But with no etymology, we can't really say which form should be preferred.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe question of \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;vs \u003Ci\u003Eolad \u003C\/i\u003Ebecame more intense during the dawn of modern Hebrew - I assume because the word was now entering the vernacular, and people needed to know how to say and write it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lib.cet.ac.il\/pages\/item.asp?item=16950\"\u003EBialik\u003C\/a\u003E claimed that \u003Ci\u003Eolad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was the original form (which lead to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/newspapers\/mar\/1972\/12\/22\/01\/article\/160\/?e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1\"\u003Ean interesting conversation with Avineri\u003C\/a\u003E), as did \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrewbooks.org\/pdfpager.aspx?req=48229\u0026amp;st=\u0026amp;pgnum=347\u0026amp;hilite=\"\u003EKohut in his Arukh Hashalem\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24384534?read-now=1\u0026amp;refreqid=excelsior%3Aed0b7193260a67bc15b5598d17fcf7f3\u0026amp;seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents\"\u003ETur-Sinai\u003C\/a\u003E agreed that \u003Ci\u003Eolad \u003C\/i\u003Ewas probably the original form, but noted that since we don't know the etymology, there's no point in objecting to the popular form \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E. And since \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the way it appears in most printed editions of the Mishna, as well as in the later works of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Vessels.9.16?vhe=Torat_Emet_363\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003ERambam\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(as pointed out by Melamed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24371349?read-now=1\u0026amp;refreqid=excelsior%3A8995e6c8c3eb2beb298f183c07f1e542\u0026amp;seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) , that's what stuck.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo what about the etymology? The footnote to the \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;entry in the Ben-Yehuda dictionary concedes that the source isn't known (which is likely what led Klein to the same conclusion). It notes that there were attempts to find a Greek source, but like Jastrow's Hebrew one, they are not convincing. It quotes \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heinrich_Leberecht_Fleischer\"\u003EFleischer\u003C\/a\u003E as saying that \u003Ci\u003Eolar \u003C\/i\u003E(or \u003Ci\u003Eolad\u003C\/i\u003E) is one of those words that entered Hebrew in the Mishnaic period that we simply don't know the etymology. Fleischer was commenting on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/9889-levy-jacob\"\u003EJacob Levy\u003C\/a\u003E's dictionary of Talmudic terms (in German). Levy (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/neuhebrischesu01levyuoft\/page\/40\/mode\/2up\"\u003Epage 40\u003C\/a\u003E) proposes a Greek etymology, and then Fleischer later disagrees \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/neuhebrischesu01levyuoft\/page\/278\/mode\/2up\"\u003E(page 279\u003C\/a\u003E). Using \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/translate.google.com\/?sl=de\u0026amp;tl=en\u0026amp;text=S.%20%2040%2C%20%20Sp.%20%201%2C%20%20Z.%20%207%20%20V.%20%20u.%20%20flg.%20%20Da%5E%20%20die%20%20versuchte%20%0AAbleitung%20%20des%20%20Wortes%20%20%22%2CbnN%20%20von%20%20op-jcco%2C%20%20cpc%2C%20%0Abesonders%20%20in%20%20der%20%20Endsylbe%20%20lar%20%20auf%20%20eine%20%20un%C3%BCber-%20%0Awindliche%20Schwierigkeit%20%20st%C3%B6sst%2C%20%20so%20%20m%C3%B6chte%20%20ich%20%0Adasselbe%20%20lieber%20%20zu%20%20den%20%20zahlreichen%20%20noch%20%20unge-%20%0Al%C3%B6sten%20%2C%20%20vielleicht%20%20%C3%BCberhaupt%20%20unl%C3%B6sbaren%20%20etymolo-%20%0Agischen%20R%C3%A4thseln%20%20dieser%20%20Mischsprache%20%20rechnen.%20\u0026amp;op=translate\"\u003EGoogle Translate\u003C\/a\u003E, Fleischer considers this one of the \"numerous unsolved, maybe even unsolvable, etymological riddles of this mixed language.\" (German speakers are welcome to provide a better translation).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENothing I found in more recent scholarship has presented a \"new\" etymology for \u003Ci\u003Eolar\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you read this far that might not be satisfying, and even frustrating. But I look at it as an opportunity. Perhaps one of you will be the one to crack the case!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3704903252542085834\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3704903252542085834","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3704903252542085834"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3704903252542085834"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/07\/olar.html","title":"olar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-55355784520204276"},"published":{"$t":"2022-07-17T21:49:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-07-17T21:49:05.794+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"kasda"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThis is a short one, but I thought it was interesting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word for helmet, \u003Ci\u003Ekasda\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eקַסְדָּה (or in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Kelim.11.8?lang=bi\"\u003EMishna\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;קַסְדָּא) comes from Latin. Here is Klein's etymology:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EFrom L. \u003Ci\u003Ecassis\u003C\/i\u003E, gen. \u003Ci\u003Ecassidis\u003C\/i\u003E, which prob. stands for * \u003Ci\u003Ekadh-tis\u003C\/i\u003E, from IE * \u003Ci\u003Ekadh\u003C\/i\u003E– (= to guard, watch), whence also Old Eng. \u003Ci\u003Ehōd, hood, haett\u003C\/i\u003E (= hat).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile words like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/hood#etymonline_v_14420\"\u003Ehood\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/hat?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Ehat\u003C\/a\u003E may indeed be distantly cognate with \u003Ci\u003Ekasda\u003C\/i\u003E, I liked these closer cousins.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/cassida#Latin\"\u003Ecassida \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Eshows up in the name of a genus of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cassida\"\u003Etortoise beetles\u003C\/a\u003E, whose shells do recall a helmet:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhnFDT8Nfzm14KBbFeZa5oMeZDC3PjlJRz5m-7ROS6QBu3FTiFuGdcKedkJcpP8PX9GXJ_bhe0fElKw_BFZsftjA9metS3PtsRncpb7mZKici8qJTzAIgsXFc2JNPZSMVR6LQ__A0pTuRQVV7HBq6vsnzvt2XskkZQwZ4STRK01OEFKryHZWg\/s800\/Cassida_nebulosa.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"551\" data-original-width=\"800\" height=\"220\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhnFDT8Nfzm14KBbFeZa5oMeZDC3PjlJRz5m-7ROS6QBu3FTiFuGdcKedkJcpP8PX9GXJ_bhe0fElKw_BFZsftjA9metS3PtsRncpb7mZKici8qJTzAIgsXFc2JNPZSMVR6LQ__A0pTuRQVV7HBq6vsnzvt2XskkZQwZ4STRK01OEFKryHZWg\/s320\/Cassida_nebulosa.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003EFrom \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:P1080933_Cassida_nebulosa.jpg\"\u003EWikipedia\u003C\/a\u003E \/\u0026nbsp;© Darius Baužys\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt also appears in the name of of a family of large sea snails, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cassidae\"\u003ECassidae\u003C\/a\u003E, who are also known as \"helmet snails\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjnHo-o1n06T6S5KNEJ4aMajudILQDc8l62lcd03uEhIAitB0fTrpaAvjWRurSB2gAymaeCefvRBe1CG1NdI9YDToR6k51SeaZRLxK5NEGCYZ2cwaYQyAWZ-hrSbrhYBx3v5Otk6uycw9V_8IDVuX_KALvKrRcYI8f_Bfykp3yxNGeNSy0BuQ\/s799\/snail.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"533\" data-original-width=\"799\" height=\"213\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjnHo-o1n06T6S5KNEJ4aMajudILQDc8l62lcd03uEhIAitB0fTrpaAvjWRurSB2gAymaeCefvRBe1CG1NdI9YDToR6k51SeaZRLxK5NEGCYZ2cwaYQyAWZ-hrSbrhYBx3v5Otk6uycw9V_8IDVuX_KALvKrRcYI8f_Bfykp3yxNGeNSy0BuQ\/s320\/snail.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/budak\/51362681871\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow responsible of them to be wearing a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekasda\u003C\/i\u003E!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/55355784520204276\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=55355784520204276","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/55355784520204276"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/55355784520204276"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/07\/kasda.html","title":"kasda"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhnFDT8Nfzm14KBbFeZa5oMeZDC3PjlJRz5m-7ROS6QBu3FTiFuGdcKedkJcpP8PX9GXJ_bhe0fElKw_BFZsftjA9metS3PtsRncpb7mZKici8qJTzAIgsXFc2JNPZSMVR6LQ__A0pTuRQVV7HBq6vsnzvt2XskkZQwZ4STRK01OEFKryHZWg\/s72-c\/Cassida_nebulosa.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5473682616109243330"},"published":{"$t":"2022-07-11T19:45:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-07-11T19:45:10.148+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"safsal and asla"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the fun things when doing etymological research is discovering two related words, that you previously had no idea were connected, but once you look into it the connection makes a lot of sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat's the case with the words סַפְסָל \u003Ci\u003Esafsal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;אַסְלָה \u003Ci\u003Easla\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D6%B7%D7%A4%D6%B0%D7%A1%D6%B8%D7%9C.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's entry for \u003Ci\u003Esafsal\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EPBH    bench, stool.  [From L. \u003Ci\u003Esub-selliam\u003C\/i\u003E (= bench, seat), through the medium of Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esuphellion\u003C\/i\u003E, formed from \u003Ci\u003Esub\u003C\/i\u003E (= under; see סוּבּ◌), and \u003Ci\u003Esella\u003C\/i\u003E, from the base of \u003Ci\u003Esedēre\u003C\/i\u003E (= to sit)]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving \u003Ci\u003Esafsal \u003C\/i\u003Ederive from the Latin \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/subsellium\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esubsellium\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Emakes even more sense when you note that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=SMzgBLT87MkC\u0026amp;pg=PA521\u0026amp;lpg=PA521\u0026amp;dq=subsellium+Hebrew\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=t6McP4MJmr\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U1wJwvooEzf2np-PHkZIuF7fedyQA\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwio9u78g-L4AhX1h_0HHXs9AEoQ6AF6BAgoEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Esome manuscripts of the mishna\u003C\/a\u003E vocalize the word as \u003Ci\u003Esafsel\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Latin \u003Ci\u003Esella\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"seat, chair\" - also appears in \u003Ci\u003Easla \u003C\/i\u003E(today \"toilet\" \/ \"toilet bowl\"). Again, here's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%A1%D6%B0%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EPBH (pl. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאֲסָלוֹת\u003C\/span\u003E, resp. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאֲסֶלּוֹת\u003C\/span\u003E)   closet stool, lavatory seat.  [L. \u003Ci\u003Esella\u003C\/i\u003E (= seat, chair, stool), for \u003Ci\u003Esed-lā\u003C\/i\u003E, from \u003Ci\u003Esedēre\u003C\/i\u003E (= to sit). ... The אַ◌ in אַסְלָה is prosthetic.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same roots for these Hebrew words have also made their way into English. The verb \u003Ci\u003Esedere \u003C\/i\u003Emade its way into such words as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sedentary\"\u003Esedentary\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/preside#etymonline_v_19458\"\u003Epreside\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sedate#etymonline_v_23094\"\u003Esedate\u003C\/a\u003E. And if we go back to its Proto-Indo-European root, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/*sed-#etymonline_v_52569\"\u003E*sed\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, we get even more English words, including very common ones like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sit?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Esit\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/set?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_23291\"\u003Eset\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/chair?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Echair\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat same PIE root, via Greek, gave us one more very familiar Hebrew word - \u003Ci\u003Esanhedrin\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;סנהדרין. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D6%B7%D7%A0%D6%B0%D7%94%D6%B6%D7%93%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9F.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein \u003C\/a\u003Eprovides the background:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EPBH    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E ‘Sanhedrin’ — the supreme Jewish court (\u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eסַנְהֶדְרִין גְּדוֹלָה\u003C\/span\u003E) in the time of the Second Temple, consisting of 71 scholars.     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E one of the lesser courts with 23 members, called \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eסַנְהֶדְרִין קְטַנָּה\u003C\/span\u003E, lit.: ‘the small Sanhedrin’.  [Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esynedrion\u003C\/i\u003E (= council, council chamber), lit.: ‘sitting together’, from \u003Ci\u003Esyn\u003C\/i\u003E (= with, together with), and \u003Ci\u003Eedra\u003C\/i\u003E (= a seat), which is cogn. with L. \u003Ci\u003Esedēre\u003C\/i\u003E (= to sit).]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sanhedrim?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E gives a similar etymology, but has the Greek \u003Ci\u003Ehedra \u003C\/i\u003Efor \"seat.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll these words represent very different kinds of \"seats\", each with their own purpose. Since sitting is such a common experience, it shouldn't be surprising that it has led to so many words - expressing both the literal and symbolic expression of the action.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5473682616109243330\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5473682616109243330","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5473682616109243330"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5473682616109243330"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/07\/safsal-and-asla.html","title":"safsal and asla"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3956370858486127643"},"published":{"$t":"2022-06-30T22:00:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-06-30T22:05:07.461+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"falafel, pilpel, and pilpul"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the foods most identified with Israel is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Falafel\"\u003Efalafel\u003C\/a\u003E. While the food is ancient, the name is more recent - and derives from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Efalafil\u003C\/i\u003E. There are a number of theories as to the etymology of \u003Ci\u003Efalafil\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Efrom an Arabic word meaning \"fluffy\", \u003Ci\u003Efilfil \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC\u0026amp;pg=PT584\u0026amp;lpg=PT584\u0026amp;dq=arabic+filfil+fluffy\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=b-zo3DEX2g\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U16aDhB856sIlB6b5lV-FXdWIFrmw\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwilgNroytX4AhVBtqQKHe2PBKIQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThe Encyclopedia of Jewish Food\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Efrom an Arabic word meaning \"crunchy\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/falafel\"\u003EThe Online Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\"perhaps from plural of earlier *\u003Ci\u003Efilfal\u003C\/i\u003E, from Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Epilpāl\u003C\/i\u003E, small round thing, peppercorn, from \u003Ci\u003Epalpēl\u003C\/i\u003E, to be round, roll.\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ahdictionary.com\/word\/search.html?q=falafel\u0026amp;submit.x=38\u0026amp;submit.y=12\"\u003EAmerican Heritage Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Efrom a Coptic word meaning \"of many beans\" (see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/71676097\/Booklet_part_2_printed_Sohair_Ahmed\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, for example)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe most common suggestion I found was that the Arabic derives from the Persian word for \"pepper\", which in turn was borrowed from Sanskrit. This is likely due to how the falafel was spiced.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELike Arabic, Hebrew also received their word for pepper - פִּלְפֵּל \u003Ci\u003Epilpel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- in a similar fashion. Here's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%A4%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%9C.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's entry\u003C\/a\u003E for \u003Ci\u003Epilpel\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ELike Arab. \u003Ci\u003Efulful, filfil\u003C\/i\u003E (= pepper) borrowed through Persian and Aram. mediation from Old I. \u003Ci\u003Epippalī́\u003C\/i\u003E (= berry, peppercorn), which is of imitative origin. Gk. \u003Ci\u003Epeperi\u003C\/i\u003E (whence L. \u003Ci\u003Epiper\u003C\/i\u003E) is of the same origin. L. \u003Ci\u003Epiper\u003C\/i\u003E was borrowed by many European languages.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose European languages include English. Here's the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/pepper\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary entry\u003C\/a\u003E for \"pepper\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"dried berries of the pepper plant,\" Middle English \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epeper\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Old English \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epipor\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from an early West Germanic borrowing of Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epiper\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"pepper,\" from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epiperi\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, probably (via Persian) from Middle Indic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epippari\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Sanskrit \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epippali\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"long pepper.\" The Latin word is the source of German \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPfeffer\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Italian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epepe\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epoivre\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old Church Slavonic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epipru\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Lithuanian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epipiras\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old Irish \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epiobhar\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Welsh \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epybyr\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, etc.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApplication to fruits of the \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003ECapsicum\u003C\/span\u003E family (unrelated, originally native of tropical America) is from 16c.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther words deriving from the spice \"pepper\" include \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/peppermint\"\u003Epeppermint\u003C\/a\u003E\", \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/pepperoni\"\u003Epepperoni\u003C\/a\u003E\", and \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/pep\"\u003Epep\u003C\/a\u003E\" (as in \"vigor, energy\"). The Hungarian word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/paprika\"\u003Epaprika\u003C\/a\u003E\", however, got its name from the New World sweet (bell) peppers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Epilpel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is found in rabbinic literature, starting in the mishna. It also appears in the Aramaic form\u0026nbsp;פִּלְפַּלְתָּא \u003Ci\u003Epilpalta\u003C\/i\u003E, but with the same meaning. In modern Hebrew \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%9C-%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%AA.pdf\"\u003Ethere was an attempt\u003C\/a\u003E to establish the related\u0026nbsp;פִּלְפֶּלֶת \u003Ci\u003Epilpelet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as the word for bell peppers, leaving \u003Ci\u003Epilpel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for the spice pepper. You'll still see \u003Ci\u003Epilpelet \u003C\/i\u003Ein dictionaries, but from my experience, Israelis use \u003Ci\u003Epilpel \u003C\/i\u003Efor both kinds of pepper, and don't use \u003Ci\u003Epilpelet \u003C\/i\u003Eat all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne Hebrew word that many claim ultimately derives from the same Sanskrit root is\u0026nbsp;פִּלְפּוּל \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pilpul\"\u003Epilpul\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. It is variously translated as \"sharp analysis\", \"intense debate\", or for those less charitable, \"hairsplitting\" or \"sophistry.\" It is a method found in studying Talmud, where different texts, or passages in the same text, are closely analyzed, and conclusions are found from the contradictions between them. The sharpness of the debates has led to the theory that \u003Ci\u003Epilpul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is related to \u003Ci\u003Epilpel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(pepper). For example, here's the opening of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/12153-pilpul\"\u003Ethe entry from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for \u003Ci\u003Epilpul\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EA method of Talmudic study. The word is derived from the verb \"\u003Ci\u003Epilpel\u003C\/i\u003E\" \n(lit. \"to spice,\" \"to season,\" and in a metaphorical sense, \"to dispute \nviolently\" [Tosef., B. B. vii. 5] or \"cleverly\" \u003Cspan class=\"sefaria-ref-wrapper\"\u003E[\u003Ca aria-controls=\"sefaria-popup\" class=\"sefaria-ref\" data-ref=\"Shab. 31a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Shabbat.31a?lang=he-en\u0026amp;utm_source=jewishencyclopedia.com\u0026amp;utm_medium=sefaria_linker\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EShab. 31a\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E;\n B. M. 85b]). Since by such disputation the subject is in a way spiced \nand seasoned, the word has come to mean penetrating investigation, \ndisputation, and drawing of conclusions, and is used especially to \ndesignate a method of studying the Law (Ab. vi. 5; Baraita; B. B. 145b;\u003Cspan class=\"sefaria-ref-wrapper\"\u003E \u003Ca aria-controls=\"sefaria-popup\" class=\"sefaria-ref\" data-ref=\"Tem. 16a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Temurah.16a?lang=he-en\u0026amp;utm_source=jewishencyclopedia.com\u0026amp;utm_medium=sefaria_linker\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ETem. 16a\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E;\u003Cspan class=\"sefaria-ref-wrapper\"\u003E \u003Ca aria-controls=\"sefaria-popup\" class=\"sefaria-ref\" data-ref=\"Ket. 103b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Ketubot.103b?lang=he-en\u0026amp;utm_source=jewishencyclopedia.com\u0026amp;utm_medium=sefaria_linker\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EKet. 103b\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E; Yer. Ter. iv. 42d).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, it then goes on to note that a different etymology derives from it from the Hebrew root פלל. This is the origin that Klein provides in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%A4%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehis entry\u003C\/a\u003E for the verb פלפל, meaning \"to discuss, argue, debate\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EPilp. of base פלל. Whence also Syr. פַּל (= he sprinkled), corresponding to Heb. בְּלֵל, respectively בִּלֽבֵּל. There is no connection between the v. פלפל ᴵ and the n. פִּלְפֵּל (= pepper) as most scholars would have it.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(Interestingly, in his earlier CEDEL, Klein does write that \u003Ci\u003Epilpul \u003C\/i\u003Ederives from \"he spiced, he seasoned\" from which came the meaning \"he argued, he debated, he disputed violently.\")\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/01\/tefila-and-pelili.html\"\u003EAs we've discussed before\u003C\/a\u003E, the root פלל means both \"to judge\" and \"to pray\", and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eaccording to Klein\u003C\/a\u003E, originally meant \"to cut,\" and \"to decide\", which would presumably be his connection to the debates of \u003Ci\u003Epilpul\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs often happens, Klein's Hebrew etymological dictionary relies on the Ben Yehuda dictionary, which also denies a connection between \u003Ci\u003Epilpul \u003C\/i\u003Eand pepper, and directs us to a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/23583706\"\u003E1935 essay\u003C\/a\u003E by the linguist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hanoch_Yelon\"\u003EHanoch Yelon\u003C\/a\u003E. Yelon interprets the word\u0026nbsp;תִּתַּפָּל in Shmuel II 22:27 as deriving from פלל, and meaning \"to roll (over)\" and so the root פלפל (in the sense of analysis) would mean to turn something from side to side while investigating it. This use is found in the midrash (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pesikta_Rabbati.21.1?lang=bi\"\u003EPesikta Rabbati 21:1\u003C\/a\u003E) where we read of a warrior who\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;מפלפל בזיינו ומראה פנים לכל צד - \"turned his sword about and made it face each direction.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom this, and other examples he brings, Yelon is convinced the connection to pepper is only a folk-etymology. This folk-etymology may go back a long time (see for example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yoma.85b.6?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ethis passage\u003C\/a\u003E from Yoma 85b, which compares a good argument to spicy pepper), but most modern scholars accept that \u003Ci\u003Epilpul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and pepper aren't related. However, they don't all agree with Yelon's etymology. For example, the Even-Shoshan dictionary says פלפל derives from בלבל, meaning \"to confuse, to mix up\", although it does give a similar definition of the original meaning of \u003Ci\u003Epilpul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;based on that etymology: \"to turn something over and over.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, this analysis has gone on quite a bit, and I don't want to be accused of excessive \u003Ci\u003Epilpul\u003C\/i\u003E, so we'll end it here...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3956370858486127643\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3956370858486127643","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3956370858486127643"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3956370858486127643"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/06\/falafel-pilpel-and-pilpul.html","title":"falafel, pilpel, and pilpul"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4739186951919226572"},"published":{"$t":"2022-06-21T19:21:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-06-21T19:21:05.769+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Betelgeuse"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There is no question that the name of the star\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Betelgeuse\"\u003EBetelgeuse\u003C\/a\u003E (the inspiration for the 1988 movie\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beetlejuice\"\u003EBeetlejuice\u003C\/a\u003E) derives from Arabic. However, how it got that name is the subject of dispute. Let's review how different sources present the etymology, and how it might connect to any Hebrew words.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Online Etymology Dictionary has a short entry for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/betelgeuse\"\u003EBetelgeuse\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ealpha Orionis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, bright reddish star in the right shoulder of Orion, 1515, from Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIbt al Jauzah\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\n traditionally said to mean \"the Armpit of the Central One\" (with this \narm he holds his club aloft), but perhaps more accurately \"Hand of \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eal-Jauza\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (Orion).\" Intermediary forms include \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBed Elgueze\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBeit Algueze\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHowever, this leaves many open questions. The Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E'\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%A5%D8%A8%D8%B7\"\u003EibT\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"armpit\", but why then would the term be \"more accurately\" be the \"Hand of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eal-Jauza\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Orion)\", with hand being \u003Ci\u003Eyad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Arabic (as in Hebrew). What is the role of these \"intermediary forms\":\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBed Elgueze\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBeit Algueze\u003C\/i\u003E, the latter of which would seem to indicate the Arabic word for house: \u003Ci\u003Ebayt\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(again similar to the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ebeit\u003C\/i\u003E)? And what is the meaning of \u003Ci\u003EJauza\u003C\/i\u003E? Why is it \"the Central One\" or \"Orion\"? And what is its etymology?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThese questions are addressed in other sources, although without complete clarity. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Betelgeuse\"\u003EWiktionary entry for Betelgeuse\u003C\/a\u003E attempts to tackle them:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EUltimately from an alteration of the Arabic يَد الجَوْزَاء‎ (\u003Ci\u003Eyad al-jawzāʾ\u003C\/i\u003E, “hand of the central one”), from يَد‎ (\u003Ci\u003Eyad\u003C\/i\u003E, “hand”) + جَوْزَاء‎ (\u003Ci\u003Ejawzāʾ\u003C\/i\u003E, “central one”).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003EJawzā\u003C\/i\u003E, ‘the central one’, initially referred to Gemini among the Arabs, but at some point they decided to refer to Orion by that name. During the Middle Ages the first character of the name, \u003Ci\u003Eyā\u003C\/i\u003E’ (ي, with two underdots), was misread as a \u003Ci\u003Ebā\u003C\/i\u003E’ (ب, with one underdot) when transliterating into Latin, and \u003Ci\u003EYad al-Jauza\u003C\/i\u003E became \u003Ci\u003EBedalgeuze\u003C\/i\u003E. This was then misinterpreted during the Renaissance as deriving from a corruption of an original Arabic form إِبْط الجَوْزَاء (\u003Ci\u003Eʾibṭ al-jawzāʾ,\u003C\/i\u003E “armpit of the central one”).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA similar explanation is found in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ahdictionary.com\/word\/search.html?q=Betelgeuse\"\u003EAmerican Heritage dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe history of the curious star name \u003Ci\u003EBetelgeuse\u003C\/i\u003E is a good example\n of how scholarly errors can creep into language. The story starts with \nthe pre-Islamic Arabic astronomers, who called the star \u003Ci\u003Eyad al-jawz\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Minion New;\"\u003Eā\u003C\/span\u003E',\u003C\/i\u003E \"hand of the \u003Ci\u003Ejawz\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Minion New;\"\u003Eā\u003C\/span\u003E'.\"\u003C\/i\u003E The \u003Ci\u003Ejawz\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Minion New;\"\u003Eā\u003C\/span\u003E'\u003C\/i\u003E\n was their name for the constellation Gemini. After Greek astronomy \nbecame known to the Arabs, the word came to be applied to the \nconstellation Orion as well. Some centuries later, when scribes writing \nin Medieval Latin tried to render the word, they misread the \u003Ci\u003Ey\u003C\/i\u003E as a \u003Ci\u003Eb\u003C\/i\u003E\n (the two corresponding Arabic letters are very similar when used as the\n first letter in a word), leading to the Medieval Latin form \u003Ci\u003EBedalgeuze.\u003C\/i\u003E In the Renaissance, another set of scholars trying to figure out the name interpreted the first syllable \u003Ci\u003Ebed-\u003C\/i\u003E as being derived from a putative Arabic word \u003Ci\u003E*b\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Minion New;\"\u003Eā\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Minion New;\"\u003Eṭ\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E meaning \"armpit.\" This word did not exist; it would correctly have been \u003Ci\u003Eib\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: Minion New;\"\u003Eṭ\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E Nonetheless, the error stuck, and the resultant etymologically \"improved\" spelling \u003Ci\u003EBetelgeuse\u003C\/i\u003E was borrowed into French as \u003Ci\u003EBételgeuse,\u003C\/i\u003E whence English \u003Ci\u003EBetelgeuse.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EMore details about how this came to be can be found in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.universalworkshop.com\/2015\/01\/01\/yetelgeuse\/\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ianridpath.com\/startales\/orion2.html#betelgeuse\"\u003Ethis one\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWe've now learned two more things. One, that there may have been a number of transcription and translations errors, leading from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EYad al-Jauza \u003C\/i\u003Eto\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EBedalgeuze\u003C\/i\u003E, which was then misunderstood as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eʾibṭ al-jawzāʾ. \u003C\/i\u003E(The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%91%D7%99%D7%98%D7%9C%D7%92%27%D7%95%D7%96\"\u003EHebrew Wikipedia article for Betelgeuse\u003C\/a\u003E notes that the transcription error may have led to the term being interpreted as \u003Ci\u003EBeit al-Jauza -- \u003C\/i\u003Ethe house of \u003Ci\u003EJauza\u003C\/i\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003ESecondly, the term originally referred to the constellation Gemini, and only later came to refer to Orion.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENow let's turn to \u003Ci\u003Ejawza\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- the \"central\" one. This etymology surprised me. Recall that the term originally referred to the constellation \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gemini_(astrology)\"\u003EGemini\u003C\/a\u003E, \"the twins.\" The Arabic term for Gemini is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/onesky.arizona.edu\/2015\/12\/jawza-snow-queen-of-the-arabs\/\"\u003EJawza\u003C\/a\u003E'. \u003C\/i\u003EAnd the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/4847281\/Arabic_Etymological_Dictionary\"\u003EArabic Etymological Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E has the following entry:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ejauz \u003C\/i\u003E: pair [\u003Ci\u003Ezauj\u003C\/i\u003E]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom this it would seem that \u003Ci\u003Ejauz \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Ezauj \u003C\/i\u003E(also the Arabic word for \"husband\", one member of the pair), are related through \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Metathesis_(linguistics)\"\u003Emetathesis\u003C\/a\u003E. This would make them both cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/05\/zug.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ezug \u003C\/i\u003Eזוג\u003C\/a\u003E - also meaning \"pair.\" To me this seems like a pretty obvious etymology: the constellation Gemini, the \"twins\", was called \u003Ci\u003Eal-jauza\u003C\/i\u003E, \"the pair.\" But I haven't seen any sources that take this approach.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather, they all claim, as we've quoted above, that it derives from \u003Ci\u003Ejawza \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"central.\" Does that term have any Hebrew cognates?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AC%D9%88%D8%B2\"\u003EWiktionary entry for the Arabic root \u003Ci\u003Ejwz\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, we see that as a verb it has a number of meanings, including \"to cause to travel over, pass through\" and \"to\u0026nbsp;carry through one's views.\" As a noun it can mean \"main part\" or \"middle\" - both giving us our \"central.\" The connection between \"passing through\" and \"central\" is easy to understand - in general, one passes through the middle. The Arabic Etymological Dictionary adds that the verb \u003Ci\u003Ejaza \u003C\/i\u003Ealso means \"to divide\" (in addition to \"go through, cross over, pass along.\").\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis verb does give us a connection to Hebrew. Stahl, in his Hebrew etymological dictionary of Arabic, notes that \u003Ci\u003Ejaza\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"to divide, cut\", is cognate to the Hebrew גזז - \"to cut off, shear.\" Here's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D7%96%D7%96.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's entry for גזז:\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EJAram. גְּזַז, Syr. גַּז, Arab. jazza (= he cut off, shore), Aram. גִּזָּא, Syr. גֶּזְּתָא (= wool), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Egizzu sha ṣēni\u003C\/i\u003E (= sheep-shearing, wool). cp. the related base גזה.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI still think that the term might have originally meant \"the twins\/pair.\" But it's nice to know that even the accepted etymology has a possible Hebrew cognate as well.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4739186951919226572\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4739186951919226572","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4739186951919226572"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4739186951919226572"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/06\/betelgeuse.html","title":"Betelgeuse"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8347630061339664150"},"published":{"$t":"2022-06-13T11:52:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-06-13T11:52:45.084+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"shamir, shumar and emery"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe word שמיר \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has two meanings in the Tanach. In the book of Yeshayahu (5:6, 7:23-25, 9:17, 10:17, 27:4, 32:13) it refers to a kind of thorny plant or thistle. In other books of the prophets (Yirmiyahu 17:1, Yechezkel 3:9, Zechariah 7:12) it has a different meaning - a very hard stone, like a diamond.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein suggests they are related. For the thistle meaning he has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D6%B8%D7%81%D7%9E%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ethis entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שְׁמִיעָתִי\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, שְׁמִיעָתִי 1\" class=\"segment highlight invisibleHighlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שְׁמִיעָתִי 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵ\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵ 1\" class=\"segment highlight invisibleHighlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵ 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשָׁמִיר ᴵ\u003C\/strong\u003E m.n.    Christ’s thorn (mostly occurring together with, שַׁיִת, q.v.).  [Related to JAram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשַׁמָּרָא\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשֻׁמָּרָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= fennel), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Esamur\u003C\/i\u003E. cp. שֻׁמָּר.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd for the stone he has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D6%B8%D7%81%D7%9E%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ethe following\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵ\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵ 1\" class=\"segment highlight invisibleHighlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵ 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵᴵ\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵᴵ 1\" class=\"segment highlight invisibleHighlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, שָׁמִיר ᴵᴵ 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשָׁמִיר ᴵᴵ\u003C\/strong\u003E m.n.    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E smiris corundum, adamant, diamond, emery (in the Bible occurring only Jer. 17:1; Ezek. 3:9; Zech. 7:12).     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E ‘shamir’ (a legendary worm or stone created on the Sabbath eve that could cut any stone).  [Related to Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשָׁמִירָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= adamant; emery), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Esammūr\u003C\/i\u003E. שָׁמִיר ᴵᴵ is prob. a special sense development of שָׁמִיר ᴵ and properly denotes orig. a thorn or prickle used as a point for engraving. cp. Jer. 17:1: \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eחַטַּאת יְהוּדָה כְּתוּבָה בְּעֵט בֵּרְזֶל בְּצִפֹּרֶן שָׁמִיר\u003C\/span\u003E, ‘The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond’. Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esmiris\u003C\/i\u003E (= emery powder) — whence Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esmeri\u003C\/i\u003E, whence It. \u003Ci\u003Esmeriglio\u003C\/i\u003E, whence Fren. \u003Ci\u003Eémeri\u003C\/i\u003E, whence Eng. \u003Ci\u003Eemery\u003C\/i\u003E — is prob. borrowed from שָׁמִיר ᴵᴵ. cp. ‘emery’ in my CEDEL.]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo he concludes that the stone, used for engraving, was similar to the earlier meaning of thorn, and therefore derives from it. And as he notes, this could be a source for the English word \"emery,\" as conceded by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/emery\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Egranular mixture used as an abrasive, late 15c., from French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eémeri\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eesmeril\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Italian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esmeriglo\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Vulgar Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Esmyrilium\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Esmyris\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"abrasive powder\" used for rubbing and polishing, probably a non-Greek word, perhaps from a Semitic source. \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EEmery board\u003C\/span\u003E is attested from 1725.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, the Encyclopedia Mikrait (entry מלים זרות, page 1078), includes the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the Greek\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Esmyris\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ein a list of biblical Semitic and Indo-European words that derive from a language family not common to either. It doesn't say where this word (or the others in the list) comes from, but says it's possible that the origin is from Asia Minor, Crete or elsewhere in the Mediterranean.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENeither of the two meanings is in popular use today. The Talmud and\u0026nbsp; midrash (for example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pirkei_Avot.5.6?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EAvot 5:6\u003C\/a\u003E) identified the second meaning not as a stone, but as Klein mentioned, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solomon%27s_shamir\"\u003Ea legendary worm\u0026nbsp; ... that could cut any stone.\u003C\/a\u003E\" This version continued to appear in legends.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two original meanings inspired the future Israeli prime minister, then\u0026nbsp;Yitzhak Yezernitsky, to change his name to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yitzhak_Shamir\"\u003EYitzchak Shamir\u003C\/a\u003E. As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Stern-Man-his-Gang-Golan\/dp\/9659172400\/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=9789659172405\u0026amp;linkCode=qs\u0026amp;qid=1655106521\u0026amp;s=books\u0026amp;sr=1-1\u0026amp;asin=9659172400\u0026amp;revisionId=\u0026amp;format=4\u0026amp;depth=1\"\u003Ea biography\u003C\/a\u003E notes, he chose it because it means a \"thorn, which stabs and stings: the question is who\" and a \"hard precious stone capable of breaking steel.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the most common usage of \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;today is one that Klein doesn't mention: the herb \"dill.\" Almost all dictionaries, if they mention any background at all, will comment that this is the \"popular\" usage, but the correct Hebrew term for dill is\u0026nbsp;שֶׁבֶת \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or more specifically\u0026nbsp;שֶׁבֶת רֵיחָנִי \u003Ci\u003Eshevet reichani\u003C\/i\u003E. This is the term found in the Mishna. Then why did the people start calling dill \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt seems to be due to a confusion between dill, and the botantically related, and similar looking, \"fennel\".\u0026nbsp; As Klein noted above, the thistle meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is related to the words for fennel in other Semitic languages: \u003Ci\u003Eshumra\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Aramaic and \u003Ci\u003Esamur\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Arabic. This led to the adoption of \u003Ci\u003Eshumar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for fennel in later Hebrew, with \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;available for dill. Here is how each of those spices are defined in the Encyclopedia Judaica, as cited in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/spices\"\u003EJewish Virtual Library\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 align=\"justify\"\u003E\u003Csmall\u003E\u003C\/small\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ch3 align=\"justify\"\u003E\u003Csmall style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003EFENNEL\u003C\/small\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E            \t\t\t  \t\t\t\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E            \t\t\t  \t\t\t  \u003Cp align=\"justify\"\u003EThe umbelliferous plant \u003Ci\u003EFoeniculum vulgare\u003C\/i\u003E, leaves of which are used as a spice similar to dill, fennel is called \u003Ci\u003Egufnan\u003C\/i\u003E in the Mishnah (Dem. 1:1) and \u003Ci\u003Eshumar\u003C\/i\u003E\n in the Talmud. The Jerusalem Talmud (Dem. 1:1, 21d) states that the \nGalileans did not consider it a spice, but it was regarded as such in \nJudah.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ch3 align=\"justify\"\u003E\u003Csmall style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003EDILL\u003C\/small\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E            \t\t\t  \t\t\t\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E            \t\t\t  \t\t\t  \u003Cp align=\"justify\"\u003ECalled \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E in the Mishnah, dill is the plant \u003Ci\u003EAnethum graveolens\u003C\/i\u003E\n used today mainly as a spice in pickled cucumbers. In mishnaic times \nits foliage, stems, and seed were used as a spice (Ma'as. 4:5), and it \nwas sown for this purpose (Pe'ah 3:2). It is an umbelliferous plant with\n yellow flowers, which grows wild in the \u003Cspan class=\"glossaryTerm\" data-pt-title=\"The southern, mostly arid region of Israel.\"\u003ENegev\u003C\/span\u003E (it is popularly but erroneously called \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom the Chubeza site (a great CSA farm in Israel), t\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/chubeza.com\/?p=17537\u0026amp;lang=en\"\u003Ehe following is added\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EOfficially, the proper Hebrew name for dill is “shevet reichani” – \naromatic “shevet,” but the name this herb somehow ended up with is \n“Shamir”, a word actually used to describe a thorny wild plant used \nmetaphorically in the Bible when describing a farm overgrown with weeds.\n Amotz Cohen, teacher and nature explorer, believes that dill is really \nthe “poterium” found primarily in abandoned fields over the country.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteinberg, in the Milon HaTanach entry for \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E, writes that \"in the European exile \u003Ci\u003Eshamir \u003C\/i\u003Ewas used for the plant we call \u003Ci\u003Eshumar \u003C\/i\u003E(i.e., fennel).\" So perhaps first \u003Ci\u003Eshamir \u003C\/i\u003Ewas used to mean fennel, and then later became designated for dill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs often happens with \"popular\" usage, there isn't a definitive answer to when and how the term was adopted, but there is no doubt that in Israel today, \u003Ci\u003Eshamir = \u003C\/i\u003Edill, and dill = \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne word that Klein doesn't connect to \u003Ci\u003Eshamir\u003C\/i\u003E, and I find this surprising, is \u003Ci\u003Emasmer \u003C\/i\u003Eמסמר - \"nail.\" Here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A1%D6%B0%D7%9E%D6%B5%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003Ehis entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EA collateral form of מַשְׂמֵר; derived from סמר. cp. Aram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמַסְמְרָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= nail). Arab. \u003Ci\u003Emismār\u003C\/i\u003E is prob. an Aram. loan word\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking at the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eסמר\u003C\/a\u003E, it's noteworthy that Klein defines it as \"to bristle up.\" To me, \"bristle\" recalls \"thorn\" and \"nail\" echoes the hard stone used for cutting. While Klein doesn't connect them, the Even-Shoshan dictionary does entertain the possibility that they are related. So perhaps this is one more cognate word to consider.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp align=\"justify\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8347630061339664150\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8347630061339664150","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8347630061339664150"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8347630061339664150"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/06\/shamir-shumar-and-emery.html","title":"shamir, shumar and emery"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3183812998976955867"},"published":{"$t":"2022-05-01T23:49:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:44:09.194+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"shidah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA reader asked about the word \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שִׁדָּה, translated by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.morfix.co.il\/%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%93%D7%94\"\u003EMorfix \u003C\/a\u003Eas \"dresser, chest of drawers.\" That seemed like an easy task - but I didn't know what I was getting into.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears in only one verse in the entire Tanach. It appears twice in the verse, so I don't know if it counts as a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hapax_legomenon\"\u003Ehapax legomenon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, but it certainly suffers from the same fate that other such words do - without multiple appearances, they are hard to translate. In this case, it's even harder, because the context of the verse itself leaves nearly infinite possible interpretations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt appears in the book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) in a section where the king is boasting about his possessions. Here is the Hebrew:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eכָּנַסְתִּי לִי גַּם־כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים וְהַמְּדִינוֹת עָשִׂיתִי לִי שָׁרִים וְשָׁרוֹת וְתַעֲנֻגוֹת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם שִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnd the English (but I'm not translating - yet - our word \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EI further amassed silver and gold and treasures of kings and provinces; and I got myself male and female singers, and the pleasures of people,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eshida v’shidot.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Kohelet 2:8)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis is an incredibly difficult phrase to translate. What does \u003Ci\u003Eshidah \u003C\/i\u003Emean here? Why is the singular \u003Ci\u003Eshida \u003C\/i\u003Efollowed by the plural \u003Ci\u003Eshidot\u003C\/i\u003E?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Even the punctuation is hard to place properly, but I'll leave that aside for now.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAll we can really say is that it's something (or a set of things) that a king would list among his treasured possessions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis question did not escape the Sages. In the Talmud (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Gittin.68a.5?ven=William_Davidson_Edition_-_English\u0026amp;vhe=William_Davidson_Edition_-_Vocalized_Aramaic\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Commentary\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EGittin 68b\u003C\/a\u003E), two interpretations are offered:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eשִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת הָכָא תַּרְגִּימוּ שֵׁידָה וְשֵׁידְתִין בְּמַעְרְבָא אָמְרִי שִׁידְּתָא\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI'll translate the passage as follows:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Here [in Babylonia] they interpreted the phrase as follows: 'male and female demons' [\u003Ci\u003Eshedim\u003C\/i\u003E]. In the West [= in the Land of Israel], they said it means \u003Ci\u003Eshiddeta.\u003C\/i\u003E\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ELet's put aside the \"demon\" translation. As Rav Hai Gaon (quoted by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrewbooks.org\/pdfpager.aspx?req=48236\u0026amp;st=\u0026amp;pgnum=34\u0026amp;hilite=\"\u003EArukh\u003C\/a\u003E) noted, this is a \u003Ci\u003Edrash\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cu\u003E,\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eand not the plain meaning of the verse in Kohelet. But what about the \"Western\" translation? I once again haven't translated it into English!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWell, if you look at the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Gittin.68a.5?ven=William_Davidson_Edition_-_English\u0026amp;vhe=William_Davidson_Edition_-_Vocalized_Aramaic\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Commentary\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EEnglish\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/halakhah.com\/gittin\/gittin_68.html\"\u003Etranslations\u003C\/a\u003E, they say that in the Land of Israel they translated \u003Ci\u003Eshidah \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eshidot \u003C\/i\u003Eas \"carriages.\" This is clearly due to the influence of Rashi, the preeminent Talmudic commentator, who \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Rashi_on_Gittin.68a.5.4?vhe=Vilna_Edition\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ewrites here\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ci\u003Eshiddeta\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Erefer to carriages for women and nobles:\u0026nbsp;שידתא - שידה עגלה למרכבת נשים ושרים.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBut with all due respect to Rashi, I'm not convinced that this is the only (or best) interpretation of the Talmudic passage, and as a result, the meaning of the verse in Kohelet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe term \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il\/Pages\/PMain.aspx?koderekh=32104\u0026amp;page=1\"\u003Eappears repeatedly\u003C\/a\u003E throughout the Mishna, Tosefta and Talmuds. It frequently is part of a set, a \u003Ci\u003Eshidah, \u003C\/i\u003Ea \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/01\/teiva.html\"\u003Eteiva\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, and a \u003Ci\u003Emigdal -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eשִׁדָּה תֵּבָה וּמִגְדָּל. All of these are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/6431-furniture-household#anchor10\"\u003Etypes of furniture\u003C\/a\u003E. The Steinsaltz English translation renders them, for example in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Shabbat.16.5?ven=William_Davidson_Edition_-_English\u0026amp;vhe=Torat_Emet_357\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Commentary\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishna Shabbat 16:5\u003C\/a\u003E, as \"a box, a chest, and a closet.\" (The Ben Yehuda dictionary says the difference between these types of boxes is not clear). These identifications, or something similar\u0026nbsp;to them, are offered by most translators, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Kelim.15.1?ven=Mishnah_Yomit_by_Dr._Joshua_Kulp\u0026amp;vhe=Torat_Emet_357\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Rambam_on_Mishnah_Kelim.15.1.1\u0026amp;vhe2=Vilna_Edition\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003ERambam\u003C\/a\u003E. Rashi is the exception, who in almost all cases associates \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with carriages (see the examples brought \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrewbooks.org\/pdfpager.aspx?req=38047\u0026amp;st=\u0026amp;pgnum=330\u0026amp;hilite=\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhy does he do that? I couldn't find any obvious examples in the Talmudic or Midrashic literature where \u003Ci\u003Eshidah \u003C\/i\u003Emeans carriage. There is mention of a \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;having wheels (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Kelim.18.1?ven=Mishnah_Yomit_by_Dr._Joshua_Kulp\u0026amp;vhe=Torat_Emet_357\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Commentary\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishna Kelim 18:1-2\u003C\/a\u003E), but this doesn't appear to be referring to carriages intended for nobles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E(The only possible exception is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Torah_Temimah_on_Ecclesiastes.2.8.1?vhe=Torah_Temimah,_Vilna,_1904\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Ea midrash quoted by Torah Temimah\u003C\/a\u003E on Kohelet 2:8, but I couldn't find the midrash anywhere, and in his commentary on the midrash he quotes Rashi. So something strange is going on.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI assume the topic has been researched, and it's very likely I simply haven't seen more established theories. But here's my suggestion. I think that Rashi was trying to be consistent across all of his commentaries when he was defining words (this is something that Avineri discusses in his Heichal Rashi). In his commentary on Kohelet 2:8, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Ecclesiastes.2.8?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Rashi_on_Ecclesiastes.2.8.4\u0026amp;ven2=The_Metsudah_Five_Megillot,_Lakewood,_N.J.,_2001\u0026amp;vhe2=The_Metsudah_Five_Megillot,_Lakewood,_N.J.,_2001\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003ERashi writes\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eשִׁדָּה וְשִׁדּוֹת.\u003C\/b\u003E מַרְכְּבוֹת נוֹי, עֶגְלוֹת צָב, וּבִלְשׁוֹן גְּמָרָא יֵשׁ: שִׁדָּה, תֵּיבָה וּמִגְדָּל:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis is translated as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EBeautiful coaches, covered wagons, a term used in the Gemara, \"a coach [\u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E], a chest and a closet.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESo once again, Rashi is willing to interpret the \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the furniture set as a carriage (or coach). I think that this may be the source of the rest of his explanations. Why would a king boast about having a box or a closet? However, a particular kind of container, a carriage, does have royal associations. (See for example the \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/04\/apiryon.html\"\u003Eapriyon\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003E\"litter\", mentioned with King Shlomo in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Song_of_Songs.3.9?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShir HaShirim 3:9\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;So to explain Kohelet, Rashi extends his understanding of the word to other contexts, even when they don't fit as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EI admire Rashi's consistency here, but I don't know if it's required in this case. As I mentioned, it's incredibly hard to interpret \u003Ci\u003Eshidah veshidot\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Kohelet, and it simply might not be related to the \u003Ci\u003Eshidah \u003C\/i\u003Efound in the Talmud. That certainly appears to be the opinion of Ibn Ezra, who writes in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Ecclesiastes.2.8?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Ibn_Ezra_on_Ecclesiastes.2.8.3\u0026amp;vhe2=Wikisource\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003Ehis commentary to Kohelet\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eוענין שדה ושדות. הם הנשים ויורה עליו ותענוגות בני האדם ועוד שהזכיר דברי כל תאוות העולם מבנין ונטיעה ומקנה וסגולה ושמוע שירים ואין זכרון לנשים ונחלקו המפרשים במלת שדה והטוב שבכולם שהוא מן שדד הנשים השדודות הנלקחות בחזקה בשוד ושביה שיבחר מהן כפי תאותו וענין שדה ושדות אחת ורבות כמו רחם רחמתים לראש גבר בעלת רחם אשה אחת ושתים והענין שלא תאמר אחת לבדה כי יש מי שתפש שתים:\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ETo summarize his comment, he says that \u003Ci\u003Eshida \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eshidot\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"women.\" His evidence is that the verse earlier mentions the \"pleasures of people\" and the earlier verses relate to all kinds of other desires, but don't mention women, which would be expected. He derives \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;from the root שדד, \"to plunder\", indicating women taken as captives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIbn Ezra's explanation is accepted by a number of modern scholars as well, who also find support in an Ugaritic cognate meaning \"woman\" (see Daat Mikra on Kohelet, and Kaddari's dictionary).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBut there are many more suggestions for the meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Kohelet, as well as the etymology of the word. Here are a few:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003Echests \u003C\/b\u003E(Artscroll), \u003Cb\u003Ecoffers \u003C\/b\u003E(New JPS)\u0026nbsp; - these translations (and others) are like Rashi in that they try to find consistency between \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Kohelet, and the appearances in later Rabbinic Hebrew. By translating the phrase as \"chests and chests of them\", it indicates an impressive quantity of the pleasures mentioned earlier, which they translate as \"luxuries.\" That could indeed be fit for a king. As far as etymology, one theory that I've seen, connects \u003Ci\u003Eshidah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to \u003Ci\u003Eshed\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שד, \"breast.\" I think it is noteworthy that in English as well, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/chest\"\u003Echest\u003C\/a\u003E\" can refer to both a box and to the breast, both holding something (in the latter case, the heart.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003Ewine, cup bearer, goblets\u003C\/b\u003E - These renderings are found in the ancient Septuagint, Peshitta and Vulgate translations. BDB says these may be related to the Aramaic שדא - \"to pour out.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003Emusical instruments\u003C\/b\u003E - this is the suggestion of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Ralbag_on_Ecclesiastes.2.8.1?vhe=Perush_al_Hamesh_Megillot,_Konigsberg,_1860\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003ERalbag\u003C\/a\u003E, who says they were shaped like boxes. This would fit with the previous phrase, \"male and female singers.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPerhaps most the most audacious suggestion comes from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Parshan\/Shadal\/Kohelet\/2.8#m7e0n6\"\u003EShadal\u003C\/a\u003E, who suggests the verse in Kohelet should have a different vocalization, and says it should be read as \u003Ci\u003Esadeh \u003C\/i\u003Eשדה - \"field.\" While that is certainly an interesting idea, I generally feel that such emendations should only be a last resort.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3183812998976955867\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3183812998976955867","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3183812998976955867"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3183812998976955867"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/05\/shidah.html","title":"shidah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2202057768675081823"},"published":{"$t":"2022-04-19T18:04:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:45:34.303+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Ki Tetze"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Tetzaveh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Yitro"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"kodesh and kadosh"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A reader asked me to write about the Hebrew words \u003Ci\u003Ekadosh \u003C\/i\u003Eקדוש and \u003Ci\u003Ekodesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קודש - generally translated as \"holy\" and \"holiness,\" respectively. It's taken me a few months to get to the request, because while I agree that the root קדש deserves examination, the word is so loaded with religious meaning and pervasive in Jewish liturgy and culture that I found it somewhat intimidating to tackle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, here are just a few of the important terms that derive from the root קדש:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekiddush \u003C\/i\u003Eקידוש - the prayer and blessing over wine inaugurating Shabbat or holidays\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekedusha \u003C\/i\u003Eקדושה - the section of the repeated Amida prayer which emulates the praise angels give to God\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekaddish \u003C\/i\u003Eקדיש - the Aramaic praise of God, which is part of all prayer services, and whose recitation is part of the mourning rituals\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekiddushin \u003C\/i\u003Eקידושין - betrothal - the first step of the marriage process\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehekdesh \u003C\/i\u003Eהקדש - property consecrated to the Temple\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emikdash \u003C\/i\u003Eמקדש - the Holy Temple\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd looking in the Bible, there are over 800 words deriving from the root. Daunting, no?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut that doesn't mean I shouldn't try. So I'm acknowledging that I won't touch on every aspect of the words, and perhaps I'll update this post or write another one in the future with additional insights.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet's start by looking at the forms of the verb.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקָדַשׁ \u003Ci\u003Ekadash\u003C\/i\u003E: The \u003Ci\u003Ekal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form of the verb is not commonly used today, but it does appear a number of times in the Bible. According to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%81.1?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EKlein \u003C\/a\u003Eit can either mean \"was set apart, consecrated\" or \"was forbidden.\" It is interesting to note that in the two verses quoted in the Even-Shoshan dictionary for this form (Shemot 29:37 and Devarim 22:9), קדש has a negative connotation, referring to something forbidden.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eנקדש \u003Ci\u003Enikdash\u003C\/i\u003E: The \u003Ci\u003Enifal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form, the passive of the \u003Ci\u003Ekal\u003C\/i\u003E, is more commonly found. Klein offers \"was hallowed, was sanctified\" and \"was consecrated, was dedicated.\" The former is found in Biblical Hebrew (only used to refer to God), and the latter meaning seems to have begun in the Rabbinic period.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eקִדֵּשׁ \u003Ci\u003Ekidesh \u003C\/i\u003Eand קֻדַּשׁ \u003Ci\u003Ekudash\u003C\/i\u003E: The \u003Ci\u003Epiel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(active) and \u003Ci\u003Epual \u003C\/i\u003E(passive) forms also mean both \"to sanctify\" (or be sanctified) and \"to dedicate\" (or was dedicated). Other meanings associated with this root are \"to cleanse, purify\" (as in Shemot 19:10), and then in Rabbinic Hebrew, to sanctify the Shabbat and holidays (i.e., kiddush) and to betroth (i.e., kiddushin).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eהקדיש \u003Ci\u003Ehikdish \u003C\/i\u003Eand הוקדש \u003Ci\u003Ehukdash\u003C\/i\u003E: The \u003Ci\u003Ehifil \u003C\/i\u003E(active) and \u003Ci\u003Ehufal \u003C\/i\u003E(passive) forms in Modern Hebrew mean \"to dedicate, allocate, designate, devote\" - with either religious or secular connotations. But in earlier periods, it could mean \"was set apart as holy, regarded as holy.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eהתקדש \u003Ci\u003Ehitkadesh\u003C\/i\u003E: In the \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael \u003C\/i\u003E(reflexive) form, the root means \"to keep (oneself) separated\" or \"purified (oneself).\" It can also mean \"to become sanctified,\" and this is how it used in the Kaddish prayer, when we pray that God's name become sanctified.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWe can see from these various definitions, that the root קדש has two primary connotations.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E1) \"to be holy\", in the sense of \"lofty, exalted\", even \"perfect\", and perhaps closer to divine. This is captured well by the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/holy\"\u003Eholy\u003C\/a\u003E\" (and the related \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/hallow\"\u003Ehallow\u003C\/a\u003E\") which derive from an earlier root meaning \"whole, uninjured\" (and is ultimately cognate with \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/whole\"\u003Ewhole\u003C\/a\u003E\" as well.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E2) \"to set apart, separate.\" Perhaps this meaning could better be expressed with the adjective \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sacred\"\u003Esacred\u003C\/a\u003E,\" and the verb \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/sanctify\"\u003Esanctify\u003C\/a\u003E\", both of which derive from roots indicating separation or consecration.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere are certainly occasions where that sense overlaps with the \"exalted, holy\" sense. Something dedicated to God has an exalted status, and anything holy would be separate and distinct from an object without that position. But when there is no such overlap, it allows for the \"forbidden\" meaning in Biblical Hebrew, and the \"designated\" meaning in Modern Hebrew.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAccording to Klein's etymology, the second connotation is the original one:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERelated to Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Eqdsh\u003C\/i\u003E (= sanctuary), Phoen. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקדש\u003C\/span\u003E (= holy), \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמקדש\u003C\/span\u003E (= sanctuary, holy place), Aram.-Syr. קַדֵּשׁ (= he hallowed, sanctified, consecrated), Palm. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקדש\u003C\/span\u003E (= to sanctify, consecrate), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqadusa\u003C\/i\u003E (= was holy, was pure), \u003Ci\u003Equaddasa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he hallowed, sanctified, consecrated; he went to Jerusalem), \u003Ci\u003Equds\u003C\/i\u003E (= purity, holiness), \u003Ci\u003Eal-quds\u003C\/i\u003E (= Jerusalem; lit.: ‘the holy place’), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Equddushu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to cleanse, to hallow, sanctify,), Aram.–Syr. קְדָשָׁא (= ear or nose ring; orig. ‘holy thing’). The orig. meaning of this base prob. was ‘to separate’.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis is also the view of the BDB dictionary, who writes that the original idea behind the root may have been \"separation, withdrawal\" and translates \u003Ci\u003Ekodesh \u003C\/i\u003Eas \"apartness, sacredness.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHowever, others, such as Gesenius, claim that the original meaning was connotation 1, noting that the \u003Ci\u003Ekal \u003C\/i\u003Eform of the verb (presumably the most basic one), meant \"to be pure, clean, prop. used of physical purity and cleanliness.\" This approach does find support in the cognates found in other Semitic languages (as quoted by Klein above.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI'd like to end with a quote from the philosopher and theologian Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits. He wrote a lengthy essay entitled \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Man_and_God%2C_Chapter_4_the_Concept_of_Holiness?ven=Detroit:_Wayne_State_University_Press,_1969\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EThe Concept of Holiness\u003C\/a\u003E\" in his book \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Man_and_God\"\u003EMan and God: Studies in Biblical Theology\u003C\/a\u003E.\" I can't review the entire essay here (I do recommend reading it), but I think the last paragraph is very profound:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn our own analysis, interest was concentrated on the meaning of the term as it is applied to God and man, but we have not lost sight of its purely ritualistic significance either. We have found that the word, holy, does not stand for divine nature in whatever way that nature is understood, it is not a mere “otiose epithet” of God; but it is a specific attribute of the deity and it is consistently used all through the Bible in that specific sense. Rather than indicating transcendence, it seems to be inseparable from the idea of immanence. Far from meaning inaccessibility, it reveals closeness and association. It is not the \u003Ci\u003Emysterium tremendum\u003C\/i\u003E; if anything, it is its very opposite.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Rabbi Berkovits, even if \u003Ci\u003Ekadosh \u003C\/i\u003Edoes refer to separateness, that does not mean that God is distant from us, but rather shows just how closely involved God is with humanity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2202057768675081823\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2202057768675081823","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2202057768675081823"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2202057768675081823"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/04\/kodesh-and-kadosh.html","title":"kodesh and kadosh"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8078019891963689394"},"published":{"$t":"2022-04-11T20:14:00.005+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-04-11T20:14:49.820+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"pilegesh"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/04\/folk-pelach-and-peleg.html\"\u003Ewriting about words deriving from the root פלג\u003C\/a\u003E, a reader asked if there was a connection to the word \u003Ci\u003Epilegesh \u003C\/i\u003Eפילגש - \"concubine.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy first instinct was to consult \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%9C%D6%B6%D7%92%D6%B6%D7%A9%D7%81?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's Hebrew etymology dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E, which did not make a connection to פלג, but had an interesting story nonetheless:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ecp. Aram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפַלְקְתָא\u003C\/span\u003E, Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eפלקא\u003C\/span\u003E (= concubine). cp. also Greek\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Epallake, pallakis\u003C\/i\u003E (= concubine). Avestic \u003Ci\u003Epairika\u003C\/i\u003E (= beautiful women seducing pious men). All these words are certainly related, but it is difficult to establish the degree of their relationship to one another.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe also suggests a possible connection to the post-biblical Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%92%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A1.1?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Epalgas\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eפלגס - which means \"a sheep thirteen months old,\" and says that it derives from the Greek \u003Ci\u003Epallax, \u003C\/i\u003E\"youth, girl\", which is a cognate of the Greek words\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Epallake, pallakis \u003C\/i\u003Ethat he mentioned in the \u003Ci\u003Epilegesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;entry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his CEDEL entry for \"Pallas\" (another name for the Greek goddess Athene), he expands on this further. He says the name of the goddess comes from the Greek \u003Ci\u003Epallados\u003C\/i\u003E, \"maiden\" which is cognate with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Epallake, pallakis - \u003C\/i\u003E\"concubine.\"\u0026nbsp; After quoting some other Greek forms of the word, and the Avestic \u003Ci\u003Eparika\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(quoted above), he mentions the Persian \u003Ci\u003Epari \u003C\/i\u003E(\"fairy\", usually rendered as \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peri\"\u003Eperi\u003C\/a\u003E\" in English), and then suggests comparing with \"Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Epileghesh, \u003C\/i\u003EAramaic \u003Ci\u003Epilaqta\u003C\/i\u003E, 'concubine', and Arabic \u003Ci\u003EBilqis\u003C\/i\u003E, name of the queen of Sheba.\" And like his Hebrew entry, he isn't sure about how exactly these words are related. He notes that \"the above cited Indo-European words are possibly Semitic loan words.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether Hebrew borrowed from the Greek, or if the Greek borrowed from a Semitic language, that would make \u003Ci\u003Epilegesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;cognate with the metallic element \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Palladium\"\u003Epalladium\u003C\/a\u003E, which \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/palladium#etymonline_v_3028\"\u003Ewas named\u003C\/a\u003E after the asteroid \u003Ci\u003EPallas, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich in turn was named for the Greek goddess.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther suggest additional languages as the source of \u003Ci\u003Epilegesh. \u003C\/i\u003EBDB mentions a possible Hittite origin, and in the footnotes of the Ben Yehuda dictionary, Tur-Sinai writes that it's possible that Egyptian is the source. Egyptian is also mentioned in the Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (TDOT), which also quotes Chaim Rabin as concluding that the word is Philistine in origin (which could certainly have Greek influences.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut surprisingly (at least to me) is that TDOT also proposes a connection to פלג:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe can give no satisfactory explanation for the origin of \u003Ci\u003Epileges\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Greek \u003Ci\u003Epallax, pallakis\u003C\/i\u003E; Latin\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;pellex;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Jewish-Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Epalqeta\u003C\/i\u003E; Syriac \u003Ci\u003Epalqa\u003C\/i\u003E; Arabic in the feminine proper name \u003Ci\u003Ebilqis\u003C\/i\u003E). Scholars have sought its home in both the Semitic and the Indo-European language families and have put forward many conjectures about mutual influence. Suggested etymologies include the Hebrew root \u003Ci\u003Eplg, \u003C\/i\u003E\"divide, cleave,\" or a back-formation from Greek \u003Ci\u003Epallakis, pallake, pallax, \u003C\/i\u003Eoriginally \"youth\" or \"girl,\" or from the same source \u003Ci\u003Eplgs, \u003C\/i\u003E\"marriageable.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Gesenius, after quoting the same Greek and Latin words, writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe etymology is obscure, but the origin may be sought with some appearance of truth in the idea of softness and pleasure, with the Phoenicio-Shemitic roots פלג, פלק.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI don't really follow what he's writing here. First of all, I'm not familiar with the root פלק, and he doesn't include it in his dictionary, so maybe that was a typo. But I also don't see how to connect פלג with \"softness and pleasure.\" And I don't see any mention of those terms in his entry for פלג, so I don't know where to go from there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI took at look at Steinberg's \u003Ci\u003EMilon HaTanakh,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;who is usually happy to come up with a Hebrew origin for potentially foreign words, but he wasn't very helpful either. He does write that the Greek and Latin words we've mentioned were borrowed, via the Phoenicians, from Hebrew. But aside from rejecting \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elia_Levita\"\u003ELevita's \u003C\/a\u003Eidea that \u003Ci\u003Epilegesh \u003C\/i\u003Ecomes from פלג-אשה (I guess \"split-wife, half-wife\"?), because it is \"against the spirit of the language\", he doesn't make a proposal of his own.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo to answer the initial question, I think that it doesn't seem too likely that \u003Ci\u003Epilegesh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;comes from \u003Ci\u003Epeleg\u003C\/i\u003E, but if it does, I'd need a better explanation (not just a guess) as to why.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8078019891963689394\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8078019891963689394","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8078019891963689394"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8078019891963689394"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/04\/pilegesh.html","title":"pilegesh"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4083961495879470158"},"published":{"$t":"2022-04-05T22:59:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-04-05T22:59:02.926+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"folk, pelach and peleg"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I recently finished reading John McWhorter's book\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3x74ufE\"\u003EOur Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. Throughout the book, he claims that English arrived at its current state through the influence of other languages. Much of the book talks about how the Celtic languages influenced the grammar of English. But at the end of the book, he builds on a theory by the German linguist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theo_Vennemann\"\u003ETheo Vennemann\u003C\/a\u003E, which argues that the Germanic languages (including English) are different from the other Indo-European languages because of interaction with speakers of a Semitic language - probably seafaring Phoenicians or Punics from Carthage.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI won't go into the whole argument, but it does bring up some interesting questions, and I don't think the theory is entirely unreasonable. One particular example that caught my eye was this one (from page 184):\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E... \u003Ci\u003Efolk\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;started in Germanic as a word referring to a division of an army, and only later morphed into meaning a tribe or a nation. The Proto-Germanic word was \u003Ci\u003Efukla\u003C\/i\u003E; the early Semitic root for \u003Ci\u003Edivide\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;-- i.e., as in making a \u003Ci\u003Edivision -- \u003C\/i\u003Ewas \u003Ci\u003Ep-l-kh\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ep-l-kh\u003Cbr \/\u003Ef-l-k\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the early Semitic language Assyrian, that root was used to mean \u003Ci\u003Edistrict\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(i.e., a division of land), with the \u003Ci\u003Ekh \u003C\/i\u003Esoftening into a \u003Ci\u003Eg \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Epuluggu\u003C\/i\u003E). In Hebrew today, a detachment is a \u003Ci\u003Eplaga\u003C\/i\u003E. Maybe in Northern Europe, that root came out as \u003Ci\u003Efulka\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the same meaning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/folk\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E has a different theory about the origin of \"folk\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EOld English \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Efolc\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"common people, laity; men; people, nation, tribe; multitude; troop, army,\" from Proto-Germanic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Efulka\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E (source also of Old Saxon \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Efolc\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old Frisian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Efolk\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Middle Dutch \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Evolc\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Dutch \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Evolk\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old High German \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Efolc\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, German \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EVolk\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"people\"). Perhaps originally \"host of warriors:\" Compare Old Norse \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Efolk\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"people,\" also \"army, detachment;\" and Lithuanian \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epulkas\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"crowd,\" Old Church Slavonic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epluku\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"division of an army\" (hence Russian \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Epolk\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"regiment\"), both believed to have been borrowed from Proto-Germanic. Old English \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Efolcstede\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Ecould mean both \"dwelling-place\" and \"battlefield.\" According to Watkins, from PIE \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Eple-go-\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, suffixed form of root *\u003Ci\u003Epele\u003C\/i\u003E- (1) \"to fill,\" which would make it cognate with Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eplethos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"people, multitude,\" and Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eplebes\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\n \"the populace, the common people.\" Boutkan thinks both the Germanic and\n Balto-Slavic could be a common borrowing from a substrate language.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe entry makes no mention of a Semitic connection. However, it does keep most of the cognate words to \"folk\" in the Germanic language family, and after quoting Watkins' theory about a connection to \u003Ci\u003Eplethos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eplebes\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(a theory which Klein rejects in his CEDEL, presumably because \"people\" and \"multitude\" were not the same as a division of warriors), there is mention\u0026nbsp;of a \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stratum_(linguistics)\"\u003Esubstrate language\u003C\/a\u003E.\" That term refers to a language that influences another language by contact - which is exactly what McWhorter and Vennemann are saying that a Semitic language was in this case.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether or not they are the source of \"folk\", the two related Semitic roots that McWhorter mentioned - פלח (\u003Ci\u003Ep-l-kh\u003C\/i\u003E)\u0026nbsp;and פלג (\u003Ci\u003Ep-l-g)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E- gave us many Hebrew words.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B6%D6%BC%D6%BD%D7%9C%D6%B7%D7%97.1?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Eפלח \u003C\/a\u003Eoriginally meant \"to cleave, split\", as McWhorter mentioned. That meaning is maintained in Hebrew in the word פֶּלַח \u003Ci\u003Epelach\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"section, slice of fruit.\"\u0026nbsp; But from there it developed into the specific sense of \"to plow, till the ground.\" Arabic has a cognate to this meaning, \u003Ci\u003Efalahah\u003C\/i\u003E, which led to \u003Ci\u003Efallah \u003C\/i\u003E\"plowman\", the source of the word for peasant, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fellah\"\u003Efellah\u003C\/a\u003E\", which has entered into English. (No connection to \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/fellow\"\u003Efellow\u003C\/a\u003E\", though.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom working and serving the land, פלח expanded to a more religious meaning of divine worship, similar to how the root עבד can indicate both working the land and worshipping God (or \"cultivate\" and \"cult\" in English). This sense is most commonly seen in the word (originally from Aramaic) פולחן \u003Ci\u003Epulchan - \u003C\/i\u003E\"service.\" \u003Ci\u003EPulchan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;originally was any kind of service, then became religious service \/ divine worship, but in Modern Hebrew it has returned to a more secular meaning, of any kind of ritual indicating extreme admiration and devotion (like a cult).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe cognate \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Eפלג \u003C\/a\u003Eprovides even more words. As with פלח, the root means \"cleave, split, divide.\" Here are a sample of some of the words deriving from that root:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפִּלֵּג\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Epileg -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\"to divide, separate\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eהִפְלִיג \u003Ci\u003Ehiflig - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to depart (by ship), to set sail\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eהתפלג \u003Ci\u003Ehitpaleg - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to split\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפֶּלֶג \u003Ci\u003Epeleg - \u003C\/i\u003E\"section, faction\", also \"brook, tributary\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפְּלֻגָּה \u003Ci\u003Epluga - \u003C\/i\u003E\"army division\" specifically a \"company\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eפְּלֻגְתָּא \u003Ci\u003Eplugta - \u003C\/i\u003E\"disagreement, argument\". This is from Aramaic, and has a literary connotation, and is commonly found in the phrase\u0026nbsp;בַּר-פְּלֻגְתָּא \u003Ci\u003Ebar plugta - \u003C\/i\u003E\"scholarly opponent.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eמִפְלָגָה \u003Ci\u003Emiflaga - \u003C\/i\u003E\"political party\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo what we have seen here is how many Hebrew words might be related to the English word \"folk\". And that's no folk etymology!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4083961495879470158\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4083961495879470158","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4083961495879470158"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4083961495879470158"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/04\/folk-pelach-and-peleg.html","title":"folk, pelach and peleg"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2265994407246793787"},"published":{"$t":"2022-03-27T20:43:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-03-27T20:46:00.346+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ghoul and gorilla"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe English word \"ghoul\" derives from Arabic. Here's the Online Etymology Dictionary entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/ghoul\"\u003Eghoul\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1786, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egoul\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, in the English translation of William Beckford's Orientalist novel \"Vathek\" (which was written in French), from Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eghul\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, an evil spirit that robs graves and feeds on corpses, from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eghala\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"he seized.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eghul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \"demon\" also gives us the name of the star \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Algol\"\u003EAlgol\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;which is also known as the \"Demon Star.\" The full name in Arabic is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eraʾs al-ghūl\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp; - \"the head of the demon\" (because as part of the constellation of Perseus, it is the head of Medusa that Perseus is holding.) This name entered more modern mythology as a villain in the Batman comic books -\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ra%27s_al_Ghul\"\u003ERa's al Ghul\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStahl, in his etymological dictionary of Arabic, quotes the historian and linguist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%99%D7%A6%D7%97%D7%A7_%D7%99%D7%97%D7%96%D7%A7%D7%90%D7%9C_%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%93%D7%94\"\u003EIsaac Yahuda\u003C\/a\u003E as saying that the word \"gorilla\" may have the same origin. While there is consensus on how \"gorilla\" entered English, its earlier history is unclear. For example, here's the Online Etymology Dictionary \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/gorilla\"\u003Eentry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E1847, applied to a species of large apes (\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETroglodytes gorilla\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E) by U.S. missionary Thomas Savage, from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egorillai\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\n plural of name given to wild, hairy beings (now supposed to have been \nchimpanzees) in a Greek translation of Carthaginian navigator Hanno's \naccount of his voyage along the northwest coast of Africa, c. 500 B.C.E.\n Allegedly an African word.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his book \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?redir_esc=y\u0026amp;id=ew0rAQAAIAAJ\u0026amp;focus=searchwithinvolume\u0026amp;q=%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9C\"\u003EMishley Arav\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(\"Proverbs of Arabia\") Yahuda identifies\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eghul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with \"gorilla\". I don't know how likely it is that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hanno_the_Navigator\"\u003EHanno \u003C\/a\u003Ewould have encountered Arabic speakers in that part of Africa, but perhaps this was a cognate in a different Semitic, or \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Afroasiatic_languages\"\u003EAfroasiatic\u003C\/a\u003E language. Or maybe Arabic speakers later conflated their \u003Ci\u003Eghul \u003C\/i\u003Edemon with the scary gorilla. (See\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=GECrpJvx1wYC\u0026amp;pg=PR16\u0026amp;dq=%22gorilla%22+ghoul+arabic\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjx2I312eb2AhWOTcAKHRgSBg8Q6AF6BAgLEAI#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22gorilla%22%20ghoul%20arabic\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003E here\u003C\/a\u003E for another example of that association in Arabic).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYahuda also claims that \u003Ci\u003Egilul \u003C\/i\u003Eגלול - the Biblical Hebrew word for idols - is also cognate with \u003Ci\u003Eghul. \u003C\/i\u003EPresumably, he's referring to the ancient practice of worshiping demons, which the Bible prohibits and denigrates.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, I couldn't find any other source that makes that claim. The popular view is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9C%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%9C?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's position\u003C\/a\u003E, that \u003Ci\u003Egilul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;refers to rolled (גלל) dung:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eגִּלּוּל\u003C\/b\u003E m.n.    idol.  [According to some scholars related to גָּלָל (= dung); according to Baudissin and to others \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eגִּלּוּלִים\u003C\/span\u003E derives from גלל (= to roll), and orig. meant ‘rolled blocks’. cp. BAram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאֶבֶן גְּלָל\u003C\/span\u003E (= square stones), and see \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eגּֽלָל\u003C\/span\u003E. The form גִּלּוּל was influenced by שִׁקּוּץ (= abomination).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI'm still curious if \u003Ci\u003Eghul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has a more solid Hebrew cognate. I didn't see anyone who made this connection, but Klein does discuss the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Eעול \u003C\/a\u003E- \"to give suck\" (like a nursing mother), and says that it is \"related to Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eghālat\u003C\/i\u003E (= she gave suck).\" Could \u003Ci\u003Eghala \u003C\/i\u003E(\"he seized\") perhaps be related to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eghālat\u003C\/i\u003E? A nursing baby latches on to, \"seizes\", the mother. Maybe? If so, it would provide us with the words\u0026nbsp;עוּל and עולל, meaning \"baby, infant.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2265994407246793787\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2265994407246793787","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2265994407246793787"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2265994407246793787"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/03\/ghoul-and-gorilla.html","title":"ghoul and gorilla"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3992484114232235241"},"published":{"$t":"2022-03-20T21:54:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-03-20T21:54:19.029+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"April"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Last week on Purim we read the book of Esther, and next week we start the month of April. It turns out that Esther and April have more in common than just sharing the same few weeks.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne of my first posts on Balashon was about the etymology of the name Esther. Here's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/esther.html\"\u003Ewhat I wrote then\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe name Esther - אסתר - is connected to the Babylonian deity Ishtar (yes, the same name as the notoriously unsuccessful \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0093278\/\"\u003Emovie\u003C\/a\u003E.) They both derive from the Indo-European root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreedictionary.com\/_\/roots.aspx?type=Indo-European\u0026amp;root=ster-\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ester\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and the related Semitic root\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ahdictionary.com\/word\/semitic.html#%CA%BF%E1%B9%AFtr\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eʿṯtr\u003C\/i\u003E \u003C\/a\u003Ewhich gave us the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the Phoenician goddess \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Astarte\"\u003EAstarte\u003C\/a\u003E עשתרת. That same root gives us the English words star, astral, stellar and disaster (not in the stars.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI briefly mentioned Aphrodite, but didn't focus any further on that name. The Online Etymology Dictionary provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/aphrodite\"\u003Ethis origin\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreek goddess of love and beauty, personification of female grace, 1650s; the ancients derived her name from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eaphros\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"foam,\" from the story of her birth, but the word is perhaps rather from Phoenician \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EAshtaroth\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(Assyrian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIshtar\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E).\n Beekes writes, \"As the goddess seems to be of oriental origin ..., the \nname probably comes from the East too. .... It may have entered Greek \nvia another language.\" He concludes, \"[I]t seems possible that the name \ncame from the one languages [sic] which on historical grounds we should \nexpect to be relevant: Cypriot Phoenician.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EKlein agrees that the idea that the name derives from \u003Ci\u003Eaphros \u003C\/i\u003E(\"foam\") is a folk etymology, but does suggest that perhaps her association with foam caused the change in pronunciation from Ashtoreth to Aphrodite. He gives other examples of \"sh\" turning into \"f.\" He points out that garlic in Hebrew is שום \u003Ci\u003Eshum\u003C\/i\u003E, but in Arabic it is either \u003Ci\u003Ethum\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Efum.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Similarly, the Russian name \u003Ci\u003EFeodor\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;derives from the Greek \u003Ci\u003ETheodore.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFrom Aphrodite, according to some theories, we get the name of the month of April. Klein writes that April, in Latin \u003Ci\u003EAprilis\u003C\/i\u003E, comes from Greek \u003Ci\u003EAp(h)ro, \u003C\/i\u003Ea short form of Aphrodite, and so\u0026nbsp;was \"the month of Aphrodite.\" The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/April\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E suggests (among other possibilities), an Etruscan origin, but still coming from Aphrodite.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003ESo we've shown connections between Esther and April, but one word I was surprised to discover isn't related is Easter, which usually falls in this time period as well. However, here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Easter\"\u003EEaster's etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOld English \u003Ci\u003EEasterdæg\u003C\/i\u003E, from \u003Ci\u003EEastre \u003C\/i\u003E(Northumbrian \u003Ci\u003EEostre\u003C\/i\u003E), from Proto-Germanic *\u003Ci\u003Eaustron\u003C\/i\u003E-, \"dawn,\" also the name of a goddess of fertility and spring, perhaps originally of sunrise, whose feast was celebrated at the spring equinox, from *\u003Ci\u003Eaust\u003C\/i\u003E- \"east, toward the sunrise\" (compare east), from PIE root *\u003Ci\u003Eaus\u003C\/i\u003E- (1) \"to shine,\" especially of the dawn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI guess that connection wasn't in the stars...\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3992484114232235241\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3992484114232235241","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3992484114232235241"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3992484114232235241"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/03\/april.html","title":"April"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2688156025795680884"},"published":{"$t":"2022-03-15T20:19:00.003+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:47:46.427+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Lech Lecha"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gizzard"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003ESeveral years ago, I wrote about the root \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/01\/gezer.html\"\u003Egazar\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eגזר - \"to cut\". After pointing out that it's not related to \u003Ci\u003Egezer\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eגֶּזֶר - \"carrot\", I pointed out a number of Hebrew and Arabic words that likely derive from the root and its cognates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, I recently discovered another word that may have גזר as its etymology: gizzard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdmittedly, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/gizzard\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E doesn't offer a Semitic origin:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"stomach of a bird,\" late 14c., from Old French \u003Ci\u003Egisier\u003C\/i\u003E \"entrails, giblets (of a bird)\" (13c., Modern French \u003Ci\u003Egésier\u003C\/i\u003E), probably from Vulgar Latin *\u003Ci\u003Egicerium\u003C\/i\u003E, a dissimilation of Latin \u003Ci\u003Egigeria \u003C\/i\u003E(neuter plural) \"cooked entrails of a fowl,\" a delicacy in ancient Rome, from PIE *\u003Ci\u003Eyekwr\u003C\/i\u003E- \"liver\" (see hepatitis). The unetymological -\u003Ci\u003Ed \u003C\/i\u003Ewas added 1500s (perhaps on analogy of -ard words).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, Klein, in his CEDEL entry, does offer one. He also writes that the English derives from the French, but from there offers a different Latin one:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom Latin \u003Ci\u003Egizeria\u003C\/i\u003E, 'cooked entrails of poultry', which is probably a Punic-Phoenician-Hebrew loan word. Compare Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Egezarim\u003C\/i\u003E, construct state \u003Ci\u003Egizrei, \u003C\/i\u003E'pieces of sacrificed animals', plural of \u003Ci\u003Egezer, \u003C\/i\u003E'anything cut, a piece,' from the stem of \u003Ci\u003Egazar\u003C\/i\u003E, 'he cut, divided'.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI assume that Klein's inspiration for \u003Ci\u003Egezarim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;being \"pieces of sacrificed animals\" comes from the story of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Covenant_of_the_pieces\"\u003ECovenant of the Pieces\u003C\/a\u003E, where God tells Abraham to sacrifice a number of animals, and then after Abraham prophesized,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWhen the sun set and it was very dark, there appeared a smoking oven, and a flaming torch which passed between those pieces [\u003Ci\u003Eha-gezarim]\u003C\/i\u003E. (Bereshit 15:17)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThat is the only mention of \u003Ci\u003Egezer \u003C\/i\u003Eindicating a sacrifice in the Bible.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou may have noticed that Etymonline has the Latin \u003Ci\u003Egigeria\u003C\/i\u003E, and Klein has \u003Ci\u003Egizeria. \u003C\/i\u003EThat is also addressed in his CEDEL:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Latin, \u003Ci\u003Egigeria\u003C\/i\u003E, a collateral from of \u003Ci\u003Egizeria\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ez\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has been assimilated to the preceding \u003Ci\u003Eg.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom searching through Google Books (see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=EoBiAAAAMAAJ\u0026amp;dq=gigeria+gizeria+latin\u0026amp;focus=searchwithinvolume\u0026amp;q=gizeria\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=KdR4jRJCxEsC\u0026amp;pg=PA83\u0026amp;lpg=PA83\u0026amp;dq=gigeria+gizeria\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=qYlXypWWpZ\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U2D-D9-jlCrMv8ibDI1PzSYbYHpsQ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwikzovo2sj2AhUDY8AKHXOiBSQQ6AF6BAgyEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=gigeria%20gizeria\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=3mQTAAAAYAAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA48\u0026amp;dq=%22gigeria%22+%22gizeria%22+latin\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwi72dGn3cj2AhURrxoKHYO4Dwc4FBDoAXoECAUQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22gigeria%22%20%22gizeria%22%20latin\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E), it seems that it's not clear which word Latin used - \u003Ci\u003Egigeria \u003C\/i\u003Eor \u003Ci\u003Egizeria - \u003C\/i\u003Eso that may have added to the confusion over the etymology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2688156025795680884\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2688156025795680884","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2688156025795680884"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2688156025795680884"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/03\/gizzard.html","title":"gizzard"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1814467095143946071"},"published":{"$t":"2022-03-07T18:03:00.003+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:52:17.646+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Behar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayetze"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ikar, akar and akeret bayit"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003ELet's take a look at the Hebrew root עקר. As a verb, in the \u003Ci\u003Ekal \u003C\/i\u003Eform it means \"to uproot, extract, displace\" and in the \u003Ci\u003Epiel \u003C\/i\u003Eform means \"to neuter, spay, sterilize.\"\u0026nbsp; The adjective עקר \u003Ci\u003Eakar, \u003C\/i\u003Eor in the feminine \u003Ci\u003Eakara\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;עקרה means \"infertile, barren.\" And the noun \u003Ci\u003Eikar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(spelled either\u0026nbsp;עִקָּר or עיקר) means \"essence, main thing\/part, gist\", with the associated adjective \u003Ci\u003Eikari\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;עיקרי meaning \"essential, fundamental, major\" and the related \u003Ci\u003Eikaron \u003C\/i\u003Eעקרון - \"principle\" and \u003Ci\u003Eekroni\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;עקרוני - \"of principle, basic.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat is the connection between these various meanings?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey all derive from the sense of \"root.\" That is the original meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eikar\u003C\/i\u003E. That sense isn't found in Biblical Hebrew (although a related word, \u003Ci\u003Eeker - \u003C\/i\u003E\"offshoot\",\u0026nbsp;appears in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Leviticus.25.47?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EVayikra 25:47\u003C\/a\u003E), but is common in Aramaic, and can be found as such in the Aramaic sections of Daniel (4:12,20,23). Those verses all have the phrase\u0026nbsp;עִקַּר שׇׁרְשׁוֹהִי, which is generally translated as \"the stump with its roots.\" But since both words mean root in Aramaic, perhaps a more precise translation would be \"root of the roots\" or \"the main root.\" From Aramaic, \u003Ci\u003Eikar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;entered rabbinic Hebrew, where it has the literal meaning of root (for example in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Maasrot.3.10?ven=Mishnah_Yomit_by_Dr._Joshua_Kulp\u0026amp;vhe=Torat_Emet_357\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishna Maasrot 3:10\u003C\/a\u003E) and the more metaphorical sense of the \"important thing\" (as in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pirkei_Avot.1.17?ven=Mishnah_Yomit_by_Dr._Joshua_Kulp\u0026amp;vhe=Torat_Emet_357\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMishna Avot 1:17\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEnglish relates to the word \"root\" similarly, with it also having the meaning \"the cause, source or origin of something.\" And just as in English, the verb \"to root\" means \"to pull up by the roots, to uproot\", so too does the Hebrew verb \u003Ci\u003Eakar \u003C\/i\u003Emean \"to extract, uproot\" (see for example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Zephaniah.2.4?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETzefania 2:4\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Zephaniah.2.4?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKohelet 3:2\u003C\/a\u003E). This is an example of a contronym (a homonym which is also an antonym, and we've \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/11\/gala-and-chol.html\"\u003Eseen them before\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom here we get to the words related to \"barrenness.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D7%A7%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein says\u003C\/a\u003E that they are \"probably a special sense development\" from the meaning \"to pluck, root up, remove.\" Gesenius implies that this may derive from an original sense of \"castration.\" (He makes a similar connection between \u003Ci\u003Eshoresh \u003C\/i\u003Eשורש - \"root\" and \u003Ci\u003Esaris \u003C\/i\u003Eסריס - \"eunuch.\")\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne phrase that doesn't appear to be connected to any of the above is \u003Ci\u003Eakeret bayit \u003C\/i\u003Eעקרת בית - \"homemaker, housewife.\" The phrase originates from a biblical verse, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Psalms.113.9?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETehillim 113:9\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eמוֹשִׁיבִי עֲקֶרֶת הַבַּיִת אֵם־הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה הַלְלוּ־יָהּ\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis is a difficult verse to translate. The new Koren translation offers:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"He sets the childless woman in her home as a joyous mother of children. Hallelujah.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EMeaning that the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eakeret habayit\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"the barren woman \u003Ci\u003Ein\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;the house\", and (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Ibn_Ezra_on_Psalms.113.9.1?vhe=Ibn_Ezra_on_Psalms_--_Daat\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003Eas Ibn Ezra writes\u003C\/a\u003E) it's not a conjunctive phrase at all. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Psalms.113.9?ven=The_Rashi_Ketuvim_by_Rabbi_Shraga_Silverstein\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EOthers\u003C\/a\u003E see \u003Ci\u003Eakeret habayit \u003C\/i\u003Eas one phrase, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D6%B2%D7%A7%D6%B6%D7%A8%D6%B6%D7%AA.1?ven=Carta_Jerusalem%3B_1st_edition,_1987\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Emeaning\u003C\/a\u003E \"the barren one \u003Ci\u003Eof \u003C\/i\u003Ethe house.\" Even if more translations today suggest the first possibility, the latter one seems to be more popularly accepted. (The grammatical structure does seem to suggest \u003Ci\u003Esemichut\u003C\/i\u003E, so I can see why).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFrom this understanding of the phrase, a \u003Ci\u003Edrasha \u003C\/i\u003Edeveloped, saying that this\/the woman is not barren, but rather the \u003Ci\u003Eikar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- the essence - of the home. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Genesis.29.31?ven=Tanakh:_The_Holy_Scriptures,_published_by_JPS\u0026amp;vhe=Miqra_according_to_the_Masorah\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBereshit 29:31\u003C\/a\u003E says that Rachel was barren (\u003Ci\u003Eakara\u003C\/i\u003E).\u0026nbsp;The midrash (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Bereishit_Rabbah.71.2?ven=Sefaria_Community_Translation\u0026amp;vhe=Midrash_Rabbah_--_TE\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EBereshit Rabbah 71:2\u003C\/a\u003E) reinterprets the verse to say that Rachel was the \u003Ci\u003Eikar\u003C\/i\u003E, the main part of the household:\u0026nbsp;וְרָחֵל עֲקָרָה, רָחֵל הָיְתָה עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל בַּיִת.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIt's not exactly clear when the phrase came to mean \"housewife,\" (for a more detailed history \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2021\/02\/22\/%d7%94%d7%99%d7%90-%d7%a2%d6%b2%d7%a7%d6%b6%d7%a8%d6%b6%d7%aa-%d7%94%d6%b7%d7%91%d6%bc%d6%b7%d7%99%d6%b4%d7%aa-%d7%95%d7%94%d7%95%d7%90\/\"\u003Esee here\u003C\/a\u003E) but it was very likely influenced by this\u0026nbsp; midrash and others like it (see also \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Bamidbar_Rabbah.14.8?ven=Rabbi_Mike_Feuer,_Jerusalem_Anthology\u0026amp;vhe=Midrash_Rabbah_--_TE\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBamidbar Rabba 14:8\u003C\/a\u003E). However, instead of saying that the essence of the home was the wife, the meaning shifted to \"the main part of the (this) woman is in the home.\" An early example of this is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Gittin.52a.15?ven=William_Davidson_Edition_-_English\u0026amp;vhe=William_Davidson_Edition_-_Vocalized_Aramaic\u0026amp;lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Rashi_on_Gittin.52a.15.1\u0026amp;vhe2=Vilna_Edition\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003ERashi's commentary on Gittin 52a\u003C\/a\u003E. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Gittin.52a.15?ven=William_Davidson_Edition_-_English\u0026amp;vhe=William_Davidson_Edition_-_Vocalized_Aramaic\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003ETalmud there\u003C\/a\u003E mentions that Rabbi Yosei never called his wife \"his wife\" but rather \"his home.\" Rashi explains his reasoning because \"all the needs of the home are taken care of by her hands, and she is the essence of the home.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1814467095143946071\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1814467095143946071","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1814467095143946071"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1814467095143946071"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/03\/ikar-akar-and-akeret-bayit.html","title":"ikar, akar and akeret bayit"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1207860380184230809"},"published":{"$t":"2022-01-31T17:18:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:50:18.004+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Beshalach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"naar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Enaar\u003C\/i\u003E נער has a number of meanings - two verbs and a noun. Let's look and see if they are related.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne verb means \"to shake\" or \"to shake out.\" It appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/5287\"\u003E11 times\u003C\/a\u003E with that meaning in the Bible. Sometimes the meaning is more than the simple \"shake\" as in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Exodus.14.27?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShemot 14:27\u003C\/a\u003E, where it says that God \"hurled\"\u0026nbsp;וַיְנַעֵר the Egyptians into the sea.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D7%A2%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's entry\u003C\/a\u003E for that meaning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Eshake, shake out, shake off, stir.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Qal\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eנָעַר\u003C\/strong\u003E    he shook, shook out, shook off, stirred.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Niph.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eנִנְעַר\u003C\/strong\u003E    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he shook himself free.     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E was shaken out;   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E he bestirred himself;   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E4\u003C\/b\u003E was poured out, was emptied.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Pi.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eנִעֵר\u003C\/strong\u003E    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he shook out;     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E he stirred up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Pu.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eנֻעַר\u003C\/strong\u003E  NH  \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E was shaken;   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E was stirred;   PBH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E was emptied.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Hith.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהִתְנַעֵר\u003C\/strong\u003E    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he shook himself;   NH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E he bestirred himself.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Hiph.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהִנְעִיר\u003C\/strong\u003E    he encouraged.  [Aram. נְעַר (= he shook, stirred), Syr. נְעַר (= he poured out), whence \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eנָעוֹרָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= waterwheel). Arab. \u003Ci\u003Enā‘ūra\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E (= waterwheel with buckets, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Noria\"\u003Enoria\u003C\/a\u003E), is a Syr. loan word. cp. Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ena‘ara\u003C\/i\u003E (= it spurted, gushed forth — said of the blood of a vein), \u003Ci\u003Ena‘āra\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E (= earthen jug, pot).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein doesn't include it (perhaps it wasn't common in his time), but the \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form התנער \u003Ci\u003Ehitnaer \u003C\/i\u003Etoday means \"to shirk\" or \"to renounce responsibility.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other verb means \"to bray, roar, growl\" and only appears once in the Bible:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eיַחְדָּו כַּכְּפִרִים יִשְׁאָגוּ נָעֲרוּ כְּגוֹרֵי אֲרָיוֹת\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Like lions, they roar together, they growl [\u003Ci\u003Ena'aru\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;like lion cubs. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jeremiah.51.38?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYirmiyahu 51:38\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhile in this verse the metaphor is for the growl of a lion, in Rabbinic Hebrew the verb was designated for the bray of a donkey, and so it continues today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnd here's what \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D7%A2%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E about this meaning:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAram.-Syr. נְעַר (= roared, growled, brayed), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ena‘ara\u003C\/i\u003E (= rattled), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Enēru\u003C\/i\u003E (= to growl), \u003Ci\u003Enā’iru\u003C\/i\u003E (= roaring)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut by far the most common appearance of \u003Ci\u003Enaar \u003C\/i\u003Ein the Bible is as a noun, meaning \"boy, lad, youth\", with sometimes the more specific sense of \"servant\" or \"soldier.\" There are 240 occurrences with this meaning, and another 63 for the female form נערה \u003Ci\u003Ena'ara\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(girl, maiden, servant.) Related words in Hebrew are \u003Ci\u003Enoar \u003C\/i\u003Eנוער - \"youth\" and \u003Ci\u003Eneurim \u003C\/i\u003Eנעורים - \"adolescence.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo are any of these meanings related to each other? Klein does not connect the two verbs, but presents two theories as to the origin of the noun.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first says that the noun, meaning \"youth,\" comes from the verb meaning \"to shake\", which he extends to the sense \"to throw\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, נער ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"\/Klein Dictionary,_נער ᴵ.1\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;נַֽעַר\u0026nbsp;would lit. mean ‘that which is brought forth, young’; compare Ger. \u003Ci\u003Ewerfen\u003C\/i\u003E, ‘to throw’, in the sense ‘to bring forth, young’\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other theory connects it to the braying and roaring usage, as an \"allusion to the roughness of the voice at the beginning of puberty.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne word that is nearly certainly unrelated to any of these is the Yiddish \u003Ci\u003Enar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"fool\" (the source of the familiar Yiddish word \u003Ci\u003Enarishkeit - \u003C\/i\u003E\"foolishness.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The Yiddish \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%A0%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%A8\"\u003Enar\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;derives from the German \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/narro#Old_High_German\"\u003Enarr\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;of the same meaning. The etymology of \u003Ci\u003Enarr \u003C\/i\u003E(or the related \u003Ci\u003Enarre \u003C\/i\u003Eor \u003Ci\u003Enarro\u003C\/i\u003E) isn't clear. Some say it comes from the Latin \u003Ci\u003Enaris\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"nose\" (ultimately the source of the English \"nasal\"), developing from \"sneering (with the nose)\" to \"mocking, jeering\" to \"fool.\" In any case, this word has been in German for a long time - which means that it's much more likely that Yiddish borrowed it from German instead of German borrowing it from Yiddish.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOur youth might need education, but we don't need to make them the source of all foolishness...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1207860380184230809\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1207860380184230809","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1207860380184230809"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1207860380184230809"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/01\/naar.html","title":"naar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5985243474375553357"},"published":{"$t":"2022-01-23T20:52:00.003+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:50:55.860+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Tetzaveh"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"yashfeh and diaper"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn Shemot 28:15-20, there is a description of the breastplate of the high priest - the \u003Ci\u003Echoshen mishpat\u003C\/i\u003E. The breastplate contained 12 stones, in four rows of three.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe identities of many of the stones listed are highly debated. It's very difficult to find two translations that render each of the stones in the same way. But one stone almost always gets the same translation, the \u003Ci\u003Eyashfeh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;יָשְׁפֵה of Shemot \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Exodus.28.20?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E28:20\u003C\/a\u003E. All the English translations I consulted had it as \"jasper.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis should not be surprising, as the English word \"jasper\" very likely derives from \u003Ci\u003Eyashfeh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or a cognate Semitic word. Here's the Online Etymology Dictionary entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/jasper\"\u003Ejasper\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eprecious stone, c. 1300, from Anglo-French \u003Ci\u003Ejaspre\u003C\/i\u003E, Old French \u003Ci\u003Ejaspre\u003C\/i\u003E, with unetymological -\u003Ci\u003Er-\u003C\/i\u003E, a variant of \u003Ci\u003Ejaspe \u003C\/i\u003E(12c.), from Latin \u003Ci\u003Eiaspidem \u003C\/i\u003E(nominative \u003Ci\u003Eiaspis\u003C\/i\u003E), from Greek \u003Ci\u003Eiaspis \u003C\/i\u003E\"jasper,\" via an Oriental language (compare Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eyashpeh\u003C\/i\u003E, Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Eyashupu\u003C\/i\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein has a similar entry for \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%99%D6%B8%D7%A9%D6%B0%D7%81%D7%A4%D6%B5%D7%94.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eyashfeh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProbably borrowed from \u003Ci\u003Eyashupū\u003C\/i\u003E (also \u003Ci\u003Eashpū\u003C\/i\u003E), whence also Syriac יָשְׁפֵה, \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eיַשֽׁפָא\u003C\/span\u003E, Persian\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eyashm\u003C\/i\u003E, whence Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;yashb\u003C\/i\u003E (= jasper). Greek. \u003Ci\u003Eiaspis\u003C\/i\u003E, whence Latin\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eiaspis\u003C\/i\u003E, is a Sem. loan word.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of this isn't so surprising. Gems were rare, and so it makes sense that they would retain the name from where they came. However, the next development surprised me.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Klein's CEDEL, he has the following entry for the word \"diaper\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMiddle English \u003Ci\u003Ediaper, diapery\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;from Old French \u003Ci\u003Ediapre\u003C\/i\u003E, from earlier \u003Ci\u003Ediaspre\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(whence French \u003Ci\u003Ediapre\u003C\/i\u003E, 'diapered, variegated'), from Middle Latin \u003Ci\u003Ediasprum\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(whence also Italian \u003Ci\u003Ediaspro\u003C\/i\u003E, Old Provencal \u003Ci\u003Ediaspre\u003C\/i\u003E, Spanish \u003Ci\u003Ediaspero\u003C\/i\u003E, Portugese \u003Ci\u003Ediaspero\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ediaspro\u003C\/i\u003E), 'jasper', from Latin \u003Ci\u003Eiaspis\u003C\/i\u003E, from Greek \u003Ci\u003Eiaspis, \u003C\/i\u003E'jasper', ultimately from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eyashpheh\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI suppose I can see how the words are similar (although he doesn't explain where the added \"d\" comes from), but what is the connection between the meanings of \"jasper\" and \"diaper\"?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.collinsdictionary.com\/dictionary\/english\/diaper\"\u003EThis site\u003C\/a\u003E, quoting Webster's New World College dictionary, provides a possible explanation:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EME \u0026lt; OFr \u003Cspan class=\"hi rend-i\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ediapre\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ediaspre\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, kind of ornamented cloth \u0026lt; ML \u003Cspan class=\"hi rend-i\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ediasprum\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, flowered cloth, altered (after \u003Cspan class=\"hi rend-i\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edia\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E,  dia-, because of ML pronun. of initial \u003Cspan class=\"hi rend-i\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ej\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E) \u0026lt; \u003Cspan class=\"hi rend-i\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ejaspis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u0026lt; L \u003Cspan class=\"hi rend-i\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eiaspis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,  jasper\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo it seems that the connection here is that just like jasper is an ornamental gem, diapers were originally ornamental cloth. A different gem actually appears in the first (archaic) definition that dictionary provides:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E1.\u003Cbr \/\u003Ea.\u0026nbsp; Archaic: cloth or fabric with a woven pattern of repeated small figures, such as diamonds\u003Cbr \/\u003Eb. a napkin, towel, etc. of such cloth\u003Cbr \/\u003Ec. such a pattern, as in art\u003Cbr \/\u003E2.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003Ea. a soft, absorbent cloth folded and arranged between the legs and around the waist of a baby to absorb and contain excretions\u003Cbr \/\u003Eb. a piece of absorbent material with a waterproof outer layer, having the same function but intended to be discarded after a single use\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt's interesting to see how the meaning of diaper progressed to an item of less and less value - from a fancy ornamented cloth, to a cloth in general, to a cloth used to wrap around babies, to the disposable kind popular today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI'm just still not sure I understand why it begins with \"d.\" For that, perhaps its worth looking at the Online Etymology entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/diaper\"\u003Ediaper\u003C\/a\u003E. While they don't accept the \"jasper\" connection, they do say that the prefix \"dia-\" meant \"thoroughly, interspersed\", which could apply to the gem shapes (jasper) as much to the \"white\" that they suggest:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Emid-14c., \"costly silken fabric of one color having a repeated pattern of the same color woven into it,\" from Old French \u003Ci\u003Ediapre\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ediaspre \u003C\/i\u003E\"ornamental cloth; flowered, patterned silk cloth,\" perhaps via Medieval Latin \u003Ci\u003Ediasprum \u003C\/i\u003Efrom Medieval Greek \u003Ci\u003Ediaspros \u003C\/i\u003E\"thoroughly white,\" or perhaps \"white interspersed with other colors,\" from \u003Ci\u003Edia \u003C\/i\u003E\"thoroughly\" (see dia-) + \u003Ci\u003Easpros \u003C\/i\u003E\"white.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow while the \u003Ci\u003Echoshen\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was in fact a fancy woven cloth with stones interspersed, I don't recommend you call it a \"diaper\" unless you're willing to face some serious questions...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5985243474375553357\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5985243474375553357","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5985243474375553357"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5985243474375553357"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2022\/01\/yashfeh-and-diaper.html","title":"yashfeh and diaper"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4829497793590510085"},"published":{"$t":"2021-11-18T17:26:00.004+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:51:29.861+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Behaalotcha"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"cucumber and kishu"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In 2007, we discussed the Hebrew word for \"cucumber\", \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/04\/melafefon.html\"\u003Emelafefon\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eמלפפון. In the end of the post, I quoted an article that stated:\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003Ethe \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Emelafefon\u003C\/span\u003E in the Talmud is a melon, and the cucumber should be called by its Biblical name - \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Ekishu\u003C\/span\u003E\n קישוא (from Bamidbar 11:5 - זָכַרְנוּ, אֶת-הַדָּגָה, אֲשֶׁר-נֹאכַל \nבְּמִצְרַיִם, חִנָּם; אֵת הַקִּשֻּׁאִים, וְאֵת הָאֲבַטִּחִים, \nוְאֶת-הֶחָצִיר וְאֶת-הַבְּצָלִים, וְאֶת-הַשּׁוּמִים. \"We remember the \n... cucumbers (\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Ekishuim\u003C\/span\u003E) ... that we ate in Egypt\") and what we today call \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Ekishu\u003C\/span\u003E (zucchini squash) ... should be called \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Ekishot\u003C\/span\u003E קישות  or \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003Ekishu-bishul\u003C\/span\u003E קישוא-בישול.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile that recommendation was not adopted by Hebrew speakers, I recently discovered a theory that connects \u003Ci\u003Ekishu \u003C\/i\u003Eand \"cucumber.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI actually could have noticed it when I wrote my earlier post, since Klein mentions it in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B4%D7%A9%D6%BC%D7%81%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%90.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ehis entry for \u003Ci\u003Ekishu\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E cucumber (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Num. 11:5).     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E gourd, vegetable marrow.  [Related to MH קָשׁוּת, Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקַשׁוּתָא\u003C\/span\u003E, Punic \u003Ci\u003Ekissou\u003C\/i\u003E, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Equththā, qiththa\u003C\/i\u003E, Ethiop. pl. \u003Ci\u003Eq\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ees\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eāt\u003C\/i\u003E, Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eqishshu\u003C\/i\u003E (= cucumber). Gk. \u003Ci\u003Esikuos\u003C\/i\u003E (= cucumber) is a Heb. loan word. See ‘Sicyos’ in my CEDEL.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, even if I had noticed that the Greek \u003Ci\u003Esikuos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a Hebrew loan word, I didn't have his CEDEL dictionary at the time, so I couldn't have picked up the trail. Here's what he writes for \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sicyos\"\u003ESicyos\u003C\/a\u003E\", the genus of plants that includes the burr cucumbers:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EModern Latin, from Greek \u003Ci\u003Esikuos\u003C\/i\u003E, 'cucumber', which [...] is borrowed from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003E*qishshu'ah \u003C\/i\u003E(plural \u003Ci\u003Eqishshu'im\u003C\/i\u003E)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe then points to his entry for \"cucumber.\" The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cucumber\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E includes some of his findings:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Elate 14c., \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecucomer\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecocombre\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(13c., Modern French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Econcombre\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecucumerem\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(nominative \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecucumis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), perhaps from a pre-Italic Mediterranean language.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut Klein goes further. He says that the Latin comes from Greek, which eventually connects to Hebrew. He writes that the Latin \u003Ci\u003Ecucumis\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Efrom Greek \u003Ci\u003Ekukuos\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Assimilation_(phonology)\"\u003Eassimilated\u003C\/a\u003E from \u003Ci\u003Esikuos\u003C\/i\u003E, 'cucumber', a collateral form of \u003Ci\u003Esikuh\u003C\/i\u003E, of same meaning, which was probably formed through \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Metathesis_(linguistics)\"\u003Emetathesis\u003C\/a\u003E from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eqishshu'ah\u003C\/i\u003E, 'cucumber'.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecalling that the Greeks pronounced the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Esh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \u003Ci\u003Es \u003C\/i\u003E(think Shlomo \/ Solomon), we can see how \u003Ci\u003Ekishu \u003C\/i\u003Ecould become \u003Ci\u003Esikuh\u003C\/i\u003E. And from there, the path to cucumber is certainly possible (see the same theory\u0026nbsp; mentioned \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/40639453\/Food_in_Ancient_Mesopotamia_Cooking_the_Yale_Babylonian_Culinary_Recipes\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E as well). I wonder what additional insights I'll have when I look at \u003Ci\u003Ethis\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;post 14 years from now...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4829497793590510085\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4829497793590510085","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4829497793590510085"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4829497793590510085"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/11\/cucumber-and-kishu.html","title":"cucumber and kishu"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5414950238864542669"},"published":{"$t":"2021-11-11T16:59:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-11-15T07:03:35.095+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"benzene and levonah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most common queries I receive is if two similar looking words - one in Hebrew and one in English (or some other language) are related. More often than not, there's no connection. It's just a coincidence, no more significant than two unrelated people looking like each other.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, sometimes the two words are cognates, and that makes for a great post here, especially when despite the similar sounds and letters, the meanings don't seem to be connected at all (like our last post on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/10\/cherry-and-keres.html\"\u003Echerry and \u003Ci\u003Ekeres\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther times, however, the remnants of a Semitic origin in an English word are difficult to identify with the naked eye. They might only maintain one or two letters from that cognate. That's the case with the word \"benzene.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe chemical \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Benzene\"\u003Ebenzene\u003C\/a\u003E is found in crude oil, and when added to gasoline provides its sweet smell. In Hebrew, the equivalent word, בנזין, refers to gasoline (or petrol) in general. Other languages that call their equivalent of benzene for gasoline include German (\u003Ci\u003EBenzin)\u003C\/i\u003E, Italian (\u003Ci\u003Ebenzina\u003C\/i\u003E) and Russian (бензин - \u003Ci\u003Ebenzin\u003C\/i\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHere's the Online Etymology Dictionary entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/benzene\"\u003Ebenzene\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eclear, colorless liquid used as a solvent, 1835, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebenzine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, altered from German \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBenzin\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, coined in 1833 by German chemist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eilhard_Mitscherlich\"\u003EEilhardt Mitscherlich\u003C\/a\u003E (1794-1863) from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBenz(oesäure)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"benzoic acid\" + \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E-\u003Ci\u003Ein\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, indicating \"derived from\". Mitscherlich obtained it from a distillation of benzoic acid, obtained from benzoin. The form \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebenzene\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (with hydrocarbon suffix \u003Ci\u003E-ene\u003C\/i\u003E) was proposed in 1835 and began to be used from 1838 in English.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein credits \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/August_Wilhelm_von_Hofmann\"\u003EA. W. Hofmann\u003C\/a\u003E for the spelling \"benzene.\" Since benzene came from \"benzoin\", we need to see the origin of that word as well. Here's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/benzoin\"\u003Ethe entry\u003C\/a\u003E in the Online Etymology Dictionary:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ebalsamic resin obtained from a tree (\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStyrax benzoin\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E) of Indonesia, 1560s (earlier as \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebengewine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, 1550s), from French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebenjoin\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (16c.), which comes via Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian from Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eluban jawi\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"incense of Java\" (actually Sumatra, but the Arabs confused the two), with \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Elu\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E probably mistaken in Romance languages for a definite article.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom here we see that bezoin actually comes from two words: \u003Ci\u003Eluban jawi\u003C\/i\u003E. While this entry renders it as \"incense of Java\", a more precise translation for \u003Ci\u003Eluban\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(as Klein offers \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D6%B6%D6%BC%D7%A0%D6%B0%D7%96%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9F.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) would be \"frankincense.\" \u003Ci\u003ELuban\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has a Hebrew cognate, \u003Ci\u003Elevonah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;לבונה, which appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/3828\"\u003E21 times in the Bible\u003C\/a\u003E, and was used in the Temple service, including in the incense offering, due to its pleasing aroma.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003ELevona\u003C\/i\u003E, in turn,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%91%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A0%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Egets its name\u003C\/a\u003E due to its white - \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/08\/lavan.html\"\u003Elavan\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eלבן - color.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo returning to \"benzene\", we can now see that two of the letters - \"b\" and \"n\" - are cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Elevonah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Elavan. \u003C\/i\u003EI'm sure that's a question that no one will ever walk up to me on the street and ask me, but I find it fascinating nonetheless.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5414950238864542669\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5414950238864542669","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5414950238864542669"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5414950238864542669"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/11\/benzene-and-levonah.html","title":"benzene and levonah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-245472918445494325"},"published":{"$t":"2021-10-24T17:22:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-10-24T17:22:40.549+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"cherry and keres"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;I was surprised to learn that the English word \"cherry\" may have Semitic roots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Online Etymology Dictionary has the following entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cherry\"\u003Echerry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Efrom Anglo-French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Echerise\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Old North French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Echerise\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(Old French, Modern French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecerise\u003C\/span\u003E, 12c.), from Vulgar Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Eceresia\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from late Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ekerasian\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"cherry,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ekerasos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"cherry tree,\" possibly from a language of Asia Minor. Mistaken in Middle English for a plural and stripped of its \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E-s.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Etymology Nerd blog has a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymologynerd.com\/blog\/cherries-plural\"\u003Esimilar post\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EA long time ago, the Akkadians associated the phoneme\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ekarsu\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;with\n the morpheme concerning trees bearing tiny fruits. The rest is history,\n as the word passed into Anatolian and then Greek (following \ngeographical lines, I might add), as\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ekerasos\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;and specifically applying to the bird cherry tree. This logically created another noun, that of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ekerasion\u003C\/em\u003E, or \"cherry\", as an -\u003Cem\u003Eion\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Esuffix was affixed. As many Greek words did, this passed into Latin, and as all Greek words with a\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ek\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethat pass in to Latin change into a word with a\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ec\u003C\/em\u003E, as did did\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ekerasion\u003C\/em\u003E, which became the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ecerasium\u003C\/em\u003E, later\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eceresium\u003C\/em\u003E​. In Vulgar Latin, this became\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eceresia\u003C\/em\u003E, and in Old Northern French it became\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Echerise\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;(nothing to do with\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Emon cheri\u003C\/em\u003E). This then became a loanword as it crossed the English channel to become\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Echerise\u003C\/em\u003E,\n and here people began to use it daily until someone along the line \n\"realized\" that this was a plural, and that was incorrect, so that \nperson decided to abridge it to something like\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Echerri\u003C\/em\u003E, which became\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Echerry\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ein due course.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth note that the \"s\" was dropped when the word entered English from French due to a mistaken assumption that word was plural. (The same thing happened with the word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/pea\"\u003Epea\u003C\/a\u003E.) That's a fun fact, but I'm more interested in the Akkadian etymology. Klein, in his CEDEL, provides a little more information. After tracing the word to the Greek like the sources above, he adds:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ewhich probably derives from Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Ekarshu\u003C\/i\u003E, 'stone fruit'\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis piqued my curiosity. While many words in Akkadian have cognates in Hebrew (or Aramaic), Klein didn't offer one here. I tried looking up \u003Ci\u003Ekarsu, karshu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Ekarashu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Akkadian dictionaries, but none explicitly gave a meaning of \"stone fruit.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, there were other meanings that could provide a connection. One meaning of \u003Ci\u003Ekarasu \u003C\/i\u003Ein Akkadian is listed as \"stone.\" For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.assyrianlanguages.org\/akkadian\/dosearch.php?searchkey=7511\u0026amp;language=id\"\u003Ethis Akkadian dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E has an entry for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekarašu\u003C\/i\u003E with these meanings:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"wordlink\"\u003E1) a leek (cultivated, or wild in mountains) ;\n2) (a kind of stone)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe meaning \"leek\" isn't so surprising. We've already discussed before the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Ekreisha \u003C\/i\u003Eכרשה and the Aramaic word \u003Ci\u003Ekarti \u003C\/i\u003Eכרתי - both meaning \"leek\", and having \u003Ci\u003Ekarashu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as a cognate seems logical. But what is the connection between leeks and stones?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oi.uchicago.edu\/research\/publications\/assyrian-dictionary-oriental-institute-university-chicago-cad\"\u003EChicago Assyrian Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CAD) has a far more detailed entry. In \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oi.uchicago.edu\/sites\/oi.uchicago.edu\/files\/uploads\/shared\/docs\/cad_k.pdf\"\u003Etheir entry for\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oi.uchicago.edu\/sites\/oi.uchicago.edu\/files\/uploads\/shared\/docs\/cad_k.pdf\"\u003Ekarašu\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(page 212) they first define it as \"leek\", then\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ein descriptions of stones … the stone whose color is green like leeks\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd later there is mention of stones. While it is possible that this became the \"stone\" of stone fruits, it seems less likely to me, and is also rejected by \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/digilib.phil.muni.cz\/bitstream\/handle\/11222.digilib\/130047\/1_GraecoLatinaBrunensia_19-2014-1_5.pdf?sequence=1\"\u003ERosół and Blažek\u003C\/a\u003E\" according to the Wiktionary entry for the Greek\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%CE%BA%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%83%CF%8C%CF%82\"\u003Ekerasos\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo me, a more likely candidate would be a different meaning of the Akkadian word. According to the CAD,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oi.uchicago.edu\/sites\/oi.uchicago.edu\/files\/uploads\/shared\/docs\/cad_k.pdf\"\u003Ekaršu\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(page 223) can mean\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E1. stomach, belly, womb, body\u003Cbr \/\u003E2. mind, heart, plan, desire\u003Cbr \/\u003E3. inner or lower side\u003C\/blockquote\u003EWhile there is no mention of stone fruits, or fruits at all, in their entry, it seems reasonable to me that the word could have been borrowed for stone fruits specifically (considering that the stone is inside the fruit, as if in the belly), or perhaps fruit in general (metaphorically the produce of the womb).\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf this is the case, there is a cognate with a Hebrew word: \u003Ci\u003Ekeres, \u003C\/i\u003Ealso meaning \"belly.\" It appears in Biblical Hebrew only once, with the spelling כרש, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jeremiah.51.34?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYirmiyahu 51:34\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;מִלָּא כְרֵשׂוֹ מֵעֲדָנָי\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHe filled his belly with my dainties\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHowever, the word \u003Ci\u003Ekeres\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ebecame \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%9B%D6%B6%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B6%D7%A1?lang=bi\"\u003Emore common in Rabbinic Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E, where the spelling changed to כרס.\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B5%D7%A9%D7%81.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E Klein confirms\u003C\/a\u003E the cognate with Akkadian:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ebelly (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Jer. 51:34). In PBH spelled כָּרֵס (q.v.).  [Related to Aram.-Syr. כַּרְסָא (= belly), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ekarish, kirsh\u003C\/i\u003E, Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Ekarsh\u003C\/i\u003E (= stomach, belly), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Ekarshu, karashu\u003C\/i\u003E (= belly).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIt does surprise me that he doesn't connect the entry for \u003Ci\u003Ekeres \u003C\/i\u003Ewith his entry for \"cherry\", but I don't think that necessarily means he didn't connect them. In any case, the next time I fill my \u003Ci\u003Ekeres\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with cherries, I'll be sure to think of the etymological connection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/245472918445494325\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=245472918445494325","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/245472918445494325"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/245472918445494325"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/10\/cherry-and-keres.html","title":"cherry and keres"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8435036460388124118"},"published":{"$t":"2021-10-19T22:24:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-10-19T22:24:05.018+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"marpek and rafiki"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word for \"elbow\" - מרפק \u003Ci\u003Emarpek\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is not of biblical origin. It first appears in Rabbinic Hebrew, for example in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Shabbat.10.3?lang=bi\"\u003EMishna Shabbat 10:3\u003C\/a\u003E. However, the word does derive from a root, רפק, that has one appearance in the Tanakh. Here is Klein's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%A4%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%A7.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eentry for \u003Ci\u003Emarpek\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EFrom רפק (= to support). cp. Aram. מַרְפְּקָא, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Emarfiq\u003C\/i\u003E (= elbow).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8%D7%A4%D7%A7?lang=bi\"\u003Ewhat he writes about רפק\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"loadingMessage sans-serif base prev\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"int-he\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, רפק\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, רפק 1\" class=\"segment highlight invisibleHighlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, רפק 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eרפק\u003C\/strong\u003E    to support, lean. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Pi.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eרִפֵּק\u003C\/strong\u003E  MH  \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E he supported, upheld;   NH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E he elbowed. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Pu.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eרֻפַּק\u003C\/strong\u003E    was supported, was upheld. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E— Hith.\u003C\/strong\u003E - \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eהִתְרַפֵּק\u003C\/strong\u003E    he leant against, clung to (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Cant. 8:5).  [Arab. \u003Ci\u003Erafaqa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he helped, supported), Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Erafaqa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he reclined at the table, leaned upon). Base of מַרְפֵּק (= elbow).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELet's take a look first at the last form of the verb, התרפק \u003Ci\u003Ehitrapek\u003C\/i\u003E, since it is the one that appears in the Bible:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eמִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן־הַמִּדְבָּר מִתְרַפֶּקֶת עַל־דּוֹדָהּ...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Who is she that comes up from the desert, leaning [\u003Ci\u003Emitrapeket\u003C\/i\u003E] upon her beloved?...\" (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Song_of_Songs.8.5?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShir HaShirim 8:5\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThis modern translation (New JPS) relies upon the same scholarship that Klein had, and therefore renders \u003Ci\u003Emitrapeket\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \"leaning.\" The medieval commentaries, such as Rashi and Ibn Ezra quote the Arabic cognate, but give that as proof that it means \"to attach.\" In light of this Artscroll renders the verse \"clinging to her Beloved\" and the new Koren Tanakh has \"entwined with her beloved.\" I'm not sure where this interpretation of the Arabic came from - perhaps they knew that \u003Ci\u003Erafik\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Arabic meant friend, which is \u003Ci\u003Echaver\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eחבר in Hebrew, and that recalled the root חבר meaning \"to attach.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%A4%D6%B7%D7%A7.1?lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow writes\u003C\/a\u003E that in Talmudic Hebrew the \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form of the verb meant \"to endear one's self.\" He quotes \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Bereishit_Rabbah.45.4?lang=bi\"\u003EBereshit Rabba 45:4\u003C\/a\u003E, where we find mention of women who were\u0026nbsp;מִתְרַפְּקוֹת עַל בַּעֲלֵיהֶן בְּנוֹיָן - \"endearing themselves [\u003Ci\u003Emitrapkot\u003C\/i\u003E] to their husbands through their beauty.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn more recent times, the verb has taken on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.morfix.co.il\/%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%A4%D7%A7\"\u003Eanother set of meanings\u003C\/a\u003E: \"to hug, to cling to; to remember fondly.\" The first - \"to hug\" - is perhaps influenced by the approach of the\u0026nbsp; medieval commentators. The latter - \"to remember fondly\" - I assume was a more creative interpretation of the verse in Shir HaShirim.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EKlein also mentions a \u003Ci\u003Epiel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form - ריפק \u003Ci\u003Eripek. \u003C\/i\u003EI've never heard it used today to mean \"to support\" or \"to uphold,\" but the use \"to elbow\" does exist, but it's more commonly found today as ממרפק \u003Ci\u003Emimarpek.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=241569097271551\"\u003EAvshalom Kor points out here\u003C\/a\u003E, that's one of the few uses of the root that doesn't have a positive connotation - instead of support, clinging and fond remembrance, to elbow is to rudely push your way into a place.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EReturning to the Arabic cognate, we find that \u003Ci\u003Erafik\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;provided the name \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rafiq\"\u003ERafiq\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning \"friend\" or \"companion.\" From Arabic, the same word was borrowed into Swahili, where it became \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/rafiki\"\u003Erafiki\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. That name may be familiar from the Disney movie, \u003Ci\u003EThe Lion King, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhere it was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_The_Lion_King_(franchise)_characters#Rafiki\"\u003Ethe name of the mandrill\u003C\/a\u003E who through magical and spiritual efforts, helped the protagonists. He was their \"friend\", and as it happened, was always leaning on a walking stick, while bending his elbow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8435036460388124118\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8435036460388124118","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8435036460388124118"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8435036460388124118"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/10\/marpek-and-rafiki.html","title":"marpek and rafiki"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8596047298984363241"},"published":{"$t":"2021-10-10T21:57:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-10-10T21:57:19.022+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"cedar, citron and ketoret"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you haven't noticed, my recent posts have frequently referred to \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B001O4RS9M\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN=B001O4RS9M\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;linkId=f9c138f5d463c2f37700c7a62467bc5c\"\u003EKlein's Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(CEDEL). I purchased the two volume set a few years ago, but recently decided that if I want to find the cases where he provides Semitic origins to English words, I'd have to just start reading it from the beginning. And that's what I've been doing for the past few weeks. It will probably take me several months to complete the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI can't say that every entry with a connection to Hebrew is entirely convincing, but I can say that Klein does seem to be doing his best with the tools he had, and often provides sources, which makes follow up research much easier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne interesting aspect of this project has been noticing when the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Etymonline), a very popular internet etymology resource (which I quote often), relies on the CEDEL for an etymology, but won't go the final mile and mention the Hebrew cognate that Klein suggests.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn example of this can be found in the entry for \"cedar\" and related words. Etymonline has the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cedar\"\u003Efollowing entry for cedar\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"type of coniferous tree noted for its slow growth and hard timber,\" late Old English \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eceder\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, blended in Middle English with Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecedre\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, both from Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecedrus\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ekedros\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"cedar, juniper,\" a word of uncertain origin.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter mentioning the Middle English, Old English, French, Latin and Greek origins (as also done by Etymonline), Klein continues:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ewhich probably denoted originally 'a tree whose wood was used for burning sacrifices,' and derives from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eqatar\u003C\/i\u003E, 'it exhaled odor, smoked'; see\u0026nbsp;Heinrich Lewy, \u003Ci\u003EDie semitischen Fremdwörter im Griechischen, \u003C\/i\u003EBerlin, 1895, p. 35.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe discussed \u003Ci\u003Eqatar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/01\/ketoret-and-nectar.html\"\u003Epost about the etymology of \"nectar\", and its relationship to \u003Ci\u003Eketoret\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. But I wasn't familiar at the time with the possible connection to \"cedar,\" so I didn't mention it then.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of that entry, Klein recommends also looking at his entry for \"citron\" (the English name for the \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/10\/etrog.html\"\u003Eetrog\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;tree and fruit.) He connects \"citron\" to \"cedar\", and then mentions that \"citrus\" comes from \"citron\" as well. Here Etymonline does make direct mention of Klein. Here's their entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/citrus\"\u003Ecitrus\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eany tree of the genus \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003ECitrus\u003C\/span\u003E, or its fruit, 1825, from the Modern Latin genus name, from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecitrus\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/i\u003E \"citron tree,\" the name of an African tree with aromatic wood and \nlemon-like fruit, the first citrus fruit to become available in the \nWest. The name, like the tree, is probably of Asiatic origin [OED] or \nfrom a lost non-IE Mediterranean language [de Vaan]. But Klein and \nothers trace it to Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ekedros\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"cedar,\" perhaps via Etruscan (a suggested by the change of \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E-\u003Ci\u003Edr\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E to \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E-\u003Ci\u003Etr\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd their entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/citron\"\u003Ecitron \u003C\/a\u003Eis connected:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"large, thick-rinded, lemon-like citrus fruit,\" late 14c., also \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecitrine\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(early 15c.), from Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecitron\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"citron, lemon\" (14c.), possibly from Old Provençal \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecitron\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecitrus\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"citron-tree,\" and influenced by \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Elemon\u003C\/span\u003E; or else from augmentative of Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecitreum \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Emālum\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E \"citron (apple);\" see \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/citrus?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Ecitrus\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo be clear, I don't object to Etymonline disagreeing with Klein's conclusions. I just think it would be easier for future investigations if they were quoted more inclusively.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne remaining question is what is the connection between the cedar and citron trees? In \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Citron#Other_languages\"\u003EItalian \u003C\/a\u003Ethe same word - \u003Ci\u003Ecedro\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E-\u0026nbsp; is used for both, so certainly some association is possible. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=VqSODwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA193\u0026amp;dq=citron+cedar\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiI2pXYu8DzAhUID2MBHf9aBvAQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=citron%20cedar\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThis book\u003C\/a\u003E quotes \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Galen\"\u003EGalen\u003C\/a\u003E (the Greek physician living in the Roman empire) who provided a few possible theories:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ebecause the green unripe citron resembles the unripe cedar-cone; or because cedar and citron trees have spines around the leaves [...] or more fancifully because the the fruit and leaves had the smell of cedar...\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(Regarding the first theory, there are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/.premium-word-of-the-day-hadarim-1.5290260\"\u003Ethose who claim\u003C\/a\u003E that when the Bible refers to \u003Ci\u003Epri etz hadar \u003C\/i\u003Eפרי עץ הדר, it did not mean the \u003Ci\u003Eetrog \/ \u003C\/i\u003Ecitron, but rather the cedar cone. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=d0VYDwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA78\u0026amp;lpg=PA78\u0026amp;dq=cedar+etrog+sanskrit\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=huzqzYfxGR\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U1zbKkGt6IgLKl8KT68YIKuHelaDA\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjwmMnEwMDzAhXmBGMBHb77CEAQ6AF6BAgcEAM#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=cedar%20etrog%20sanskrit\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EOthers reject this\u003C\/a\u003E, because the cedar tree has a common name in the Bible, \u003Ci\u003Eerez \u003C\/i\u003Eארז and no connection is made between \u003Ci\u003Eerez \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Ehadar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in any biblical text.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile all of Galen's theories may be a possible connections between cedar and citron, if we rely upon Klein's etymology for cedar, which goes back to the odor from the tree, then perhaps the citron tree was similarly named for its strong aroma. While the cedar may have got its name from the odor when the wood was burned, certainly anyone who has smelled a citron can attest to its powerful scent as well.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8596047298984363241\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8596047298984363241","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8596047298984363241"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8596047298984363241"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/10\/cedar-citron-and-ketoret.html","title":"cedar, citron and ketoret"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3759967773593425328"},"published":{"$t":"2021-10-06T16:42:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-10-06T16:42:35.178+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"amazon, amitz and imutz"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EFor the past few decades, Amazon has been one of the most recognized brand names worldwide. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_Amazon#Choosing_a_name\"\u003EThe founder chose the name\u003C\/a\u003E because of the exotic nature and great size of the Amazon river. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amazon_River#Etymology\"\u003Eriver got its name\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from the women fighters of the native tribe who attacked the Spanish explorers, who reminded them of the Greek myth of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amazons\"\u003EAmazons\u003C\/a\u003E - a group of female warriors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd where did the Greeks get the name Amazon? The Online Etymology Dictionary has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/amazon\"\u003Ethis entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Elate 14c., via Old French (13c.) or Latin, from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EAmazon\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(mostly in plural \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAmazones\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E)\n \"one of a race of female warriors in Scythia,\" probably from an unknown\n non-Indo-European word, or possibly from an Iranian compound \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Eha-maz-an\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E \"(one) fighting together\" [Watkins], but in folk etymology long derived from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ea\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E \"without\" + \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emazos\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, variant of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emastos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"breast;\" hence the story that the Amazons cut or burned off one breast so they could draw bowstrings more efficiently.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat was the non-Indo-European word? There are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.straightdope.com\/21343273\/what-s-up-with-the-amazons\"\u003Emany theories\u003C\/a\u003E, but I'd like to focus on Klein's suggestion in his CEDEL:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Efrom Greek \u003Ci\u003EAmazon\u003C\/i\u003E, which probably derives from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eammitz\u003C\/i\u003E, 'strong'\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAmitz \u003C\/i\u003Eאמיץ, derives from the root אמץ, meaning \"to be strong.\" A synonym of the more popular\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Echazak\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;חזק (the verb חזק appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/2388.%D7%97%D6%B2%D7%96%D6%B7%D7%A7\"\u003E290 times\u003C\/a\u003E in the Bible, while אמץ only appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/553.%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%9E%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%A5\"\u003E41 times\u003C\/a\u003E), it is the source of several words relating to strength:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eometz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;אומץ - \"bravery\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ema'amatz \u003C\/i\u003Eמאמץ - \"effort\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehitametz \u003C\/i\u003Eהתאמץ - \"went to great lengths, endeavored\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut one meaning of the root does not seem to fit with the others: \u003Ci\u003Eimetz \u003C\/i\u003Eאימץ - \"adopted\" and \u003Ci\u003Eimutz \u003C\/i\u003Eאימוץ - \"adoption.\" How did those uses come from a root meaning \"be strong\"?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A5_%E1%B4%B5?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E lists the meaning \"was adopted (said of a child)\" but does not explain the development. After going through meanings related to strength, Ben Yehuda adds:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjXR70Voe7v01vr3A6jIS9-gQWdfob1a_NPaJKweXKXMT3zOOxVbRlO6jypGu4cqlP1sMlHAxwwTsSAHrHVQ6lzTLUTUus00Leo6ZeeIdusyvPuUkertbnOzYjEc03DA-mt5EG1\/\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" data-original-height=\"122\" data-original-width=\"581\" height=\"67\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjXR70Voe7v01vr3A6jIS9-gQWdfob1a_NPaJKweXKXMT3zOOxVbRlO6jypGu4cqlP1sMlHAxwwTsSAHrHVQ6lzTLUTUus00Leo6ZeeIdusyvPuUkertbnOzYjEc03DA-mt5EG1\/\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\"Some writers would say that someone \u003Ci\u003Eimetz \u003C\/i\u003E(adopted) to him a son or daughter.\" However, he does not indicate when this usage began, or give any examples of its usage.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EThere is one biblical verse, however, that some point to as an example of אמץ meaning \"to adopt.\" This is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Psalms.80.16?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETehillim 80:16\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" dir=\"rtl\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: right;\"\u003Eוְ\u003Cbig\u003Eכַ\u003C\/big\u003Eנָּה אֲשֶׁר־נָטְעָה יְמִינֶךָ וְעַל־בֵּן אִמַּצְתָּה לָּךְ׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" dir=\"rtl\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003EThis is a difficult verse to understand, and there are many translations. The JPS, for example translates this verse (and the preceding one, which I've added for context as):\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"O God of hosts, turn again,\u003C\/div\u003Elook down from heaven and see;\u003Cbr \/\u003Etake note of that vine, the stock planted by Your right hand,\u003Cbr \/\u003Ethe stem [\u003Ci\u003Eben\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;you have taken [\u003Ci\u003Eimatzta\u003C\/i\u003E] as Your own.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA footnote to their translation, on the word \"stem,\" notes: \"literarly 'son.'\" So according to this translation, the literal meaning of the phrase would be \"the son you have taken as Your own,\" which could imply something like adoption.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003ERobert Alter, in his translation, goes for that literal meaning, translating it as \"the son You took to Yourself\", and adds this note:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIf the received text shows an authentic reading here, there is a slightly disconcerting shift from the vehicle of the metaphor (the vine) to its tenor (the people of Israel as God’s son). Some interpreters have understood \u003Ci\u003Eben\u003C\/i\u003E as a poetic term for “branch” or as a scribal error for some other word that means “branch,” but the verb attached to it - \u003Ci\u003Eʾimatsta\u003C\/i\u003E, which suggests adoption of a child—is appropriate for a son, not a plant.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIt seems to me that Alter is perhaps putting the cart before the horse. Both verses 15 and 16 are clearly using imagery of plants. If there were other verses where \u003Ci\u003Eimetz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meant \"to adopt\", then they could be used to justify that translation here. But I haven't found any, and I suspect Alter is influenced by modern usage.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn fact, Ben Yehuda does quote this verse, in his entry for אמץ, under the meaning \"to plant.\" He adds another verse, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Isaiah.44.14?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYeshaya 44:14\u003C\/a\u003E -\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eלִכְרׇת־לוֹ אֲרָזִים וַיִּקַּח תִּרְזָה וְאַלּוֹן וַיְאַמֶּץ־לוֹ בַּעֲצֵי־יָעַר נָטַע אֹרֶ\u003Csmall\u003Eן\u003C\/small\u003E וְגֶשֶׁם יְגַדֵּל׃\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBy including it under the subentry, Ben Yehuda is implying that it means \"to plant\" here as well. What is the connection between \"planting\" and \"strength\"? That can be found in a number of translations to these two verses. For example the (old) Koren Jerusalem Bible translates the verse from Yeshaya as:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EHe hews him down cedars, and takes the pine and the oak, which he strengthens for himself [\u003Ci\u003Evay'ametz\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;among the trees of the forest: he plants a forest tree and the rain nourishes it.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EPart of the planting process, or a result of is, the strengthening of the tree. The new Koren Tanakh, in their translation of the Tehillim verse, uses similar language: \"this shoot You nurtured as Your own.\" Kaddari, quoting these verses (and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Psalms.80.18?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETehillim 80:18\u003C\/a\u003E) says it means גידלת, which can mean \"to raise\" or \"to grow\" (which also could imply adoption.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOthers, however, stick to a meaning related to \"taking.\" The JPS translates the Yeshaya phrase as \"He sets aside trees of the forest\" and Alter suggests \"he picks from the trees of the forest.\" How is choosing or taking related to strength? The BDB offers the meaning \"assure, secure for oneself.\" Secure implies both strength and possession.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EUltimately, the meaning of the verb אמץ is unclear in these verses (and the Daat Mikra, for example on Yeshaya 44:14, offers both \"to strengthen\" and \"to set aside.\") But one thing is clear - these verses weren't followed up with uses of אמץ to mean the adoption of a child in the remainder of Biblical literature, or any of Talmudic literature. In fact, a search of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il\/Pages\/PMain.aspx?koderekh=1894\u0026amp;page=1\"\u003EHistorical Dictionary Project of the Academy of the Hebrew Language\u003C\/a\u003E shows the first clear example of that usage in an 1873 essay (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il\/Pages\/PMain.aspx?mishibbur=1049004\u0026amp;mm15=000000000143007\u0026amp;mismilla=10\"\u003Epage 143\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/maagarim.hebrew-academy.org.il\/Pages\/PMain.aspx?mishibbur=1049004\u0026amp;mm15=000000000144023\u0026amp;mismilla=6\"\u003Epage 144\u003C\/a\u003E) by the writer\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Peretz_Smolenskin\"\u003EPeretz Smolenskin\u003C\/a\u003E. And even following that, it wasn't a very popular usage. For example, see the results of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/ngrams\/graph?content=%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A5+\u0026amp;year_start=1600\u0026amp;year_end=2019\u0026amp;corpus=35\u0026amp;smoothing=3\u0026amp;direct_url=t1%3B%2C%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A5%3B%2Cc0#t1%3B%2C%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A5%3B%2Cc0\"\u003Ethis Google Books Ngram Viewer search\u003C\/a\u003E. I looked for the word אימוץ, which as a gerund wouldn't be used for much else other than adoption. It only really picks up in the 1950s, growing to a much higher usage in the last twenty years.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo what happened here? I think this is an example of a phenomenon we've discussed many times before on Balashon. I don't know the technical name of the linguistic phenomenon (but I have a feeling a reader will enlighten me in the comments), but what happens frequently in Hebrew when there are two synonyms is that one will become the popular one for common usage and the other will take on a different meaning. This new meaning will generally fill in a semantic gap, becoming the word for a concept previously without a good word as a fit. (This is part of the process called \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Semantic_change\"\u003Esemantic change\u003C\/a\u003E, but I don't think it's exactly \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/semantic-narrowing-specialization-1692083\"\u003Esemantic narrowing\u003C\/a\u003E, since the new meaning isn't necessarily less general than the earlier meaning - just different.) We saw it with \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/01\/etz-and-ilan.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eetz \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eilan\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, with \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/02\/atar-and-asher.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eatar \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Emakom\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, with \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/tzedek-and-tzedaka.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etzedek \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/tzedek-and-tzedaka.html\"\u003Etzedaka\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Eand now with \u003Ci\u003Echizek\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eimetz. \u003C\/i\u003EHebrew today doesn't really need two words for \"strengthen.\" So when a writer like Smolenskin borrows from a verse in Tehillim and turns \u003Ci\u003Eimetz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;into adopt (a child), then the speakers will, well, \u003Ci\u003Eadopt\u003C\/i\u003E the usage with open arms. (Yes, the meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eimetz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has since expanded to mean adopting of any practice or idea.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPerhaps the lesson here is just as Amazon the company takes over marketplaces, and the waters of the Amazon river flow through the land of South America, so too will words like \u003Ci\u003Eimutz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;fill in the linguistic gaps if only given a chance.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3759967773593425328\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3759967773593425328","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3759967773593425328"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3759967773593425328"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/10\/amazon-amitz-and-imutz.html","title":"amazon, amitz and imutz"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjXR70Voe7v01vr3A6jIS9-gQWdfob1a_NPaJKweXKXMT3zOOxVbRlO6jypGu4cqlP1sMlHAxwwTsSAHrHVQ6lzTLUTUus00Leo6ZeeIdusyvPuUkertbnOzYjEc03DA-mt5EG1\/s72-c","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3700607144655236885"},"published":{"$t":"2021-09-30T23:10:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:54:05.703+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vezot Habracha"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"meged, almond and armageddon"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWe've previously discussed the Hebrew word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2009\/02\/shaked.html\"\u003Eשקד\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eshaked\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning \"almond.\" But what about the etymology of the word \"almond\" itself?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/almond\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E provides the following origin:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ekernel of the fruit of the almond tree, c. 1300, from Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ealmande\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eamande\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, earlier \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ealemondle\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"almond,\" from Vulgar Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Eamendla\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Eamandula\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eamygdala\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(plural), from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eamygdalos\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"an almond tree,\" a word of unknown origin, perhaps from Semitic. Late Old English had \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eamygdales\u003C\/span\u003E \"almonds.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis makes it cognate with the part of the brain responsible for emotions known as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Amygdala\"\u003Eamygdala\u003C\/a\u003E. Here's the Online Etymology entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/amygdala\"\u003Eamygdala\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Epart of the brain, from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eamygdalum\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"almond\" (which the brain parts resemble), from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eamygdale\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"almond\" (see almond). English also had \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eamygdales\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"the tonsils\" (early 15c.), from a secondary sense of the Latin word in Medieval Latin, a translation of Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eal-lauzatani\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"the two tonsils,\" literally \"the two almonds,\" so called by Arabic physicians for fancied resemblance.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe connection between almonds and tonsils exists in Hebrew as well - \u003Ci\u003Eshaked\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can refer to both.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, I'd like to return to the mention above that the Greek \u003Ci\u003Eamygdalos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;may be \"perhaps from Semitic.\" In Klein's CEDEL, he expands on this idea. In his entry for \"almond\" he writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E…according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heinrich_Lewy\"\u003EH. Lewy\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ci\u003EDie semitischen Fremdwörter im Griechischen\u003C\/i\u003E, pp. 25-26, [\u003Ci\u003Eamygdalos\u003C\/i\u003E] is\u0026nbsp;borrowed from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Emeghedh El, \u003C\/i\u003E'divine fruit'.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word referred to here, \u003Ci\u003Emeged \u003C\/i\u003Eמגד, is not a very common one in the Bible, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/4022\"\u003Eonly appearing eight times\u003C\/a\u003E. However, those familiar with the Torah reading for Simchat Torah will certainly recognize it, as it repeats five times during Moshe's blessing of the tribes of Yosef (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Deuteronomy.33.13?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EDevarim 33:13-16\u003C\/a\u003E) . The word is variously translated as \"sweetness,\" \"best\", or \"bounty.\" Some say it means \"blessing\", particularly when comparing the parallel blessing Yaakov gave Yosef in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Genesis.49.25?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBereshit 49:25\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%92%D6%B6%D7%93.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's etymology\u003C\/a\u003E for \u003Ci\u003Emeged\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is not much more precise:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמֶֽגֶד\u003C\/strong\u003E m.n.    choice of things, excellence.  [Related to Aram. מִגְדָּא (= fruit, something precious), Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמַגְדָּא\u003C\/span\u003E (= fruit), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Emajd\u003C\/i\u003E (= glory, honor).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn any case, based on all the biblical appearances of the word, it always refers to good crops or fruits, and so the possibility that it eventually was borrowed by the Greeks for their word for the fruit of the prized almond tree should not be dismissed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein mentioned the Arabic cognate, \u003Ci\u003Emajd\u003C\/i\u003E. That Arabic word is found in a number of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Majd\"\u003Enames of people and places\u003C\/a\u003E, One such place, familiar to Israelis, is the Arab town of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Majd_al-Krum\"\u003EMajd al-Krum\u003C\/a\u003E in the Galilee. While the English Wikipedia page says that the name translates to \"watch-house of the vineyard\" (perhaps cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Emigdal \u003C\/i\u003Eמגדל - \"tower\"), the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%9E%D7%92%27%D7%93_%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%9B%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D\"\u003EHebrew entry\u003C\/a\u003E translates the name as \"glory of the vineyards\", which makes it cognate with \u003Ci\u003Emeged.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYet there is another town in northern Israel, even more well known, which may derive from \u003Ci\u003Emeged \u003C\/i\u003Eas well. This is the Biblical city of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tel_Megiddo\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMegiddo \u003C\/i\u003Eמגידו\u003C\/a\u003E. Megiddo appears \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/4023\"\u003E12 times in the Bible\u003C\/a\u003E, once (Zecharia 12:11) as Megidon. While its \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/03\/maudlin-and-armageddon.html\"\u003Eetymology is debated\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/kotar.cet.ac.il\/kotarapp\/index\/Chapter.aspx?nBookID=95901081\u0026amp;nTocEntryID=95912714\"\u003EEncyclopedia Mikrait\u003C\/a\u003E suggests that it may come from \u003Ci\u003Emeged\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;due to the produce grown there.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe mountain of Megiddo was known in Hebrew as \u003Ci\u003Ehar Megido \u003C\/i\u003Eהר מגידו (or perhaps \u003Ci\u003Ehar Megidon\u003C\/i\u003E), and this led to another familiar word in English - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/armageddon\"\u003EArmageddon\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"cataclysmic final conflict,\" 1811, figurative use of the place-name in \nRevelation xvi.16, site of the great and final conflict, from Hebrew \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHar Megiddon\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"Mount of Megiddo\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday many are concerned about the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/life-and-style\/food-and-drink\/are-almonds-bad-for-the-environment-1.4138427\"\u003Eenvironmental impact of almond growing\u003C\/a\u003E. Let's hope that instead of leading to an armageddon, they continue to be the divine fruit of blessing that we've enjoyed for millennia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3700607144655236885\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3700607144655236885","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3700607144655236885"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3700607144655236885"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/09\/meged-almond-and-armageddon.html","title":"meged, almond and armageddon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7459319852754540353"},"published":{"$t":"2021-09-19T15:49:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-09-19T15:49:38.647+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Syracuse"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn an earlier post, we discussed the Semitic etymologies of two towns in upstate New York: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/05\/utica.html\"\u003EUtica and Ithaca\u003C\/a\u003E. Both are named for cities in the Mediterranean, and are claimed to ultimately have Phoenician origins. Well, if you \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/dir\/Utica,+New+York\/Ithaca,+New+York\/@42.762947,-76.4150966,9z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d93751356a7629:0x111a362618edfc86!2m2!1d-75.232664!2d43.100903!1m5!1m1!1s0x89d08182e0af88f7:0xae52768a56ece74!2m2!1d-76.5018807!2d42.4439614\"\u003Edrive from Utica to Ithaca\u003C\/a\u003E, you will pass through another city with a similar story: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Syracuse,_New_York\"\u003ESyracuse\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving grown up in nearby Rochester, all of these cities were familiar to me. On a recent visit to Rochester, my brother and sister-in-law prepared \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allrecipes.com\/recipe\/141785\/syracuse-salt-potatoes\/\"\u003ESyracuse salt potatoes\u003C\/a\u003E - a delicious dish that I hadn't tried before. Only later did I learn that Syracuse is nicknamed \"The Salt City\", due to the salty springs in the area, that led to it becoming a center of salt production. So I guess in a city like that, you can afford to cook potatoes in 1.5 cups of salt.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose same sources of salt also led to the name of the city. In the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/History_of_Syracuse,_New_York#19th_century\"\u003E19th century\u003C\/a\u003E, officials \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.cnyhistory.org\/2016\/09\/how-did-syracuse-get-name\/\"\u003Echose to name the city\u003C\/a\u003E \"Syracuse\" after an ancient town of the same name in the Mediterranean island of Sicily. That older \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Syracuse,_Sicily\"\u003ESyracuse\u003C\/a\u003E also was known for producing salt, and had marshes like the one in upstate New York. It was a good fit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to some, those marshes provided the original name of the city. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Syracuse\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E gives this origin:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ecity in Sicily, founded as a Corinthian colony, and with a name traceable to 8c. B.C.E., from a pre-Hellenic word, perhaps Phoenician \u003Ci\u003Eserah \u003C\/i\u003E\"to feel ill,\" in reference to its location near a swamp. The city in New York, U.S., was named 1825 for the classical city.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ci\u003Eserah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;mentioned here is a cognate with the Hebrew סרח, meaning \"to stink\". \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D7%A8%D7%97_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein has this etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAram. סְרַח (= it decayed, putrefied), Syr. סְרַח (= he sinned, was corrupt), Aram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eסוּרְחָנָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= corruptness).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt only appears in the Bible in one verse, Yirmiyahu 49:7, describing the nation of Edom. The prophet asks:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eנִסְרְחָ֖ה חׇכְמָתָֽם\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHas their wisdom gone stale?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the verb became much more common in Rabbinic Hebrew. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A1%D6%B8%D7%A8%D6%B7%D7%97_III.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E offers the following meanings: \"to evaporate, be decomposed; to decay; to smell badly.\" Today, the most common form of the verb is the \u003Ci\u003Ehifil - \u003C\/i\u003Eהסריח \"it stank.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(There is another root with the same letters - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D7%A8%D7%97_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eסרח\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning \"to stretch, spread out, extend\", but it is unrelated to the meaning \"to stink.\")\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is not the only suggested etymology of Syracuse. The French diplomat\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Victor_B%C3%A9rard\"\u003EVictor Bérard\u003C\/a\u003E proposed that it \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Syracuse,_Sicily#Archaic_period\"\u003Eoriginally derived from\u003C\/a\u003E the Phoenician\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ESour-ha-Koussim, \u003C\/i\u003Etranslated as \"stone of the seagulls.\" This would be cognate with the Hebrew צור הכוסים. \u003Ci\u003ETzur \u003C\/i\u003Ecertainly means \"rock\", but \u003Ci\u003Ekos, \u003C\/i\u003Ea bird mentioned in Vayikra 11:17 and Devarim 14:16 is usually translated as \"owl\" - a bird found in the desert, not at sea. However, Gesenius does write that \u003Ci\u003Ekos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;should be identified as the \"pelican\" (whose pouch perhaps recalls the other meaning of \u003Ci\u003Ekos - \u003C\/i\u003E\"cup, vessel.\") Those are much more likely to be found around Sicily than desert owls.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7459319852754540353\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7459319852754540353","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7459319852754540353"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7459319852754540353"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/09\/syracuse.html","title":"Syracuse"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6148924638665316402"},"published":{"$t":"2021-08-30T11:16:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-08-30T11:16:51.926+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"REVIEW: Insights into Hebrew, Holidays, History \u0026 Liturgy"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rootsandrituals.org\/\"\u003EMitchell First\u003C\/a\u003E is a scholar of Jewish history who, like me, has a fascination with the origin of Hebrew words and phrases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe has published two books (\u003Ci\u003ERoots \u0026amp; Rituals: Insights into Hebrew, Holidays, and History\u003C\/i\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ELinks to Our Legacy: Insights into Hebrew, History, and Liturgy\u003C\/i\u003E)\u0026nbsp;which have collected his columns on the subject, as well as other columns related to the history of the Jewish calendar, the prayers, and other topics of Jewish history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI've reviewed the books on the Tradition website, and you can read my review here:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/traditiononline.org\/review-insights-into-hebrew-holidays-history-liturgy\/\"\u003Ehttps:\/\/traditiononline.org\/review-insights-into-hebrew-holidays-history-liturgy\/\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6148924638665316402\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6148924638665316402","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6148924638665316402"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6148924638665316402"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/08\/review-insights-into-hebrew-holidays.html","title":"REVIEW: Insights into Hebrew, Holidays, History \u0026 Liturgy"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2884539602166977119"},"published":{"$t":"2021-08-25T19:00:00.004+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-08-26T12:14:58.393+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Seville and Cordoba"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen I was a young kid, I visited Spain. It was my first overseas trip, and I really enjoyed it. We drove all over the southern part of the country, visiting half a dozen cities in just a couple of weeks. I haven't returned since, but I still have strong memories from that trip.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne thing that I know know, but didn't know then, was how significant the Phoenician settlement was in that area. I've written about Semitic origins of the name \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/sepharad-revisited.html\"\u003ESpain\u003C\/a\u003E, and the city of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/05\/marshmallow.html\"\u003EMalaga\u003C\/a\u003E. But I only recently discovered that two of the cities I visited on my trip also may have Phoenician origins as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the name of the city of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Seville\"\u003ESeville\u003C\/a\u003E has a Semitic etymology:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Einland port city in Spain, Spanish \u003Ci\u003ESevilla\u003C\/i\u003E, ultimately from Phoenician, from \u003Ci\u003Esefela \u003C\/i\u003E\"plain, valley.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat makes it cognate with the Hebrew root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%A4%D7%9C?lang=bi\"\u003Eשפל\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to become or be low.\" The Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Eshefela \u003C\/i\u003Eשפלה is similar to the Phoenician \u003Ci\u003Esefela. \u003C\/i\u003EIt means \"lowland.\" And if the theory we discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/asphalt.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E is true, then it is cognate with the English word \"asphalt\" as well, since it may have been named for a source of asphalt - the Dead Sea, which was possibly known as \u003Ci\u003EYam Shafelet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;ים שפלת - \"the low sea.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother city I visited was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/C%C3%B3rdoba,_Spain\"\u003ECordoba\u003C\/a\u003E. There are a few theories as to the etymology, most of which offer a Semitic origin. Those include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=UB4uSVt3ulUC\u0026amp;pg=PA102\u0026amp;lpg=PA102#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EIt comes from\u003C\/a\u003E the Phoenician-Punic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eqart ṭūbah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"good town\", which would be cognate with the Hebrew קריה טובה \u003Ci\u003Ekirya tova\u003C\/i\u003E. The city of Carthage, as we mentioned \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/sefarad.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, has a similar origin:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EQart-Hadasht\u003C\/em\u003E, related to the Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Ekirya hadasha\u003C\/em\u003E קריה חדשה - \"new city\".\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=g4LVvWDdlUwC\u0026amp;pg=PA56#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EAnother theory\u003C\/a\u003E also says the first half of the name comes from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eqart\u003C\/i\u003E, but says that the second half derives from the name Juba, a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Numidia\"\u003ENumidian\u003C\/a\u003E general who died around 230 BCE in that area. So the town would have originally been known as the \"City of Juba.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cordovan\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E gives this origin: the name is said to be Carthaginian, from Phoenician \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eqorteb\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"oil press.\" I've seen this theory mentioned in many books and websites (sometimes spelling it \u003Ci\u003Ekorteb\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Ecorteb\u003C\/i\u003E). However, they're all fairly recent - from the last century, and it's unclear to me where it originated. More significantly, I can't find a word in any Semitic language that resembles \u003Ci\u003Eqorteb\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and means anything like \"oil press.\" The only word I could find even somewhat similar is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%95%D7%91\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekurtov \u003C\/i\u003Eקרטוב\u003C\/a\u003E, which as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/07\/koret.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E meant a volume of liquid, and came from Greek. I don't see how that would come to mean \"oil press,\" and I don't know how likely the Phoenicians were to have borrowed from the Greeks at that time. If any readers can shed light on this question, I'd love to hear from them.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E*** Update ***\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOnly a few hours after I posted my question, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/08\/seville-and-cordoba.html#comment-5508270129\"\u003Ereader Y responded with an answer\u003C\/a\u003E! Here's my summary of Y's theory (with some additions of my own):\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe first to say that Cordoba came from Phoenician word meaning \"oil press\" was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Samuel_Bochart\"\u003ESamuel Bochart\u003C\/a\u003E, who wrote an entire book discussing Semitic origins to place names, including those settled by the Phoencians:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EGeographia Sacra seu Phaleg et Canaan \u003C\/i\u003E(1646).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=4PNDAAAAcAAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA667\u0026amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EBochart based his etymology\u003C\/a\u003E on the word \u003Ci\u003Ekotev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קטב or \u003Ci\u003Ekotbi\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קטבי. It appears in the Mishna (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Sheviit.8.6?lang=bi\"\u003ESheviit 8:6\u003C\/a\u003E), but the meaning isn't entirely clear. Rambam says it means an small oil press, which would support Bochart's etymology. However, Bochart actually quotes the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Sefer_HeArukh%2C_Letter_Kof.90?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EArukh\u003C\/a\u003E, who says \u003Ci\u003Ekotev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;refers to the wooden beam used to hold the millstone that presses the olives. (Certainly both explanations are related to the production of olive oil). In his expansion on the Arukh, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=x-EsAAAAYAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PA77\u0026amp;pg=PA77\u0026amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EArukh Hashalem\u003C\/a\u003E connects this meaning of \u003Ci\u003Ekotev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to the homonym \u003Ci\u003Ekotev \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"axis, pole\" as we've discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/09\/ketev-and-kotev.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A7%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%98%D6%B6%D7%91?lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E makes the same connection, but Ben Yehuda and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B9%D6%BD%D7%98%D6%B6%D7%91_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E do not connect the two meanings.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe addition of the \"r\" to \u003Ci\u003Ekotev\u003C\/i\u003E, to eventually arrive at \"Cordoba\"\u0026nbsp;was Bochart's conjecture. As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein notes here\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, ר 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"\/Klein Dictionary,_ר.1\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eר often serves for the dissimilation of the reduplication of a consonant. So, e.g., \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eדַּרְמֶשֶׂק\u003C\/span\u003E is a dissimilated form of \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eדַּמֶשֶׂק\u003C\/span\u003E (= Damascus). In this way many bases and words have been enlarged into quadriliterals; cp. e.g. BAram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eכָּרֽסֵא\u003C\/span\u003E (= chair), which is prob. a loan word from Akka. \u003Ci\u003Ekussu\u003C\/i\u003E (= chair, throne), whence prob. also Heb. כִּסֵּא; base כרסם (= to chew, gnaw, devour), dissimilated from כסם (= to shear, clip); שַׁרְבִיט (= scepter), enlarged from שֵׁבֶט (of s.m.); סַרֽעַפָּה (= branch), enlarged from סֽעַפָּה (of s.m.); \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשַׂרְעַפִּים\u003C\/span\u003E (= thoughts), enlarged from \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eשֽׂעִפִּים\u003C\/span\u003E (of s.m.).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo it's not unprecedented for a \u003Ci\u003Eresh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to be added to a Semitic word. And indeed, the name Cordoba in Hebrew was written as קורטבא (or קרטבא), the same spelling as קוטב, with only the \u003Ci\u003Eresh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;added. You can see this spelling in the writings of the rabbis who lived in Spain (see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Teshuvot_HaRosh.96.6?lang=bi\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E for example of a responsa by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asher_ben_Jehiel\"\u003ERosh\u003C\/a\u003E, who also mentioned Seville). But I was surprised to find that the name appears even in the Babylonian Talmud, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yevamot.115b?vhe=Wikisource_Talmud_Bavli\u0026amp;lang=bi\"\u003EYevamot 115b\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eיצחק ריש גלותא בר אחתיה דרב ביבי הוה קאזיל מקורטבא לאספמיא ושכיב\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EYitzḥak the Exilarch, son of the sister of Rav Beivai, was walking from Cortva to Spain and died along the way.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A7%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%98%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%90?lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E claims that this was a Babylonian town, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B7%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%93%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%BC_II.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKardu\u003C\/a\u003E, also known as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kardunia%C5%A1\"\u003EKarduniaš\u003C\/a\u003E. But Steinsaltz, in his notes on Yevamot, writes that according to the context (which also mentions Spain), the town was likely Cordoba, which was an important city in Talmudic times. (Spain, or more precisely \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hispania\"\u003EHispania\u003C\/a\u003E, did not always control Cordoba, so the trip from Cordoba to Spain could make sense depending on the time).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EUltimately, this was a theory by Bochart, writing in the 17th century, without access to modern research. Y comments:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EBack to Cordoba, since Bochart's additional r is ad hoc, and since a \ncity is unlikely to be named after a technical term referring to a part \nof an oil mill, the etymology can be rejected. The \"Phoenician\" part is \nalso an unsupported speculative extrapolation.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EWhile I'm certainly not fully convinced of the etymology, I'm a little more generous with the possibility than Y. If the \u003Ci\u003Ekotev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;referred to the olive oil press in general, and since Spain has long been associated with olives and olive oil, it's not impossible that it was the source of the name. But whether Bochart was correct or not, I certainly appreciate the scholarship of my readers today, who are always ready to answer the questions that leave me puzzled.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2884539602166977119\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2884539602166977119","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2884539602166977119"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2884539602166977119"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/08\/seville-and-cordoba.html","title":"Seville and Cordoba"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-647022313892370690"},"published":{"$t":"2021-08-16T11:13:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-08-16T11:13:03.159+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"katzin, qadi and alcalde"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/kaytana.html\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;A while back\u003C\/a\u003E, I discussed Hebrew words that begin with the letters קצ. In that list I wrote:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Eקצה - cut, from it we have קצין, captain, judge. The word cut is figuratively used for deciding.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis was based on Horowitz's book. Klein has a similar entry for the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/7101\"\u003Ebiblical word\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekatzin\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eקצין:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקָצִין\u003C\/strong\u003E m.n.    \u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E judge, prince, leader.   NH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E officer.  [Derived from קצה ᴵᴵ and lit. meaning ‘decider’. Related to Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqāḍi\u003C\/i\u003E (= judge), prob. part. of \u003Ci\u003Eqaḍā(y)\u003C\/i\u003E (= he decided).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStahl, in his \u003Ci\u003EBilingual Etymological Dictionary of Spoken Israeli Arabic and Hebrew\u003C\/i\u003E, in the entry קאדי, writes that the root קצה derives from קץ \u003Ci\u003Eketz\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"end\", because the one who decides (in this case, the judge) puts an \"end\" to the disagreement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Klein noted, \u003Ci\u003Ekatzin\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is also related to the Arabic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Qadi\"\u003Eqadi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(sometimes spelled \u003Ci\u003Ecadi\u003C\/i\u003E), also meaning \"judge.\" From Arabic, the word entered Spanish as \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alcalde\"\u003Ealcalde\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, a term meaning \"mayor\", but one who also has a judicial role, like a \"justice of the peace.\" It is used with that meaning in Spain and throughout Latin America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/647022313892370690\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=647022313892370690","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/647022313892370690"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/647022313892370690"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/08\/katzin-qadi-and-alcalde.html","title":"katzin, qadi and alcalde"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-9109429135303181540"},"published":{"$t":"2021-07-11T22:35:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-07-12T11:15:50.918+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"mikledet"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe last post was discussing the word \u003Ci\u003Edfus\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;דפוס - \"printing,\" and how it derives from the Greek\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;typos, \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"type.\" At the end, I noted that the verb \u003Ci\u003Ehidpis \u003C\/i\u003Eהדפיס means (perhaps surprisingly) \"to print\", not \"to type.\" So today let's look at the Hebrew word meaning \"to type.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Ehiklid \u003C\/i\u003Eהקליד means \"he typed\", \u003Ci\u003Ehaklada \u003C\/i\u003Eהקלדה is typing, and \u003Ci\u003Emikledet \u003C\/i\u003Eמקלדת means \"keyboard.\" This root קלד, has a more interesting story than I expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo understand the background, we should focus on the last of the three words I mentioned above: \u003Ci\u003Emikledet\u003C\/i\u003E. Even if you weren't familiar with the Hebrew word, did you ever wonder why a keyboard is called that? The buttons you press when you type aren't actually \"keys\"...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut if you think about a similar device upon which you press all your fingers, you might be able to understand the association better. That device is the piano, with its 88 keys. And in fact, long before a keyboard referred to a device for typing on a computer, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/keyboard\"\u003Eit was used\u003C\/a\u003E to describe the set of keys used to play \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/06\/psanter.html\"\u003Epianos\u003C\/a\u003E, organs and other similar musical instruments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/key\"\u003Ekey\u003C\/a\u003E originally meant \"an instrument for opening locks,\" as it does today. So how did it come to be used for the levers of the piano?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are a number of different theories. The Online Etymology Dictionary mentions has the following passage in their entry for key:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe musical sense originally was \"tone, note\" (mid-15c.). In music \ntheory, the sense developed 17c. to \"sum of the melodic and harmonic \nrelationships in the tones of a scale,\" also \"melodic and harmonic \nrelationships centering on a given tone.\" Probably this is based on a \ntranslation of Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eclavis\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"key,\" used by Guido for \"lowest tone of a scale,\" or French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eclef\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(see \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/clef?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Eclef\u003C\/a\u003E; also see \u003Ca class=\"crossreference notranslate\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/keynote?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Ekeynote\u003C\/a\u003E).\n Sense of \"mechanism on a musical instrument operated by the player's \nfingers\" is from c. 1500, probably also suggested by uses of \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eclavis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E.\n OED says this use \"appears to be confined to Eng[lish].\" First of \norgans and pianos, by 1765 of wind instruments; transferred to \ntelegraphy by 1837 and later to typewriters (1876).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe see from here that \"key\" developed into two different meanings. In addition to the mechanism in musical instruments, it also took another musical \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.lexico.com\/en\/definition\/key\"\u003Emeaning\u003C\/a\u003E: \"a group of notes based on a particular note and comprising a scale.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat isn't clear from the Online Etymology Dictionary is if one meaning of key arose from the other. Some say that the earlier meaning, \"tone, note\" led to the sense of the mechanisms used to play those notes. They also point out that the tone was called a \"key\" because it opened the scale. The word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/keynote\"\u003Ekeynote\u003C\/a\u003E\" preserves this sense, as it is the first (lowest) note of the scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOthers say that the two meanings arose independently, and that piano keys were so called because the way they were designed and assembled was similar to a lock and key. For example, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/penelope.uchicago.edu\/Thayer\/E\/Roman\/Texts\/secondary\/SMIGRA*\/Hydraula.html\"\u003Ethis site\u003C\/a\u003E shows how ancient organs were made by \"adapting keys with levers.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhatever the origin, the meaning stuck, and in English keys in that sense are used to refer the things pressed on both a piano and a typewriter (and keyboard).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs Yaakov Etsion points out in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/musaf-shabbat.com\/2011\/12\/01\/%D7%9E%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%92%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%A7\/\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E, Hebrew was also faced with the question of what to call the keys of a piano. That in itself isn't so remarkable - in Modern Hebrew there were multitudes of words that needed coining. What is uncommon here, is that Hebrew already had a word for keys of musical instruments. When David returned the Ark to Israel, the verse says:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוְדָוִד \u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E וְכׇל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׂחֲקִים לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה בְּכֹל עֲצֵי בְרוֹשִׁים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת וּבִנְבָלִים וּבְתֻפִּים וּבִמְנַעַנְעִים וּבְצֶלְצֱלִים׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EMeanwhile, David and all the House of Israel danced before the LORD to \u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E[the sound of] all kinds of cypress wood [instruments], with lyres, harps, timbrels, sistrums, and cymbals. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/II_Samuel.6.5?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShmuel II 6:5\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe word translated here as \"sistrums\" (other translations have \"rattles\" or \"coronets\") is מנענעים \u003Ci\u003Emina'anim\u003C\/i\u003E. At some point (and without any direct evidence to the contrary), the \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B0%D7%A0%D6%B7%D7%A2%D6%B2%D7%A0%D6%B5%D6%BD%D7%A2%D6%B7?lang=bi\"\u003Emina'anea\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Ebecame associated with the keys of the piano and organ. But this was a difficult word to pronounce, and in 1955 the Academy of the Hebrew Language came up with an alternate word for keys of the piano: \u003Ci\u003Eklidim \u003C\/i\u003Eקלידים.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy this word? Because it was based an archaic word for \"keys\" - \u003Ci\u003Eaklida \u003C\/i\u003Eאקלידא.\u0026nbsp;It is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%A7%D6%B0%D7%9C%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%93%D6%B8%D7%90.1?lang=bi\"\u003Efound in Talmudic literature\u003C\/a\u003E, for example in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Sanhedrin.113a.12?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ESanhedrin 113a\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eבעי רחמי והבו ליה אקלידא דמטרא\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E[Elijah] prayed for mercy and they gave him the key (\u003Ci\u003Eaklida\u003C\/i\u003E) to rainfall\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOf course, Hebrew already had a very common word for key: \u003Ci\u003Emafteach\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מפתח. But by adopting an obscure word instead, there would be no chance that someone might mix up the words for piano keys and house keys.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B8%D7%9C%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%93.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;points out that \u003Ci\u003Eaklida\u003C\/i\u003E, an Aramaic word, derives from the Greek\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekleida,\u003C\/i\u003E accusative of \u003Ci\u003Ekleis\u003C\/i\u003E (= key). Those Greek words have given us a number of words in English, including \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/clavicle#etymonline_v_13786\"\u003Eclavicle\u003C\/a\u003E\" (literally a \"small key\", based on the shape of the bone) and perhaps \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Cleopatra#etymonline_v_13801\"\u003ECleopatra\u003C\/a\u003E, which may have meant \"key to the fatherland.\" The Latin cognate, \u003Ci\u003Eclavis\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(also meaning \"key\") gave us words like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/enclave\"\u003Eenclave\u003C\/a\u003E (enclosed, \"locked in\"), as well as the musical terms \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/clef#etymonline_v_13795\"\u003Eclef\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(parallel to keynote, as we discussed above) and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/clavichord#etymonline_v_13785\"\u003Eclavichord\u003C\/a\u003E (a medieval musical instrument, played with a type of keys).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Academy's recommendation to use \u003Ci\u003Eklid \u003C\/i\u003Eקליד for \"piano key\" was widely accepted, although not without opposition. The linguist \u003Ca 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\"\u003EYitzchak Avineri\u003C\/a\u003E wrote in a 1958 column, that while he did not object to adopting foreign words when necessary, this was not the case here, since Hebrew already had a word for piano key, the \"biblical\" \u003Ci\u003Emina'anea \u003C\/i\u003E(in quotes because I haven't seen any proof that it was anything like a piano.)\u0026nbsp; Not only did \u003Ci\u003Eklid\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;have Greek origins (as compared to Semitic ones), even the loan translation was from English, a foreign language that invented the idea that pianos had 88 \"keys.\" He concluded the column by saying that \"this is not the way to expand the language.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, language doesn't always listen to the experts. \u003Ci\u003EKlidim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;became the accepted term for piano keys, and a keyboard - both musical and for typing - is a \u003Ci\u003Emikledet.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;However, this new root did not take over fully. The keys of a piano are \u003Ci\u003Eklidim\u003C\/i\u003E, but the keys on a computer keyboard (and typewriter) are \u003Ci\u003Emakashim \u003C\/i\u003Eמקשים (\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A7%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A9%D7%81.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Emakash\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in singular, from the root נקש, \"to strike.\") And while one is \u003Ci\u003Emaklid\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;on a keyboard, that verb is reserved for typing. On the piano, one is \u003Ci\u003Eporet al haklidim \u003C\/i\u003Eפורט על הקלידים (from a Biblical root meaning \"to play a musical instrument\", as found in Amos 6:5).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo perhaps Avineri would have some comfort in the fact that at least in some contexts those ancient Hebrew roots persevered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/9109429135303181540\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=9109429135303181540","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9109429135303181540"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/9109429135303181540"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/07\/mikledet.html","title":"mikledet"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3851444113766155060"},"published":{"$t":"2021-07-06T22:20:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-07-06T22:20:51.097+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"dfus, tofes and tipus"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EAs I've written before, I'm a major podcast listener, and am always looking for podcasts that discuss language, particularly the Hebrew language.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently, I came across a podcast devoted to the nuts and bolts of the Hebrew language, called \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/leshoniada.co.il\/category\/%D7%94%D7%A1%D7%9B%D7%AA-%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%93%D7%A7%D7%90%D7%A1%D7%98\/\"\u003EKululusha\u003C\/a\u003E. It's in Hebrew, and the host, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%A2%D7%9D_%D7%A0%D7%AA%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95\"\u003EYiram Netanyahu\u003C\/a\u003E (no relation), interviews experts on Hebrew language and linguistics, including some people I've quoted here frequently.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/leshoniada.co.il\/2021\/06\/27\/%d7%a4%d7%a8%d7%a7-28-%d7%a9%d7%90%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%aa-%d7%9e%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%9c%d7%95%d7%a2%d7%96%d7%99%d7%95%d7%aa-%d7%90%d7%99%d7%95%d7%9d-%d7%90%d7%9e%d7%99%d7%aa%d7%99-%d7%a2%d7%9c\/\"\u003Elatest episode\u003C\/a\u003E, he had a conversation with the linguist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%92%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%90%D7%9C_%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%A0%D7%91%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9D\"\u003EDr. Gabriel Birnbaum\u003C\/a\u003E, about the influence of foreign words on Hebrew. It was a very interesting discussion, and I recommend that any of you who can follow a talk like that in Hebrew to listen.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lot of the foreign words that Dr. Birnbaum mentioned will be familiar to readers of Balashon. But there was one that he mentioned briefly that I've been meaning to write about for a while - the Greek \u003Ci\u003Etypos\u003C\/i\u003E. As noted in the podcast, that one Greek word gave us three distinct words in Hebrew: \u003Ci\u003Edfus \u003C\/i\u003Eדפוס, \u003Ci\u003Etofes \u003C\/i\u003Eטופס and \u003Ci\u003Etifus \u003C\/i\u003Eטיפוס. Let's take a look.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Greek word \u003Ci\u003Etypos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the origin of the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/type\"\u003Etype\u003C\/a\u003E\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Elate 15c., \"symbol, emblem,\" from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etypus\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"figure, image, form, kind,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etypos\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/i\u003E \"a blow, dent, impression, mark, effect of a blow; figure in relief, \nimage, statue; anything wrought of metal or stone; general form, \ncharacter; outline, sketch,\" from root of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etyptein\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to strike, beat,\" from PIE \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Etup\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E, variant of root \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*(\u003Ci\u003Es\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003Ci\u003Eteu\u003C\/i\u003E-\u003C\/span\u003E (1) \"to push, stick, knock, beat\" (see steep (adj.)).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExtended\n 1713 to printing blocks of metal or wood with letters or characters \ncarved on their faces, usually in relief, adapted for use in letterpress\n printing. The meaning \"general form or character of some kind, class\" \nis attested in English by 1843, though the corresponding words had that \nsense in Latin and Greek.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs in English, the Greek \u003Ci\u003Etypos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;had both the the sense of \"to strike\" and \"a form, kind.\" (I would not have guessed, as I \u003Cu\u003Etype\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;on my keyboard, that the earlier meaning was to \"to strike.\") The Hebrew words reflect those different meanings as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDfus\u003C\/b\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eis closest to the sense of a \"dent, impression\". It\u0026nbsp;is found in early Rabbinic Hebrew, such as Mishna \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Menachot.11.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMenachot 11:1\u003C\/a\u003E, where it refers to a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mold_(cooking_implement)\"\u003Ebaking mold\u003C\/a\u003E that was used to prepare the offering of the\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.chabad.org\/library\/article_cdo\/aid\/2599670\/jewish\/The-Shtei-Halechem-Two-Breads.htm\"\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshtei halechem\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(the two loaves of bread), brought on Shavuot. While many editions of the Talmud have the word written in the form familiar today - \u003Ci\u003Edfus\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;דפוס, other manuscripts preserve what is likely the original spelling - \u003Ci\u003Etfus\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;טפוס. The letters \"t\" and \"d\" both produce \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dental_stop\"\u003Edental stop\u003C\/a\u003E sounds, and just saying them out loud makes it understandable how \u003Ci\u003Etfus \u003C\/i\u003Ebecame \u003Ci\u003Edfus\u003C\/i\u003E. After the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%93%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%A4%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%A1.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETalmudic meanings\u003C\/a\u003E of \"form, model, mold\", in modern Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Edfus\u003C\/i\u003E took on the sense of \"print, printing, press.\" The related verb, \u003Ci\u003Ehidpis\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;הדפיס means \"to print\" and a \u003Ci\u003Emadpeset\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מדפסת is a \"printer.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETofes\u003C\/b\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eטפס\u003Ci\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Ein Talmudic Hebrew, meant the standard, boilerplate lines in a document (in contrast with the \u003Ci\u003Etoref \u003C\/i\u003Eתורף, which refers to the specific details of that document, like the dates, names, etc.) Today it means any kind of form to be filled out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETipus\u003C\/b\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eis the most abstract of the three, meaning \"type, kind, class.\" In modern Hebrew, the adjective \u003Ci\u003Etipusi \u003C\/i\u003Eטיפוסי - \"typical\" (which also derives from \u003Ci\u003Etypos\u003C\/i\u003E) was added. In Hebrew slang, a \u003Ci\u003Etipus\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is an unusual character.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurious about the Hebrew word for the verb, \"to type\"? Then keep an eye out for the next post...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3851444113766155060\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3851444113766155060","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3851444113766155060"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3851444113766155060"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/07\/dfus-tofes-and-tipus.html","title":"dfus, tofes and tipus"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1619189070735481874"},"published":{"$t":"2021-06-28T18:32:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-06-29T12:49:52.338+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"tripe"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe English word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/tripe\"\u003Etripe\u003C\/a\u003E has two definitions:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: medium none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"vg\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"sb has-num\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"sb-0\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"sense has-num-only\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"sn sense-1\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"num\"\u003E1\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n                  \u003Cspan class=\"dt\"\u003E\n            \n          \n            \n                                                \u003Cspan class=\"dtText\"\u003E\u003Cb class=\"mw_t_bc\"\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003Estomach tissue especially of a ruminant (such as an ox) used as food\u003C\/span\u003E                                      \n      \n\n        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"vg\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"sb has-num\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"sb-0\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"sense has-num-only\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"sn sense-2\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"num\"\u003E2\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n                  \u003Cspan class=\"dt\"\u003E\n            \n          \n            \n                                                \u003Cspan class=\"dtText\"\u003E\u003Cb class=\"mw_t_bc\"\u003E: \u003C\/b\u003Esomething poor, worthless, or offensive\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor me, the second definition was more familiar than the first - but that may be because I don't eat red meat.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/tripe\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E provides this origin for tripe:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: medium none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Ec. 1300, from Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etripe\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"guts, intestines, entrails used as food\" (13c.), of unknown origin, perhaps via Spanish \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etripa\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Efrom Arabic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Etherb\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/i\u003E \"suet\" [Klein, Barnhart]. Applied contemptuously to persons (1590s), \nthen to anything considered worthless, foolish, or offensive (1892).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=MiNWi1g3fJ4C\u0026amp;pg=PA324\u0026amp;dq=Arabic+(%22therb%22+OR+%22tharb%22)+etymology\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjb5-26vLrxAhX6aRUIHU47C1AQ6AEwAXoECAIQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThis book\u003C\/a\u003E gives it a similar etymology, saying it comes from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Etharb\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning a \"thin layer of fat lining the intestines.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI haven't seen explicit proof, but I think \u003Ci\u003Etharb\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \"fat\" may be cognate with the Hebrew root רבב, meaning \"to become many, much, great.\" As we saw in our discussion of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/05\/ribah.html\"\u003Eribah\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%91_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E notes that the related Arabic verb \u003Ci\u003Erabba\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"to make thick or dense.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/ArabicEnglishLexicon.CopiousEasternSources.EnlargedSuppl.Kamoos.Lane.Poole.1863\/01.ArabicEnglLex.v1p1.let.1.2.3.4..Alif.Ba.Ta.Tha..Lane.1863.\/page\/n370\/mode\/2up?view=theater\"\u003EArabic-English Lexicon\u003C\/a\u003E, in its entry for the related Arabic verb\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AB%D8%B1%D8%A8\"\u003Etaraba\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cu\u003E,\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Esays that it originally meant \"the removing of the \u003Ci\u003Etharb, \u003C\/i\u003Ei.e. the fat that forms the integument of the stomach of a ruminant\", and then associatively became \"the act of blaming, reproving, and punishing or chastising for an offence or a crime.\"\u0026nbsp; As we noted in the entry for the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/chitui.html\"\u003Echitui\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, sometimes a verb that derives from a noun refers to the removal of that noun. In this case, the verb \u003Ci\u003Etaraba\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meant the removal of the \u003Ci\u003Etharb\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the fat itself might have had a positive association, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=mclrIKdye5QC\u0026amp;pg=PA142\u0026amp;dq=tathrib\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjowsS9vbrxAhUaRRUIHfmJAUcQ6AEwBHoECAkQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethe noun \u003Ci\u003Etharb \u003C\/i\u003Ealso took on the negative sense\u003C\/a\u003E of \"blame, reproof, reproach.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D9%8A%D8%AB%D8%B1%D8%A8\"\u003EThis may be the reason\u003C\/a\u003E that Muhammad changed the name of the Arabian city\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EYathrib\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to \u003Ci\u003EMedina\u003C\/i\u003E, as we mentioned in our discussion of the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/02\/medina.html\"\u003Emedina\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E** Update\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThank you to reader Shalom for pointing this out:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe Aramaic translation of the Biblical חלב (fat) is תרב.\u003C\/blockquote\u003EHe then shared \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%91?lang=he\"\u003EJastrow's entry for תרב\u003C\/a\u003E, which gives examples of \u003Ci\u003Eterav \u003C\/i\u003Ebeing used as a translation for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/06\/chalav-and-chelev.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Echelev\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and also provides a cognate with the Hebrew root רב, \"to increase.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"vg\"\u003E\n                    \u003Cdiv class=\"sb has-num\"\u003E\n      \u003Cspan class=\"sb-0\"\u003E\n                        \u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n              \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"vg\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"sb has-num\"\u003E\n      \u003Cspan class=\"sb-0\"\u003E\n                        \u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1619189070735481874\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1619189070735481874","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1619189070735481874"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1619189070735481874"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/06\/tripe.html","title":"tripe"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4551446405625586699"},"published":{"$t":"2021-06-21T09:36:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:57:25.116+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Miketz"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"akhu and oasis"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EIn Pharaoh's famous dream, he was standing by the river,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"when out of the Nile there came up seven cows, handsome and sturdy, and they grazed in the reed grass.\" (Bereshit 41:2)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word translated here as \"reed grass\" is \u003Ci\u003Eakhu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;אחו in Hebrew. Other translations include \"marsh grass,\" \"marshland,\" or \"meadow.\" The word only appears a few more times in the Bible - once later in the chapter, when Pharaoh retells his dream (41:18), and in Hoshea 13:15 (\"For though he flourish among \u003Cu\u003Ereeds\u003C\/u\u003E\" - in the plural form אחים \u003Ci\u003Eachim\u003C\/i\u003E) and Iyov 8:11 (\"Can papyrus thrive without marsh?  Can \u003Cu\u003Erushes\u003C\/u\u003E grow without water?).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDue to its first appearance in Pharaoh's dream, it should not be too surprising that it has an Egyptian origin. R. Aryeh Kaplan \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/bible.ort.org\/books\/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage\u0026amp;BOOK=1\u0026amp;CHAPTER=41\"\u003Ewrites\u003C\/a\u003E, \"\u003Ci\u003EAchu\u003C\/i\u003E in the Hebrew, from the Egyptian \u003Ci\u003EAkhi\u003C\/i\u003E.\" Sarna, in the the JPS commentary on Genesis, similarly notes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EHebrew \u003Ci\u003E'ahu\u003C\/i\u003E, from an Egyptian loan word that originally meant the land flooded by the Nile, and then came to be used for pastureland in general. From Egyptian it passed into Hebrew and other Semitic languages.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom those other Semitic languages, we\u0026nbsp; may get a familiar word in English. Stahl, in his entry for the Arabic word \u003Ci\u003Ewaha\u003C\/i\u003E, says that it also derives from the Coptic (Ancient Egyptian) word that gave Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eakhu\u003C\/i\u003E. In Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ewaha\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"oasis\", which a lush meadow could would certainly have been seen as in the desert.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStahl goes on to say that the word \"oasis\" itself also came from the same Egyptian root, via Greek. An early mention of the Egyptian origin of \"oasis\" can be found in\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.perseus.tufts.edu\/hopper\/text?doc=Hdt.%203.26\u0026amp;lang=original\"\u003E the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus\u003C\/a\u003E. A full etymology is offered by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/oasis\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"fertile spot in a desert, where there is a spring or well and more or \nless vegetation,\" originally in reference to the Libyan desert, 1610s, \nfrom French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eoasis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (18c.) and directly from Late Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eoasis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eoasis\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, probably from Hamitic (compare Coptic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ewahe\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Eouahe\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"oasis,\" properly \"dwelling place,\" from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eouih\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"dwell\"). The same Egyptian source produced Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ewahah\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E. Figurative sense of \"any fertile place in the midst of a waste\" is by 1800.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI found it interesting that today, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Al-Waha\"\u003EAl-Waha\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E refers to \"an immersion-based Arabic-language camp for students.\" I suppose that's similar to the \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/alef.html\"\u003Eulpan\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for learning Hebrew. I can certainly imagine that any place dedicated to learning a new language would be a kind of oasis...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4551446405625586699\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4551446405625586699","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4551446405625586699"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4551446405625586699"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/06\/akhu-and-oasis.html","title":"akhu and oasis"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1874377785408093527"},"published":{"$t":"2021-06-13T21:01:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T14:58:04.501+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Beshalach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"kriyat yam suf"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI recently came across an early draft of the speech my son prepared for his \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2011\/08\/bar-mitzva.html\"\u003Ebar mitzva\u003C\/a\u003E, ten years ago this month. It was rather nostalgic to see it again. And while I enjoyed hearing his points, I was actually more fascinated with the typos and misspellings in this first draft. On the one hand, they prove that he actually wrote the speech himself, which was impressive for a 13 year old. But it also was cute to enter the mind of a kid who grew up in Israel, spoke English at home, and tried to straddle both worlds when writing his speech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most curious phrases he used was \"the tearing of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2010\/03\/yam-suf-red-sea-or-sea-of-reeds.html\"\u003ERed Sea\u003C\/a\u003E.\" Normally, in English we say \"the splitting of the Red Sea.\" But he directly translated the Hebrew phrase \u003Ci\u003Ekriyat yam suf \u003C\/i\u003Eקריעת ים סוף. The verb \u003Ci\u003Ekriya\u003C\/i\u003E, from the root קרע, means \"to tear\" and so in the literal sense, his translation to English was logical.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut this actually brings us to a more substantial question. Why do we call it \u003Ci\u003Ekriyat yam suf\u003C\/i\u003E? In the Bible, the verbs used to describe the splitting of the sea are \u003Ci\u003Ebaka \u003C\/i\u003Eבקע (as in Shemot 14:16, 21, Tehillim 78:13 and Nechemiah 9:11), or less frequently, \u003Ci\u003Egazar \u003C\/i\u003Eגזר (as in Tehillim 136:13). Both roots mean to split, with various nuances. So why did Rabbinic Hebrew (like in the Dayenu song found in the Haggadah) prefer a different Biblical root:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekara\u003C\/i\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI found a detailed discussion of the question in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/efrata.emef.ac.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/%D7%B3%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A3%D7%B3-%D7%9B%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A7%D7%A4%D7%AA-%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%90%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%94-%D7%90%D7%95-%D7%92%D7%96%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9F-%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%99.pdf\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003E\"'קריעת ים סוף' כמשקפת תהליכי לשון\" מאת ציון עוקשי\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Eפורסם בכתב העת דעת לשון – מחקרים בלשון העברית לתקופותיה, מכללת אפרתה, ירושלים תשס\"ח\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe author, Tzion Okashi, focuses primarily on the distinction between \u003Ci\u003Ebaka\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Ekara\u003C\/i\u003E, and suggests two possible reasons for the later use of \u003Ci\u003Ekara\u003C\/i\u003E. One might be from Aramaic influence, as is frequently found in words adopted in Rabbinic Hebrew. He point out that the Aramaic translations of the Bible use the root בזע to translate both בקע and קרע, which may have led to the shift of one usage to the other.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other answer I found more interesting. He says this is due to a change in the perception of the nature of the event. While the Torah uses the word \u003Ci\u003Ebaka\u003C\/i\u003E, that is generally applied to the splitting of a solid, hard object, like a rock or a block of wood. That type of splitting can not be repaired or restored. The action of \u003Ci\u003Ekriya\u003C\/i\u003E, however, is associated with the tearing of softer items like garments (as is practiced, for example, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bereavement_in_Judaism#Keriah\"\u003EJewish mourning\u003C\/a\u003E.) According to this theory, those who preferred to refer to \u003Ci\u003Ekriyat yam suf\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;visualized the sea closing up on itself after the split. The split was not permanent, just as clothing can be repaired, or a zipper can close the opening in a garment. Okashi writes that the Tanach chose to focus on the force of the miracle, which split the sea as one would break open a block of wood, while the Sages preferred the image of the water letting Israel pass through, only to close upon the pursuing Egyptians.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo it seems that even at that early age, our son somehow picked up on the same message the Sages did when they chose their phrasing. Quite impressive, I must say!\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1874377785408093527\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1874377785408093527","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1874377785408093527"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1874377785408093527"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/06\/kriyat-yam-suf.html","title":"kriyat yam suf"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4220384344095332732"},"published":{"$t":"2021-05-23T19:18:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-05-30T22:30:24.036+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ribah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/food52.com\/blog\/11662-the-taxonomy-of-jams-preserves-and-confitures\"\u003Ejam\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.seriouseats.com\/difference-between-jam-jelly-compote-conserve-apple-butter-preserves-types\"\u003Ejelly\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Eribah \u003C\/i\u003Eריבה, was coined by the father of modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. On that, everyone agrees. However, there has been debate over how he came up with the word, and if it was a good choice. Let's look at its history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/.premium-word-of-the-day-riba-how-israel-got-its-jam-1.5250531?lts=1621755022994\"\u003EElon Gilad writes\u003C\/a\u003E, the first mention of \u003Ci\u003Eribah \u003C\/i\u003Ewas in a column by Ben-Yehuda in his newspaper, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/HaZvi\"\u003EHaZvi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, in 1888. To show that this was not a coinage out of whole cloth, he titled his piece \"A new word that is old.\" Gilad summarizes Ben-Yehuda's justification for choosing the word:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"jk le iz lf lg lh\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"jk le iz lf lg lh\"\u003EIn the article Ben-Yehuda set out to show \nhow he found the word \u003Ci\u003Eriba \u003C\/i\u003Ein the Jerusalem Talmud (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jerusalem_Talmud_Shekalim.7.3.30?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Steinsaltz\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShekalim 7:9\u003C\/a\u003E) in a \npassage concerning the frying of a dish call \u003Ci\u003Etofini\u003C\/i\u003E. What exactly this \n\u003Ci\u003Etofini \u003C\/i\u003Eis is not at all clear, but that’s besides the point. We find a \nbunch of rabbis seemingly debating the recipe, when one of them says \n\u003Ci\u003Etofinei riba\u003C\/i\u003E. Ben-Yehuda acknowledges that commentators wrote that this \nwas a copying error and that originally the text said \u003Ci\u003Eraka\u003C\/i\u003E, which means \n“soft” - meaning that the dough was half done.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"FI_PH\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"bd jn jo x jp jq\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"eo\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"dm\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"js-dfp-ad apr aps apy fd\" data-audtarget=\"all\" data-test=\"haaretz.com.inread.1.mobile\" id=\"haaretz.com.inread.1.mobile\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp class=\"jk le iz lf lg lh\"\u003EBen-Yehuda\n concludes that the word \u003Ci\u003Eriba\u003C\/i\u003E comes from the root \u003Ci\u003Er-b-b\u003C\/i\u003E and that this \nroot means, as it means in Arabic, something condensed by heating. It's a\n root that gave Arabic the word \u003Ci\u003Emurabab\u003C\/i\u003E - jam. “Thus, we gained a new \nword that is old for a kind of sweets, for the kinds of fruit cooked in \nsugar, in honey, and it is \u003Ci\u003Eriba\u003C\/i\u003E,” Ben-Yehuda concluded.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, looking at the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/newspapers\/hzv\/1888\/03\/09\/01\/article\/10\/?e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI--------------1\"\u003Eoriginal text of Ben-Yehuda's column (page 4)\u003C\/a\u003E, I think Gilad's explanation could use some clarification. Here's what Ben-Yehuda wrote:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi2rW_nCVTOl7sN7g9ibhd0tx3lkxL_aCpfEbnEWIFMKE6P2Nz2d9qquo9qu30wPDShBL1XEdmregbiDoh6w8oSUSQw9aVKe4pPoaVMWpDekfPaXdweZynQYIeYFWG5g_YJnt33\/s840\/benyehuda1.PNG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"840\" data-original-width=\"574\" height=\"499\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi2rW_nCVTOl7sN7g9ibhd0tx3lkxL_aCpfEbnEWIFMKE6P2Nz2d9qquo9qu30wPDShBL1XEdmregbiDoh6w8oSUSQw9aVKe4pPoaVMWpDekfPaXdweZynQYIeYFWG5g_YJnt33\/w342-h499\/benyehuda1.PNG\" width=\"342\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy understanding is that Ben Yehuda claimed that those who felt the text should read \u003Ci\u003Eraka\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;רכה were in error. He relies on the parallel text in the Babylonian Talmud (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Menachot.50b.18?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Rashi\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMenachot 50b\u003C\/a\u003E) which has the word with a \u003Ci\u003Ebet\u003C\/i\u003E - \u003Ci\u003Eraba \u003C\/i\u003Eרבה. He relies on Rashi's explanation on the passage in Menachot, which says that \u003Ci\u003Eraba\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"a lot\", so it should be baked more than once.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut then he goes on to reject that approach as well, and says that the word should be read as \u003Ci\u003Eriba \u003C\/i\u003Eריבה, not \u003Ci\u003Eraba, \u003C\/i\u003Eaccording to the the text in the Jerusalem Talmud. And for this he quotes the Arabic cognate.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%91_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E, the Arabic verb \u003Ci\u003Erabba\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"he reared, increased, originally 'he made thick or dense,'\" and \u003Ci\u003Erubb \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"thickened juice of fruit\", which led to \u003Ci\u003Emirabb - \u003C\/i\u003E\"jam, preserved fruit.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd so Ben Yehuda concludes that this is how he understands the Talmudic passage - the \u003Ci\u003Etofini\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is not repeatedly cooked, but rather made thick by cooking.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBen-Yehuda's coinage, and particularly his interpretation of the text in the Talmud, aroused the ire of another pillar of modern Hebrew - the writer S.Y. Agnon. In his 1943 novel \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1592643566\/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1592643566\u0026amp;linkId=60247ff0d17239bce2bc8d9eeea2862b\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShevuat Emunim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\"Betrothed\")\u003C\/a\u003E, Agnon writes about pre-World War I Jaffa, and says that in the evenings they would drink tea and eat preserves, and then adds:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIf some intellectual were present, he would make fun of the hotel-keeper who had misunderstood a Talmudic word, and called fruit preserves 'jam.'\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis was clearly a jab at Ben-Yehuda. Not only does Agnon say that it is a mistake to call preserves (for which he uses the older word \u003Ci\u003Emirkahat \u003C\/i\u003Eמרקחת), but he refers to him as a \"hotel keeper.\" In the Hebrew, that phrase is \u003Ci\u003Ebaal hamalon \u003C\/i\u003Eבעל המלון. Ben-Yehuda was the author of the first modern Hebrew dictionary, and so could have been known as the \u003Ci\u003Ebaal hamilon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בעל המילון (literally, \"master of the dictionary.\") But Agnon rejected Ben-Yehuda's switching \u003Ci\u003Eraba \u003C\/i\u003Efor \u003Ci\u003Eriba \u003C\/i\u003Ein the Talmudic passage, and made the same vowel switch back from \u003Ci\u003Emilon \u003C\/i\u003Eto \u003Ci\u003Emalon\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ruvik.co.il\/%D7%94%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A2%D7%99\/2019\/111019.aspx\"\u003EMany have\u003C\/a\u003E also criticized Ben-Yehuda's rejection of the scholars who claimed that the word in Shekalim should be read \u003Ci\u003Eraka\u003C\/i\u003E. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forum.otzar.org\/download\/file.php?id=33052\u0026amp;sid=48da52b61169d4a1fcbdbb144baaaa63\"\u003EAccording to them\u003C\/a\u003E, that word represents the more accurate texts of the passage (as well as the text in Menachot). And perhaps for that reason, when Ben-Yehuda's dictionary was published after his death, neither the entry for \u003Ci\u003Eriba\u003C\/i\u003E, nor the notes by Tur-Sinai mention the Shekalim passage at all, but rely entirely on the Arabic cognate, and other medieval Hebrew words based on the same root:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjocHjehsNrY5xxOBEeQt7ci6O_IfkhpJPQva7guo9caDzRZT7RxIYS8rt1HirQXwtMOj8u98083_irGWR0d_NlraSFdLDe43Ih-rZFS-wGvRuU247Y6aab7UDlO25jGmwciAAo\/s595\/benyehuda2.PNG\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"469\" data-original-width=\"595\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjocHjehsNrY5xxOBEeQt7ci6O_IfkhpJPQva7guo9caDzRZT7RxIYS8rt1HirQXwtMOj8u98083_irGWR0d_NlraSFdLDe43Ih-rZFS-wGvRuU247Y6aab7UDlO25jGmwciAAo\/s320\/benyehuda2.PNG\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe've now shown Ben-Yehuda's original justification for choosing \u003Ci\u003Eriba\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for jam, and the revised explanation in his dictionary. A third report, found often in Ultra-Orthodox circles (who in his lifetime and even today don't have much respect for Ben-Yehuda), attributes Ben-Yehuda with a poor understanding of basic Talmudic terminology. There are a few different versions, but they generally say that he read a passage like this:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\"מאי ריבה? מיני מתיקה\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EMai ribah? Minei metika.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eand from it coined the word \u003Ci\u003Eribah\u003C\/i\u003E. If that were so, it would indeed be a gross misreading of the text. The phrase \u003Ci\u003Emai ribah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is found in a number of Talmudic passages (for example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Sotah.16b.2?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ESotah 16b\u003C\/a\u003E), and means, \"What does it include?\" This is because ריבה \u003Ci\u003Eriba\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in this case \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A8%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%91%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%99.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eliterally means\u003C\/a\u003E \"an extension of scope, widening qualification\". So while the passage really meant \"What does [this case] include? Sweet things\", Ben-Yehuda thought it meant \"What is \u003Ci\u003Eriba\u003C\/i\u003E? Sweet things\", and so used it to refer to jam.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe problem is not only as we've seen did Ben-Yehuda not use that passage as his reason for the coinage, but there is no such passage anywhere in Talmudic literature (nor is there for any of the variants of this story). It's rather ironic that people who are trying to make fun of Ben-Yehuda for not understanding the Talmud are actually proving their own ignorance instead. They should really leave the satire to people like Agnon...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"jk le iz lf lg lh\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4220384344095332732\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4220384344095332732","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4220384344095332732"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4220384344095332732"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/05\/ribah.html","title":"ribah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEi2rW_nCVTOl7sN7g9ibhd0tx3lkxL_aCpfEbnEWIFMKE6P2Nz2d9qquo9qu30wPDShBL1XEdmregbiDoh6w8oSUSQw9aVKe4pPoaVMWpDekfPaXdweZynQYIeYFWG5g_YJnt33\/s72-w342-h499-c\/benyehuda1.PNG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8618764832701621659"},"published":{"$t":"2021-05-16T16:33:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-05-16T16:33:21.578+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"cameo and kamea"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/elli.fischer\/posts\/10110427966024348\"\u003Erecently asked\u003C\/a\u003E if there \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Adderabbi\/status\/1384780075560734727\"\u003Eis a connection between\u003C\/a\u003E the English word \"cameo\" and the Hebrew word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%A7%D7%9E%D7%A2\"\u003Eקמיע\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"amulet.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf that seems like a strange suggestion, perhaps you aren't familiar with the background of \"cameo.\" While today it \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/cameo\"\u003Eusually means\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"a small theatrical role usually performed by a well-known actor and often limited to a single scene,\" that's not the original sense. (Modern Hebrew also has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%94%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%A2%D7%AA_%D7%A7%D7%9E%D7%A2\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehofa'at kamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;הופעת קמע\u003C\/a\u003E meaning a \"cameo appearance, but that is a much more recent usage.) The original sense can be found in this entry from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cameo\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eearly 15c., \u003Ci\u003Ekaadmaheu, camew, chamehieux\u003C\/i\u003E and many other spellings (from early 13c. in Anglo-Latin), \"engraving in relief upon a precious stone with two layers of colors\" (such as onyx, agate, or shell) and done so as to utilize the effect of the colors, from Old French \u003Ci\u003Ecamaieu \u003C\/i\u003Eand directly from Medieval Latin \u003Ci\u003Ecammaeus\u003C\/i\u003E, which is of unknown origin, perhaps ultimately from Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eqamaa'il \u003C\/i\u003E\"flower buds,\" or Persian \u003Ci\u003Echumahan \u003C\/i\u003E\"agate.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 19c. also used of other raised, carved work on a miniature scale. Transferred sense of \"small character or part that stands out from other minor parts\" in a play, etc., is from 1928, from earlier meaning \"short literary sketch or portrait\" (1851), a transferred sense from cameo silhouettes. A cameotype (1864) was a small, vignette daguerreotype mounted in a jeweled setting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince cameo originally meant a type of jewelry, that's much closer to the sense of \"amulet.\" Yet, none of the suggestions mentioned in this entry can be connected to \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E. (I haven't been able to find any Hebrew cognate to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eqamaa'il \u003C\/i\u003Ereferenced above. In fact, the claims is disputed entirely in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/43346017\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E, saying that \u003Ci\u003Eqamaa'il\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is not found in Arabic dictionaries.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, that doesn't mean a connection isn't possible. Let's first look at the origin of \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E, to see if it can bring us closer to cameo. (Ben Yehuda points out that the original pronunciation was \u003Ci\u003Ekamia\u003C\/i\u003E, but the transition to \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;may have been from the Italian \"cameo.\") Here's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B8%D7%9E%D6%B5%D6%BD%D7%99%D7%A2%D6%B7?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קָמֵֽיעַ\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קָמֵֽיעַ 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קָמֵֽיעַ 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקָמֵֽיעַ\u003C\/strong\u003E m.n. PBH (pl. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקְמֵיעִים\u003C\/span\u003E, also \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקֽמֵיעוֹת\u003C\/span\u003E)   amulet.  [Related to Aram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקֽמֵיעָא\u003C\/span\u003E, Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקֽמִיעָא\u003C\/span\u003E, Mand. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקמאהא\u003C\/span\u003E (= amulet), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqama‘a\u003C\/i\u003E (= he tamed, curbed, bridled).] \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקְמֵיעָה\u003C\/strong\u003E f.n. MH    amulet.  [A secondary form of קָמֵיעַ.]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EAnd while he doesn't directly link the two, a connection between \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the root קמע is likely. He had said that \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is related to an Arabic root meaning \"tamed\" or \"bridled\", and here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D7%9E%D7%A2.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ehis entry for קמע\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקמע\u003C\/strong\u003E    to bind, tie up. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003ERelated to Aram. קְמַע (= he bound, tied up).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003ETo bridle is to tie up a horse with reins, so I can see a connection between \u003Ci\u003Ekamea - \u003C\/i\u003E\"bridled\" and קמע - \"to tie up.\" An amulet, as jewelry, is also \"tied up\" to the wearer, so all of these meanings appear to be related. (Kohut, in the Aruch HaShalem, entry קמע, points out that just as the Greek word for amulet, \u003Ci\u003Eperiamma\u003C\/i\u003E, comes from \u003Ci\u003Eamma\u003C\/i\u003E, \"knot\", so too does \u003Ci\u003Ekamea \u003C\/i\u003Ecome from קמע, \"to tie.\")\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003EHe then \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B4%D7%9E%D6%B0%D7%A2%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Egoes on to say\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ci\u003Ekim'ah \u003C\/i\u003Eקמעה - \"a little\" may also derive from the same root:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקִמְעָה\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eקִמְעָא\u003C\/strong\u003E adv. PBH    a little.  [Aram. קִמְעָא; according to some scholars prob. related to Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqamā‘, qamā‘a\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E (= smallness, littleness). It is more probable, however, that it derives from the v. קמע, equivalent of Heb. קמץ (= he took a handful). See קמץ ᴵ.]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E(We discussed the Hebrew equivalent קמץ \u003Ci\u003Ekamatz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/kamatz.html\"\u003Ethis earlier post\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKim'ah \u003C\/i\u003Eis the root of the modern Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Ekim'oni \u003C\/i\u003Eקמעוני - \"retail\", just as the English word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/retail\"\u003Eretail originally meant\u003C\/a\u003E \"to sell in small quantities.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003EAll this is nice, and would seem to point us in the direction of a connection between \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and cameo, but as we've seen many times here before, words that appear to be connected do not necessarily share a common origin. There are sources out there that say the two are directly connected, but do not offer any proof.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003EHowever, I did find one, admittedly older, theory that ties the two words together. There was a claim, mentioned in early editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica, that cameo derives from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E, \"amulet\", which would clearly be cognate with the Hebrew. For example, this is in the entry from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.1902encyclopedia.com\/C\/CAM\/cameo.html\"\u003E1902 edition\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe word cameo is generally regarded as being derived from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ecamea\u003C\/i\u003E, a charm or amulet\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textRange basetext\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"text\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"textInner\"\u003E\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" class=\"segment highlight enOnly showNamedEntityLinks\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, קְמֵיעָה 1\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003EBut as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/224386\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E points out, the word \u003Ci\u003Ecamea\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was not found \"with this significance in the Arabic dictionaries\" and \"in all probability, the writer of the Encyclopedia Britannica thought of the Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Ecamea.\u003C\/i\u003E\" It also notes that later editions of the encyclopedia dropped that etymology.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003EThat's certainly possible. I did find a number of mentions from 19th century books that also mentioned an Arabic form of \u003Ci\u003Ecamea\u003C\/i\u003E, but it's possible they were all mistaken separately or influenced from one source that mixed up the Aramaic and Arabic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"segmentText\"\u003EBut that doesn't make me think that an etymology is unlikely. We've seen relevant cognates in a few Semitic languages, and all the meanings seem related to the same sense of \"amulet.\" If a more convincing etymology for cameo is found, then we can perhaps drop the connection to \u003Ci\u003Ekamea\u003C\/i\u003E. But for now, it still seems like a reasonable proposition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8618764832701621659\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8618764832701621659","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8618764832701621659"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8618764832701621659"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/05\/cameo-and-kamea.html","title":"cameo and kamea"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3223883499851402237"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-21T14:17:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-21T14:17:44.377+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"email subscriptions update"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EAs I mentioned in an earlier post, FeedBurner, the service that provided email subscriptions to Balashon, will be ending that service in a few months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI've set up a new service with Mailchimp, to provide the same option of receiving Balashon posts by email.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf anyone would like to subscribe that way, you can easily do so by entering your email address in the box on the right margin of this page, under \u003Cb\u003ESubscribe to Balashon by email\u003Ci\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor those who were already subscribed via FeedBurner, I've migrated your subscriptions to Mailchimp. If you do not wish to receive those emails, you can easily unsubscribe by clicking the \u003Cb\u003Eunsubscribe from this list\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;link at the bottom of every email.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThanks for your patience during this transition, and I hope to have some new posts with regular Balashon content up soon!\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3223883499851402237\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3223883499851402237","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3223883499851402237"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3223883499851402237"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/04\/email-subscriptions-update.html","title":"email subscriptions update"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7570676752834765370"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-20T11:24:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-20T11:24:33.270+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"still working on the email subscriptions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI'm still working on getting the new email subscription service working, so I need to do some additional test posts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make this a little more interesting, I'll provide some links about other things I've been working on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor over a year, I've been writing for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/today\"\u003E929\u003C\/a\u003E - the project that studies a chapter of Bible each day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou can read my posts, which generally talk about words, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/author\/64450\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI also write for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mizrachi.org\/hamizrachi\/\"\u003EHaMizrachi\u003C\/a\u003E, a magazine with articles about Torah and other subjects, printed around the holidays. Again, I write about words, and while there isn't an index of all my articles, my latest one - for Yom HaAtzmaut - is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mizrachi.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/HaMizrachi_Yom-Ha_Atzmaut_Israel_2021_51.pdf\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAside from writing about words, I also like to write about the Bible and Jewish thought. I've published in Tradition, Lehrhaus, Hakirah, and JBQ. I've put everything I've published on my \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/independent.academia.edu\/DavidCurwin\"\u003EAcademia.edu profile\u003C\/a\u003E. Feel free to browse and let me know what you think.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOk, that's good for now, I probably should save some more in case I need additional posts like this...\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7570676752834765370\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7570676752834765370","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7570676752834765370"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7570676752834765370"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/04\/still-working-on-email-subscriptions.html","title":"still working on the email subscriptions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7429232800764095727"},"published":{"$t":"2021-04-17T22:20:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-04-17T22:20:47.879+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"changes for email subscribers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EJust a little maintenance here. Feedburner, the service that provided email subscriptions to Balashon, will be ending that service in a few months. So I am in the process of investigating new options and will hopefully migrate all subscribers soon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you don't subscribe by email, you can ignore this message. Thanks!\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7429232800764095727\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7429232800764095727","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7429232800764095727"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7429232800764095727"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/04\/changes-for-email-subscribers.html","title":"changes for email subscribers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2497548614082360992"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-29T13:07:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:01:05.429+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Bereishit"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"mashal and moshel"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/today\"\u003E929 Project\u003C\/a\u003E, which covers a chapter of the Tanakh every day over a 3.5 year cycle, will be starting the book of Mishlei (Proverbs) soon. Since I write a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/author\/64450\"\u003Eweekly entry for 929\u003C\/a\u003E, I thought I would take the opportunity here to look into the word \u003Ci\u003Emashal \u003C\/i\u003Eמשל - the source of the book Mishlei.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the Bible, the root משל has two meanings - \"to rule\" and \"to resemble, to make like, to speak in parables.\" The first sense, to rule, appears 81 times as a verb, and also has noun forms, like \u003Ci\u003Emoshel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מושל - \"ruler. governor\" and \u003Ci\u003Ememshala \u003C\/i\u003Eממשלה - meaning \"rule, dominion\" in Biblical Hebrew, and \"government\" in Modern Hebrew.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second meaning occurs 17 times as a verb, and an additional 39 as a noun, generally translated as \"proverb\" (giving the name to the biblical book.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIs there a connection between the two meanings? Many older sources do make a connection. Here are a few examples:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERabbi Hirsch, on Bereshit 4:9, writes that the basic meaning of \u003Ci\u003Emashal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \"to declare what something is and should be, to give its character and designation. Hence: to command, to rule. […] Hence, also the Proverbs of Shlomo: saying which tell us what men and things are and should be. So in general. But hence \u003Ci\u003Emashal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;also means quite specially such a saying or sentence whose meaning refers not to the things actually described in it, but they are used metaphorically to refer to some general fact or teaching, to describe the character or designation of something else, i.e. a parable.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B8%D7%A9%D6%B7%D7%81%D7%9C_II.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E has the original meaning as \"to handle, to touch\" (he brings the example of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yoma.46a.4?lang=bi\"\u003EYoma 46a\u003C\/a\u003E - \"the fire had taken hold of them.\")\u0026nbsp; That sense developed into a) to attend, manage, control, and b) something tangible, substantial, plausible. From there it developed to \"a truth substantiated by an illustration, wise saying, fable, allegory, example.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteinberg suggests that the earlier, common meaning was \"to straighten, to organize.\" This organization can both be done by a ruler, or by an orator, who arranges two concepts in a parable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGesenius, in his dictionary, writes: \"Learned men have made many attempts to reconcile the significations of \u003Ci\u003Emaking like\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eruling\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;[…] I have no doubt but from the signification of \u003Ci\u003Emaking like\u003C\/i\u003E, is derived from that of \u003Ci\u003Ejudging, forming an opinion\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;[…] which is nearly allied to the notion of \u003Ci\u003Egiving sentence, ordering, ruling\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, more recent scholars have begun to doubt that the two meanings share a common origin. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B8%D7%A9%D6%B8%D7%81%D7%9C?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E, for example, lists them as two separate entries. For the meaning \"to rule,\" he provides one cognate: the Phoenician משל. For the sense \"to be like, resemble, to speak in parables,\" he offers a number of Semitic cognates:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAramaic\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמְתַל\u003C\/span\u003E (= was like, resembled), Syriac\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמְתַל\u003C\/span\u003E (= he compared; he spoke in parables), Akkadian\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emashālu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to be like), Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emathala\u003C\/i\u003E (= was like, resembled, imitated), \u003Ci\u003Emithl\u003C\/i\u003E (= a thing similar, resemblance, likeness), Ethiopian\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emasala\u003C\/i\u003E (= became like).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe substitution of the \"sh\" for \"t\/th\" in many of these languages, but only for this meaning, could indicate a separate origin. (The Aramaic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B2%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%AA%D6%B0%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Eamatla\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eאמתלא - \"excuse, pretext\" derives from the cognate מתל, and has entered Hebrew as אמתלה, with the same meaning.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut as Prof. Chaim Cohen argued in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/humanities.tau.ac.il\/sites\/humanities.tau.ac.il\/files\/media_server\/Jewish%20History\/Teuda\/Teuda-%20Vol%202-%20English\/Teuda-%20Vol%202-%20English.pdf\"\u003Ethis comprehensive article\u003C\/a\u003E (English summary \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/humanities.tau.ac.il\/sites\/humanities.tau.ac.il\/files\/media_server\/Jewish%20History\/Teuda\/Teuda-%20Vol%202-%20English\/Teuda-%20Vol%202-%20English.pdf\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, pp. 372-373), this may not be the case. He writes that \"while a majority of Biblical scholars today derive the term משל from a primary verb מש\"ל 'to be like' […] this view, despite many attempts to bolster it with additional evidence, has never been sufficiently compelling to win overall scholarly approval.\" He goes on to claim that the original meaning of the noun\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emashal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \"saying\" and the verb means \"to express, relate.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis understanding fits the book of Proverbs well. While many of the Proverbs are indeed parables - for example, \"A passerby who gets embroiled in someone else’s quarrel is like one who seizes a dog by its ears.\" (Mishlei 26:17), others are simply sayings without a metaphor: \"Do not envy evil men; Do not desire to be with them\" (Mishlei 24:1).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo it could well be that the original meaning of \u003Ci\u003Emashal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was \"saying\" and then later developed to the more specific type of saying - the parable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf that's the case, perhaps we can make a connection to \"ruling\" after all. I did not see this mentioned in the sources I read, but there are other words in Hebrew that connect ruling to speaking - see my posts on \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/04\/haggadah-and-aggadah.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Enagid \u003C\/i\u003Eנגיד\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/admiral.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eamar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;אמר\u003C\/a\u003E. It would not surprise me if \u003Ci\u003Emashal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is an additional example.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2497548614082360992\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2497548614082360992","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2497548614082360992"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2497548614082360992"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/03\/mashal-and-moshel.html","title":"mashal and moshel"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1224061993061552491"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-24T16:24:00.006+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-03-25T09:52:49.930+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"sutro and tzair"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EI grew up in San Francisco, and anyone from there will recognize the name Sutro.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sutro_Tower\"\u003ESutro Tower\u003C\/a\u003E is giant radio and TV antenna that can be seen from most places in the city. It sits on a hill between Twin Peaks and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mount_Sutro\"\u003EMount Sutro\u003C\/a\u003E, another place with the Sutro name.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjbGy7rkTZ0kD7TEcxQ7Di1f37ga9PXCNK-dYVvrLq_3c3_0gVwpo4HMowlt6RmsXlQTDef0_HFMbaLRptTKb110qNjJcOroJECOD889VSg_owGCrM4J07oP2MAmt9nevUwBpS4\/s2048\/San_Francisco_Sutro_Tower_from_Grandview_Park_%25282%2529.jpg\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"2048\" data-original-width=\"1581\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjbGy7rkTZ0kD7TEcxQ7Di1f37ga9PXCNK-dYVvrLq_3c3_0gVwpo4HMowlt6RmsXlQTDef0_HFMbaLRptTKb110qNjJcOroJECOD889VSg_owGCrM4J07oP2MAmt9nevUwBpS4\/s320\/San_Francisco_Sutro_Tower_from_Grandview_Park_%25282%2529.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sutro_District\"\u003ESutro Historic District\u003C\/a\u003E, on the Pacific coast, you'll find \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sutro_Heights_Park\"\u003ESutro Heights Park\u003C\/a\u003E, and it once included the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sutro_Baths\"\u003ESutro Baths\u003C\/a\u003E. And there are other places with the Sutro name in the area.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll of these places were named for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adolph_Sutro\"\u003EAdolph Sutro\u003C\/a\u003E (1830-1898), the first Jewish mayor of San Francisco\u003Ca href=\"#1\" name=\"top1\"\u003E\u003Csup\u003E1\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. He was a collector of books, and when I lived there I heard he had \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jweekly.com\/2016\/04\/08\/on-display-yemenite-scroll-that-solved-the-mystery\/\"\u003Ea manuscript with the signature of Maimonides\u003C\/a\u003E (now housed in Sutro Library of course).\u0026nbsp; I never visited that exhibit - maybe I'll try on my next visit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI recently learned that this pervasive word, Sutro, actually has Hebrew origins. According to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/23515504?seq=1\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E, \"the family name is probably a writing of the Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Ezutra\u003C\/i\u003E.\" And indeed, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.worldcat.org\/title\/catalogue-of-the-old-hebrew-and-arabic-manuscripts-of-the-library-of-hon-adolph-sutro-san-francisco-24-february-1897-reshimat-kitve-yad-meotsar-ha-sefarim-shel-ha-gevir-ha-sar-h-adolf-zutra-poh-san-frantsiska\/oclc\/244483372\"\u003EHebrew entry for the catalog of his books\u003C\/a\u003E writes Sutro as זוטרא (\u003Ci\u003Ezutra\u003C\/i\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Aramaic word \u003Ci\u003Ezutra\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"small.\" From it we get in modern Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ezutar \u003C\/i\u003E- זוטר, an adjective meaning \"junior\" or \"minor.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%96%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%98%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%90?lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%96%D7%A2%D7%A8.1\u0026amp;lang2=bi\u0026amp;p3=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D7%A2%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5.1\u0026amp;lang3=bi\u0026amp;p4=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%96%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%98%D6%B8%D7%A8.1\u0026amp;lang4=bi\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that the root of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ezutra\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- זטר - is related to the root זער - \"to be small\", which in turn is related to the root צער - also meaning \"to be small, insignificant.\" This last root gives us the word \u003Ci\u003Etzair\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;צעיר - \"young\" and \u003Ci\u003Etzoer \u003C\/i\u003Eצוער, which appears once in the Bible (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Zechariah.13.7?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EZechariah 13:7\u003C\/a\u003E) as \"shepherd boy,\" and today means \"cadet.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother meaning of the root צער - \"sadness, suffering\" only appears in post-biblical Hebrew. In the \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form - הצטער - it literally means \"to feel pain, remorse\", and is used to say \"I'm sorry\" - אני מצטער \u003Ci\u003Eani mitztaer.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Klein, the two roots are related. One who is treated caused to suffer, treated shamefully, is \"belittled\" or \"made insignificant.\" Yaakov Etsion, in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.safa-ivrit.org\/writers\/etsion\/zoer.php\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E, agrees that the roots are related, but suggests instead that it's not others making the \u003Ci\u003Emitztaer\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;feel small, but the one suffering acts as if they are contracting, reduced in size, as opposed to someone comfortable who can relax and spread out.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Adolph Sutro's name may have meant \"small,\" his legacy in San Francisco is anything but insignificant, and the landmarks bearing his name are the tallest in the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Chr width=\"80%\" \/\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name=\"1\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1 \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EI have been informed that actually, the first Jewish mayor of San Francisco was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Washington_Bartlett\"\u003EWashington Bartlett\u003C\/a\u003E. Bartlett later converted to Christianity, but was Jewish during his term as mayor.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"#top1\"\u003E\u003Csup\u003E↩\u003C\/sup\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1224061993061552491\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1224061993061552491","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1224061993061552491"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1224061993061552491"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/03\/sutro-and-tzair.html","title":"sutro and tzair"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjbGy7rkTZ0kD7TEcxQ7Di1f37ga9PXCNK-dYVvrLq_3c3_0gVwpo4HMowlt6RmsXlQTDef0_HFMbaLRptTKb110qNjJcOroJECOD889VSg_owGCrM4J07oP2MAmt9nevUwBpS4\/s72-c\/San_Francisco_Sutro_Tower_from_Grandview_Park_%25282%2529.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2009379065867390350"},"published":{"$t":"2021-03-01T14:25:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:02:41.291+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayera"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"minaret and menorah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe word \"minaret\", meaning the tower of a mosque, is cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Emenorah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מנורה. From the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/minaret\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"slender, lofty turret of a mosque,\" typically rising by stages and \nhaving one or more projecting balconies around it, 1680s, from French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eminaret\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from a Turkish pronunciation of Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emanarah\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emanarat\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"minaret,\" also \"lamp, lighthouse,\" which is related to \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emanar\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"candlestick,\" a derivative of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Enar\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"fire;\" compare Hebrew \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ener\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"lamp\" (see menorah).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Menorah_(Temple)\"\u003EMenorah\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was the term for the lampstand with seven lamps first established for the roaming Tabernacle, and then later in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was famously lit again by the Maccabees, when the Temple was rededicated, after the Greeks had defiled it. This is commemorated in the holiday of Chanukah. During that holiday, a lamp is lit with additional candles every night, reaching eight candles on the last night, plus one extra (ninth) candle used to light the others.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo distinguish between the \u003Ci\u003Emenorah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;used in the Temple and what was lit in homes on Chanukah, traditionally the latter was called \u003Ci\u003Emenorat chanukah \u003C\/i\u003Eמנורת חנוכה, although some people used \u003Ci\u003Emenorah \u003C\/i\u003Efor both. Sephardic and Balkan Jews used the term \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%99%D7%94\"\u003Echanukiya\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eחנוכייה (with the accent on the second to last syllable - \u003Ci\u003EchanuKIya\u003C\/i\u003E), and that term was introduced into modern Hebrew by Hemda Ben Yehuda (Eliezer Ben Yehuda's wife).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday in Israel \u003Ci\u003Emenorah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;refers to the lamp in the Temple, the symbol of the State of Israel (which was modeled on the biblical \u003Ci\u003Emenorah\u003C\/i\u003E) and for \"lamp\" in general. \u003Ci\u003EChanukiya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E(with the accent on the last symbol) is used for the lamp lit on Chanukah.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMenorah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;derives from the root\u0026nbsp; נור, and other words related to lamps also come from the same source. \u003Ci\u003ENer \u003C\/i\u003Eנר means \"candle\" and \u003Ci\u003Enurah \u003C\/i\u003Eנורה means \"bulb.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother related word is \u003Ci\u003Esanver - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to blind.\" It was back formed from \u003Ci\u003Esanverim \u003C\/i\u003Eסנורים - \"blindness\" (as found in Bereshit 19:11).\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D6%B7%D7%A0%D6%B0%D7%95%D6%B5%D7%A8%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9D.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein provides the following etymology\u003C\/a\u003E for \u003Ci\u003Esanverim\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAccording to some scholars, euphemistic use of Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eshunwuru\u003C\/i\u003E (= to give light). According to others סַנְוֵרִים is formed from the Siph‘el of נור (= to give light), used euphemistically.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A sister root to נור is נהר, meaning \"to shine.\" It is found in only a few biblical verses (e.g. Yeshaya 60:5 and Iyov 3:4). But its use in Aramaic is much more common. And just as \u003Ci\u003Esanverim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means blindness and may have euphemistic origins, the term used in Hebrew for \"euphemism\" also comes from a phrase meaning blindness: סגי נהור \u003Ci\u003Esagi-nahor. \u003C\/i\u003EIt literally means someone with \"(more than) enough light\", a euphemism for a blind person. That classic case of euphemism has been extended to all euphemisms, which are known as לשון סגי נהור \u003Ci\u003Elashon sagi nahor.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2009379065867390350\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2009379065867390350","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2009379065867390350"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2009379065867390350"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/03\/minaret-and-menorah.html","title":"minaret and menorah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5723454489868943138"},"published":{"$t":"2021-02-08T14:00:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-02-09T09:53:55.465+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"mafia and hiftzir"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThere are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mafia#Etymology\"\u003Emany theories\u003C\/a\u003E as to the etymology of the word \"mafia.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/mafia\"\u003EOne of the leading ones\u003C\/a\u003E says it comes from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.wordhippo.com\/what-is\/the-meaning-of\/arabic-word-b69e054b0eebe0f4f97ea472abe82a523544c4f8.html\"\u003Emarfud\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"rejected\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E1875, from Italian \u003Ci\u003EMafia \u003C\/i\u003E\"Sicilian secret society of criminals\" (the prevailing sense outside Sicily), earlier, \"spirit of hostility to the law and its ministers.\" A member is a \u003Ci\u003Emafioso\u003C\/i\u003E (1870), fem. \u003Ci\u003Emafiosa\u003C\/i\u003E, plural \u003Ci\u003Emafiosi\u003C\/i\u003E, and this may be the older word in this sense. Arabic is often cited as the ultimate source (the Arabs ruled Sicily for more than two centuries in the Middle Ages), but which Arabic word is a matter of disagreement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe immediate source of \u003Ci\u003Emafioso\u003C\/i\u003E, then, would be 19c. Sicilian \u003Ci\u003Emafiusu\u003C\/i\u003E, \"signifying a bully, arrogant but also fearless, enterprising, and proud\" [\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/23997542\"\u003EGambetta\u003C\/a\u003E], who favors as the Arabic source an adjective from \u003Ci\u003Emarfud \u003C\/i\u003E\"rejected.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/historyofmafia00lupo\/page\/282\/mode\/2up\"\u003Ethis source\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emarfud\u003C\/i\u003E (\"rejected\") became the Sicilian \u003Ci\u003Emarpiuni\u003C\/i\u003E (\"swindler\") and from there to \u003Ci\u003Emafiusu\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs often happens when I read etymologies of English words with Semitic roots, I wonder if there is a cognate in Hebrew. Well, this is one I would never have expected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E**\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find a Hebrew word related to \u003Ci\u003Emarfud\u003C\/i\u003E, we need to look a seemingly unrelated Hebrew root: פצר. It \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/6484.%D7%A4%D7%A6%D7%A8\"\u003Eappears in the Bible seven times\u003C\/a\u003E - six of which are in the \u003Ci\u003Ekal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form - \u003Ci\u003Epatzar\u003C\/i\u003E. In all of those cases it means \"to implore, to beg earnestly.\" Modern Hebrew uses the \u003Ci\u003Ehifil\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form of the verb, \u003Ci\u003Ehiftzir\u003C\/i\u003E, to mean \"implore\" as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A6%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E writes that it is a secondary form of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B6%D6%BC%D6%BD%D7%A8%D6%B6%D7%A5?lang=bi\"\u003Eroot פרץ\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to push, to break through.\" That root can also mean \"to spread, to extend.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis sense of \"spreading, extension\" is how classic commentators understood the use of פצר in its seventh use, in \u003Ca href=\"כִּי חַטַּאת־קֶסֶם מֶרִי וְאָוֶן וּתְרָפִים הַפְצַר\"\u003EShmuel I 15:23\u003C\/a\u003E. The prophet Shmuel is castigating Shaul, the king, and says:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eכִּי חַטַּאת־קֶסֶם מֶרִי וְאָוֶן וּתְרָפִים הַפְצַר\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a notoriously difficult phrase to explain. It ends with the words \u003Ci\u003Eutrafim haftzar \u003C\/i\u003E(our root). Rashi says it means \"an addition\", and in that light, ArtScroll translates the phrase as:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"For rebelliousness is like the sin of sorcery, and verbosity [\u003Ci\u003Ehaftzar\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;is like the iniquity of idolatry\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, modern translations, like the JPS have a different interpretation. They offer:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"For rebellion is like the sin of divination; defiance [\u003Ci\u003Ehaftzar\u003C\/i\u003E], like the iniquity of teraphim\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETranslating \u003Ci\u003Ehaftzar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \"defiance\" provides symmetry with the first half of the phrase, where everyone agrees that \u003Ci\u003Emeri\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"rebelliousness.\" And there is linguistic support for this translation as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/David_Yellin\"\u003EDavid Yellin\u003C\/a\u003E wrote in an essay, \"Forgotten Meanings of Hebrew Roots in the Bible\" (published \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?redir_esc=y\u0026amp;id=zpXXAAAAMAAJ\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and quoted by Stahl in his etymological dictionary of Arabic) that this use of the root פצר is unrelated to the other six, and based on cognates with other Semitic languages should be translated as \"defiance.\" One of those cognates is the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Erafad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"to reject,\" which is the source of our word \u003Ci\u003Emarfud\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;above.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHow did he get from \u003Ci\u003Efatzar \u003C\/i\u003Eto \u003Ci\u003Erafad\u003C\/i\u003E? Through a number of phonetic shifts. First of all, the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Etz\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;sound can become \u003Ci\u003Ed \u003C\/i\u003Ein Arabic (for example the Hebrew \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%9E%D6%B6%D7%A5?lang=bi\"\u003Eרמץ \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%9E%D6%B6%D7%A5?lang=bi\"\u003Eremetz\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ebecomes \u003Ci\u003Eramida\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Arabic, the source of the month \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/languagehat.com\/ramadanramzan\/\"\u003ERamadan\u003C\/a\u003E.) And then through metathesis, \u003Ci\u003Efadar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;became \u003Ci\u003Erafad\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E**\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuite a journey, no? So how can you remember that \"mafia\" and \u003Ci\u003Efatzar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are cognate? Just think of a mafioso imploring someone to not be defiant...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5723454489868943138\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5723454489868943138","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5723454489868943138"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5723454489868943138"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/02\/mafia-and-hiftzir.html","title":"mafia and hiftzir"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1467505777848283525"},"published":{"$t":"2021-01-24T17:29:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-01-24T17:29:37.154+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"loco"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA Spanish word that has entered English slang is \u003Ci\u003Eloco\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"crazy.\" The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/loco\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E provides the following origin:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"mad, crazy,\" 1844, American English, from Spanish \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eloco\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (adj.) \"insane,\" of uncertain origin, perhaps from Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Elauqa\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, fem. of \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E'alwaq\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"fool, crazy person.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/proto_roots_he_eu.enacademic.com\/182\/lwq\"\u003EAmerican Heritage Dictionar\u003C\/a\u003Ey goes a bit further in their entry for the Semitic root \u003Ci\u003Elwq\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026nbsp;Arabic root, to soften. \u003Ci\u003Eloco\u003C\/i\u003E, perhaps from Arabic \u003Ci\u003Elawqā\u003C\/i\u003E, feminine singular of \u003Ci\u003Ealwaq\u003C\/i\u003E, bent, foolish, from \u003Ci\u003Elāqa\u003C\/i\u003E, to soften.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ECould this Arabic root have a Hebrew cognate? I believe there might be one.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPost-biblical Hebrew has the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9C%D7%A7%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Eלקה\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning \"to strike, to flog.\" The biblical equivalent is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D7%9B%D7%94.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eנכה\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to best, strike.\" The root לקה gives us the noun מלקות\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emalkut \u003C\/i\u003E(sometimes pronounced \u003Ci\u003Emalkot\u003C\/i\u003E) for \"punishment by lashes,\" whereas the root נכה provides מכה \u003Ci\u003Emaka, \u003C\/i\u003Ein plural מכות \u003Ci\u003Emakkot. \u003C\/i\u003EThis last word is the name of the Talmudic tractate \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Makkot\"\u003EMakkot\u003C\/a\u003E, which deals with the laws of punishment by lashes, and within it frequently uses the synonym \u003Ci\u003Emalkot\u003C\/i\u003E. (For more on the confusion between the two terms, see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ohr.edu\/this_week\/whats_in_a_word\/8715\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, this is not the only meaning of לקה. Klein offers the following meanings: \"to be stricken, be smitten, be flogged, be scourged; to be affected with disease; to be eclipsed.\" (This last meaning gives us the Hebrew term for \"eclipse\" - ליקוי \u003Ci\u003Elikui\u003C\/i\u003E.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his Arukh HaShalem, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexander_Kohut\"\u003EKohut\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;writes that the essence of the root means \"to be softened, beaten,\" and mentions the Arabic root that means \"to soften.\" So it seems we have our cognate. As proof, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nathan_ben_Jehiel#The_Arukh\"\u003EThe Arukh\u003C\/a\u003E (the dictionary published about 800 years earlier upon which Kohut wrote his supplement) quotes a Talmudic passage (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Yevamot.80b.4?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Rashi\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EYevamot 80b\u003C\/a\u003E), which mentions someone who has שער לקוי \u003Ci\u003Ese'ar lakui. \u003C\/i\u003EThe Arukh says that means he has \"soft hair\" (and Rashi agrees in his commentary.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor some reason, there are many fast food restaurants called \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/El_Pollo_Loco\"\u003EEl Pollo Loco\u003C\/a\u003E, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.mishloha.co.il\/r\/inactive\/%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%99%D7%95%20%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%95%20%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D#!\/rest\/5187\/menu\"\u003EIsraeli equivalents\u003C\/a\u003E. While they say it means \"crazy chicken,\" I think \"softened chicken\" actually sounds more appetizing...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1467505777848283525\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1467505777848283525","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1467505777848283525"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1467505777848283525"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/01\/loco.html","title":"loco"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8416586559026279274"},"published":{"$t":"2021-01-17T21:34:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-01-17T21:34:42.545+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gerbil"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe word for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mongolian_gerbil\"\u003Egerbil\u003C\/a\u003E, the small rodent, has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/gerbil\"\u003ESemitic origins\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E1849, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egerbile\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Egerbille\u003C\/span\u003E, from Modern Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGerbillus\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, the genus name, from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egerbo\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eyarbu\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E. Earlier English form, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ejarbuah\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(1660s), was directly from Arabic.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother rodent that I hadn't heard of before also gets its name from the same Arabic word - the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jerboa\"\u003Ejerboa\u003C\/a\u003E. They aren't from the same genus or even family, but because both are small desert rodents, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/jerboa\"\u003EArabic name was also used\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Esmall desert rodent, 1660s, Modern Latin, from Arabic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ejarbu\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/i\u003E \"flesh of the loins,\" also the name of a small jumping rodent of North \nAfrica. So called for the strong muscles of its hind legs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/4847281\/Arabic_Etymological_Dictionary\"\u003EThe Arabic Etymological Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E finds cognates in other Semitic languages:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eyarbu‘\u003C\/i\u003E : a rodent, jerboa [Akkadian\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Earrabu\u003C\/i\u003E, Syriac\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eyarbu‘a\u003C\/i\u003E, Ebla\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Earrabu\u003C\/i\u003E]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIs there also a connection to any Hebrew words?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne possibility is that it's related to \u003Ci\u003Eakhbar \u003C\/i\u003Eעכבר - \"mouse.\" We discussed \u003Ci\u003Eakhbar \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/06\/achbar.html\"\u003Ea few years ago\u003C\/a\u003E, relying on the theory that it derives from the root כבר - \"great.\" Those that connect \u003Ci\u003Eyarbu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to \u003Ci\u003Eakhbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;take a different route. I found that theory mentioned \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/repository.yu.edu\/bitstream\/handle\/20.500.12202\/60\/Steiner%20Review_of_harsusi_Lexicon_by_T.M._Johnstone%20OCR.pdf?sequence=1\u0026amp;isAllowed=y\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/starling.rinet.ru\/cgi-bin\/etymology.cgi?single=1\u0026amp;basename=%5Cdata%5Csemham%5Csemet\u0026amp;text_recno=2339\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B9#Arabic\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. While they don't map it out directly, my understanding is that the \"kh\/k\" sound dropped out (perhaps easier to imagine knowing that it was also pronounced\/spelled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eagbaru\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in Akkadian, since the \u003Ci\u003Eg \u003C\/i\u003Esound gets swallowed in the \u003Ci\u003Eb \u003C\/i\u003Esound), and then through metathesis it became \u003Ci\u003Earrabu\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while the Online Etymology Dictionary says the name of the rodent came from the strong leg muscles, the first source (an essay by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Richard_C._Steiner\"\u003EProf. Richard Steiner\u003C\/a\u003E) posits that the root first meant \"mouse\" and then later meant \"muscle,\" particularly the Achilles tendon, or hamstring. He points out that in other languages we also find the word for muscles deriving from the word for mouse, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/muscle\"\u003Eincluding English\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"contractible animal tissue consisting of bundles of fibers,\" late 14c., \"a muscle of the body,\" from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emusculus\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"a muscle,\" literally \"a little mouse,\" diminutive of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emus\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"mouse\".\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo\n called because the shape and movement of some muscles (notably biceps) \nwere thought to resemble mice. The analogy was made in Greek, too, where\n \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emys\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eis both \"mouse\" and \"muscle,\" and its combining form gives the medical prefix \u003Ci\u003Emyo\u003C\/i\u003E-. Compare also Old Church Slavonic \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emysi\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"mouse,\" \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emysica\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"arm;\" German \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EMaus\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"mouse; muscle,\" Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E'\u003Ci\u003Eadalah\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"muscle,\" \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E'\u003Ci\u003Eadal\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"field mouse;\" Cornish \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Elogodenfer\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"calf of the leg,\" literally \"mouse of the leg.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESteiner then goes on to suggest that other Hebrew words for muscle might derive from the same root, including \u003Ci\u003Eekev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;עקב - \"heel\" and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D6%B7%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%A7%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%91?lang=bi\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Earkuv \u003C\/i\u003Eערקוב\u003C\/a\u003E - \"knee joint, hock.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere is another small rodent, which like the gerbil, is often kept as a pet - the hamster. The word hamster \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/hamster\"\u003Edoesn't have a Semitic etymology\u003C\/a\u003E, but the hamsters we're familiar with today do have a connection to Israel. In 1930 in Jerusalem, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/science-nature\/the-untold-story-of-the-hamster-aka-mr-saddlebags-1223774\/\"\u003Ethe zoologist Israel Aharoni successfully bred a pair of Syrian hamsters\u003C\/a\u003E, and the hamster pets found today worldwide are descendants of his efforts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8416586559026279274\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8416586559026279274","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8416586559026279274"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8416586559026279274"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/01\/gerbil.html","title":"gerbil"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6106337089940898919"},"published":{"$t":"2021-01-04T13:29:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2021-01-04T13:29:40.450+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"etzel, atzil and asli"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EAccording to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_אֵֽצֶל.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E, the Hebrew preposition \u003Ci\u003Eetzel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;אצל means \"by the side of, beside, near.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.morfix.co.il\/%D7%90%D7%A6%D7%9C\"\u003EMilon Morfix\u003C\/a\u003E (a more recent resource) offers \"at; in the possession of; for; (literary) near, close to.\"\u0026nbsp; As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2019\/02\/05\/%d7%90%d6%b5%d6%ab%d7%a6%d6%b6%d7%9c-%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%90-%d7%90%d6%b5%d7%a6%d6%b6%d6%ab%d7%9c\/\"\u003Ethis article by the Hebrew Language Academy\u003C\/a\u003E points out, the word is found in Biblical sources, with additional meanings added in the Talmudic and Medieval periods. Today, according to the article, the main usage is to describe something in the area or possession of a person.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo if you were to say that a meeting was in Esther's house, you'd say it was \u003Ci\u003Ebabayit shel Ester\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בבית של אסתר. But if you wanted to say the meeting was \"by Esther\", you'd say it was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eetsel Ester \u003C\/i\u003Eאצל אסתר.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein says that \u003Ci\u003Eetzel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;actually means \"side,\" deriving from the root אצל meaning \"lay aside, set apart, reserve, emanate.\" That root is used today in the \u003Ci\u003Ehifil\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form \u003Ci\u003Ehe'etzil \u003C\/i\u003Eהאציל - \"to delegate\" as in the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eha'atzal samchuyot \u003C\/i\u003Eהאצלת סמכויות - \"delegation of authority.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein further connects the root to a Semitic root meaning \"root, origin, source.\" The Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Eatzil - \u003C\/i\u003Eאציל - \"nobleman, aristocrat\" derives from here, originally meaning \"firmly rooted.\" Another meaning of \u003Ci\u003Eatzil - \u003C\/i\u003Enot frequently used in Modern Hebrew - is \"joint (of the arm, elbow)\", also related to the sense of \"side.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArabic also has cognates, which include '\u003Ci\u003Easil - \u003C\/i\u003E\"of noble origin\", coming from \u003Ci\u003Easl - \u003C\/i\u003E\"root, origin.\" This gives us the word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Asl%C4%B1\"\u003Easli\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich in Arabic means \"original.\" It has been borrowed into Israeli slang with the sense of genuine or authentic, and is often found describing food products.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6106337089940898919\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6106337089940898919","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6106337089940898919"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6106337089940898919"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2021\/01\/etzel-atzil-and-asli.html","title":"etzel, atzil and asli"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4609375804830668471"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-27T14:28:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-29T09:47:40.647+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"pakad"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew root \u003Ci\u003Epakad \u003C\/i\u003Eפקד has many meanings. Some of them seem to be opposites. For example, a \u003Ci\u003Emifkad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מפקד is a census, where those present are counted. But someone absent is \u003Ci\u003Enifkad \u003C\/i\u003Eנפקד (like an AWOL soldier.) What's the story with this root?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEdward Horowitz, in his book \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0881254878\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0881254878\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;linkId=8f28bdb58fa5ff781c63003c3bc8ba6d\"\u003EHow the Hebrew Language Grew\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, addresses this question (page 56):\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnyone who has studied the Bible in Hebrew or who has even only a fair familiarity with it will remember coming across the word \u003Ci\u003Epakad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;very often. It actually occurs several hundreds of times and in many seemingly unrelated senses. It would be worthwhile to tie them all together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe root \u003Ci\u003Epakad \u003C\/i\u003Ehas the large general senses of \"to give one's attention to.\" From this large general meaning there have developed many specialized senses. These simply specify in detail various ways of giving one's attention.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThus \u003Ci\u003Epakad\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto attend to\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto observe\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto remember\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto seek, and sometimes to seek in vain, i.e. to need, to miss\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto visit, and sometimes to visit in an evil sense, i.e. to punish, usually divine punishment\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto number\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003Eto put someone in charge, to appoint\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe \u003Ci\u003Enifal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;[\u003Ci\u003Enifkad\u003C\/i\u003E] picks up three of these senses, and means: 1) was appointed, 2) was visited upon, 3) was sought vainly, i.e. missed. The \u003Ci\u003Ehifil \u003C\/i\u003E[\u003Ci\u003Ehifkid\u003C\/i\u003E] has the meaning to appoint, and to to entrust or deposit. The \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;[\u003Ci\u003Ehitpaked\u003C\/i\u003E] means \"was numbered.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere are a number of nouns that come from this formidable list:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epekuda \u003C\/i\u003Eפקודה - visitation, numbering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epakid \u003C\/i\u003Eפקיד - overseer, officer\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epikud\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eפיקוד - a precept, because it means something appointed to be done, a charge\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Epikadon \u003C\/i\u003Eפקדון - something entrusted, a deposit\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emifkad \u003C\/i\u003Eמפקד - numbering or mustering, appointment\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etafkid \u003C\/i\u003Eתפקיד - function\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EA modern language cannot possibly use just one single word in these many important different senses and yet remain sharp, clear and exact. It just because of this very rich development that \u003Ci\u003Epakad \u003C\/i\u003E[in the \u003Ci\u003Ekal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form] is today a beggar word; hardly anyone uses it in ordinary conversation. This word reveals the truth of the rabbinic dictum \"If you grasp too much, you grasp nothing.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe \u003Ci\u003Ehifil \u003C\/i\u003Ethough, is frequently used in the sense of \"to entrust.\" \u003Ci\u003EPekuda - \u003C\/i\u003Ecommand, \u003Ci\u003Epakid\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- officer, and \u003Ci\u003Epikadon - \u003C\/i\u003Ea deposit - are also in active use.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHorowitz's book was published in 1960, so some of the meanings of the words he mentioned have changed in more recent Hebrew. For example, \u003Ci\u003Epakid \u003C\/i\u003Enow usually means \"clerk,\" \u003Ci\u003Epikud \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"command\" in the military sense (like the Home Front Command - \u003Ci\u003EPikud HaOref\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eפיקוד העורף), and \u003Ci\u003Etafkid \u003C\/i\u003Eusually means \"role, position, task.\" Another military term is \u003Ci\u003Emifaked\u003C\/i\u003E מפקד - \"commander.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhile providing many of the same meanings, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A7%D7%93?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein suggests a different etymology\u003C\/a\u003E. He says the original meaning was probably \"to miss.\" In English the verb \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/miss\"\u003Eto miss\u003C\/a\u003E\" can mean both \"to fail to hit\" and \"to long for someone.\" The first sense is reflected in \u003Ci\u003Enifkad - \u003C\/i\u003E\"not present,\" but that same soldier is also being looked for, perhaps longed for, and that provides many of the other meanings, where \u003Ci\u003Epakad \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"to attend to, to visit, to observe.\" From there the other meanings of \"to appoint,\" \"to number,\" and \"to command\" developed.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4609375804830668471\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4609375804830668471","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4609375804830668471"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4609375804830668471"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/12\/pakad.html","title":"pakad"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4406085229089355474"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-20T12:53:00.004+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-20T12:53:48.411+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"mesukan"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EA number of years ago, I discussed the root סכן and the relate words \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2010\/12\/misken-sakana-and-sochen.html\"\u003Emisken, sakana and sochen\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E. One of the words I mentioned was מסוכן \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe familiar word \u003Ci\u003Esakana \u003C\/i\u003Eסכנה - \"danger\" does not appear in the Tanach (it appears frequently in Rabbinic Hebrew). But it does appear as a \u003Ci\u003Enifal \u003C\/i\u003Everb once in Kohelet 10:9\u0026nbsp; יסכן - \"will be harmed\". In Rabbinic Hebrew we find the \u003Ci\u003Epiel \u003C\/i\u003Eform, meaning \"to expose to danger\". Derivatives include \u003Ci\u003Esikun \u003C\/i\u003Eסיכון - \"risk\" and \u003Ci\u003Emisukan \u003C\/i\u003Eמסוכן - which in the Talmud meant \"in danger\" but by Medieval Hebrew meant \"dangerous\".\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecently, I realized that I never actually explained why the meaning of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;would change from \"endangered\" to \"dangerous.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENot knowing the answer, I looked in my books and my online sources, and couldn't find any real discussion of the topic. So I did something I haven't done for a while - I wrote to the Academy of the Hebrew Language. Anyone can submit a question \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA\/%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A8\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E (in Hebrew), and they're very generous with their time and provide comprehensive answers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA few days later, I got an answer, which I will summarize here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears in the \"passive\" form in Talmudic literature. For example we find a בהמה מסוכנת \u003Ci\u003Ebehema mesukenet - \u003C\/i\u003Ea sick animal, in danger of dying, in the mishna (Beitza 3:3). In the Tosefta ( Toharot 6:7) there is mention of a sick person, referred to as \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E. In this\u0026nbsp; literature, only people or animals are called \u003Ci\u003Emesukan.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAround the beginning of the 12th century, the meaning of \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;expanded, and began to refer to things that can affect people, and as such took on the meaning of \"dangerous.\" Rashi (Avoda Zara 28a) describes an injury as being \u003Ci\u003Emesukan, \u003C\/i\u003Eand Ibn Ezra (on Devarim 21:8) talks about roads that are \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, this new meaning was not used to refer to people or animals. When applied to them, \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;still meant \"endangered.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the end of the 18th century, the meaning of \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;expanded further. It began to be applied to animals, and then eventually to people as well. In modern usage, the sense of \"endangered\" has almost completely disappeared, and only \"dangerous\" remains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis change in meaning can be seen in how it appears in dictionaries. In the Ben Yehuda dictionary (1928-1929), \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has both definitions, with \"endangered\" coming before \"dangerous.\" In later dictionaries, such as Even Shoshan (1951), the order is reversed, reflecting the change in usage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat was the reason for this \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Semantic_change\"\u003Esemantic shift\u003C\/a\u003E?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo suggestions were offered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne is a natural, internal development in the language, where passive verbs take on an active meaning. Examples given were the word זכור in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Psalms.103.14?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETehilim 103:14\u003C\/a\u003E (he \"remembers\" in the active sense), נשוי in Bava Batra 79a (a tree actively bearing fruit), and also the phrase \u003Ci\u003Emekubal ani \u003C\/i\u003Eמקובל אני - \"I have accepted.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile these occurrences happened earlier, perhaps the change in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;followed the same process.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe second suggestion was influence from Arabic, where the similar word \u003Ci\u003Emakufun\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can mean both \"frightened\" and \"scary.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo perhaps one, or both, of those two pushed the word \u003Ci\u003Emesukan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;into the modern meaning of \"dangerous.\"\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4406085229089355474\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4406085229089355474","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4406085229089355474"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4406085229089355474"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/12\/mesukan.html","title":"mesukan"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5202010280302616274"},"published":{"$t":"2020-12-06T14:43:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-06T14:43:16.311+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gambit and ganav"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EHere's one I wouldn't have ever thought of.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"Gambit\" is a ploy or strategy, used to gain an advantage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/gambit\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E says the origin is in Latin:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"chess opening in which a pawn or piece is risked for advantage later,\" 1650s, \u003Ci\u003Egambett\u003C\/i\u003E, from Italian \u003Ci\u003Egambetto\u003C\/i\u003E, literally \"a tripping up\" (as a trick in wrestling), from \u003Ci\u003Egamba \u003C\/i\u003E\"leg,\" from Late Latin \u003Ci\u003Egamba \u003C\/i\u003E(see gambol (n.)). Applied to chess openings in Spanish in 1561 by Ruy Lopez, who traced it to the Italian word, but the form in Spanish generally was \u003Ci\u003Egambito\u003C\/i\u003E, which led to French \u003Ci\u003Egambit\u003C\/i\u003E, which has influenced the English spelling of the word. Broader sense of \"opening move meant to gain advantage\" in English is recorded from 1855.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=m5jDb646daMC\u0026amp;pg=PA50\u0026amp;lpg=PA50\u0026amp;dq=%22janb%22+etymology\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=PsgutwovJj\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U3vrFACIGORqVwGVcPmGP7szYcdnw\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiF_cD1m7ntAhVGUhUIHQ9oB7AQ6AEwCXoECAwQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=gambit\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eothers\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=UGaEDwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA230\u0026amp;dq=gambit+%22janbi%22\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqr3rmrntAhWnyIUKHYdKD9wQ6AEwAHoECAIQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Esuggest\u003C\/a\u003E a Semitic origin. For example, Klein writes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EFrench, from Spanish \u003Ci\u003Egambito\u003C\/i\u003E, from Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ejanbi\u003C\/i\u003E, 'lateral', from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A8\"\u003Ejanb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, 'side' (whence \u003Ci\u003Ejanaba\u003C\/i\u003E, 'he put aside'), which is relate to Aramaic-Syriac \u003Ci\u003Egabh\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Egabba\u003C\/i\u003E, 'side', Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eganabh\u003C\/i\u003E, Aram.-Syr. \u003Ci\u003Egenabh\u003C\/i\u003E, 'he stole', literally 'he put aside', Heb. \u003Ci\u003Egannabh\u003C\/i\u003E, 'thief'.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile Klein doesn't mention it here, Kaddari does say that \u003Ci\u003Eganav\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;גנב can also mean \"to put aside, remove.\" In fact, he lists this meaning as the first entry in his dictionary, indicating that this is the original meaning, as found in this verse:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eיִהְיוּ כְּתֶבֶן לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְמֹץ גְּנָבַתּוּ סוּפָה׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003ELet them become like straw in the wind, like chaff carried off [\u003Ci\u003Egenavto\u003C\/i\u003E] by a storm. (Iyov 21:18)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=7yGi6GppbCMC\u0026amp;pg=PA219\u0026amp;lpg=PA219\u0026amp;dq=%22janb%22+etymology\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=F1Us0DvqAC\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U3V5V52OAW_NRhXJj5wRqi7c9Oc9w\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiF_cD1m7ntAhVGUhUIHQ9oB7AQ6AEwCnoECA4QAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThis book\u003C\/a\u003E goes one step further, and says that the Hebrew word for \"back\" - גב \u003Ci\u003Egav\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;also derives from the same root, because the back is \"still a half of the body.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%91.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E Klein, however, says\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ci\u003Egav \u003C\/i\u003Ecomes from a different root - גבב, meaning \"something curved.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5202010280302616274\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5202010280302616274","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5202010280302616274"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5202010280302616274"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/12\/gambit-and-ganav.html","title":"gambit and ganav"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8556014327267522062"},"published":{"$t":"2020-11-30T14:32:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-11-30T14:32:34.939+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gala and chol"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe English word \"gala\" today means \"festival, celebration.\" But it originally meant \"festive dress.\" Klein suggests an Arabic origin, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/gala\"\u003Eas mentioned here\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EKlein suggests the French word is from Italian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egala\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (as in phrase \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Evestito di gala\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"robe of state\"), perhaps from Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekhil'a\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"fine garment given as a presentation.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis garment, \u003Ci\u003Ekhila,\u003C\/i\u003E was known as a \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robe_of_honour\"\u003Erobe of honor\u003C\/a\u003E,\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=mD_Nk3tVIfMC\u0026amp;pg=PA184\u0026amp;dq=robe+of+honor+khi%27la+%22genesis%22\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjA2dTInartAhV8UBUIHfQFAmYQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Elike those given\u003C\/a\u003E to Yosef by Pharaoh (Bereshit 41:42) and to Mordechai by Achashverosh (Ester 6:10).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekhi'la,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ein turn, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=OLNE_li8C10C\u0026amp;pg=PA77\u0026amp;lpg=PA77\u0026amp;dq=arabic+khila+robe\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=JiERflwo4T\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U0HSDMejZCuNvJyXQoUq9ZFShfaXg\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqmbfXjKrtAhXHUBUIHeWBAH84ChDoATAGegQICxAC#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ederives from\u003C\/a\u003E the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ekhala'a - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to divest [oneself of one's robe].\" (It also might mean to put on the robe, and so would be an example of a contronym, a word that also means its opposite, as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/chitui.html\"\u003Ewe discussed here\u003C\/a\u003E.) Could this verb - \"to remove, to take off, to depose\" - have a cognate in Hebrew?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVery possibly. The connection may be found through a cognate:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ehalal \u003C\/i\u003E- \"permitted\" meat according to Islamic law. Just as in Hebrew, the word for permitted, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%AA%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003Emutar\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eמותר, literally means \"untied, loose,\" so too does the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ehalal\u003C\/i\u003E. (This is the opposite of \u003Ci\u003Eharam - \u003C\/i\u003E\"prohibited, sacred,\" as we showed when discussing the Hebrew cognate \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2009\/09\/cherem-and-harem.html\"\u003Echerem\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHalal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is allowed for use, and so could be defined as \"profane\" (i.e. not religiously forbidden.) In this way it is cognate with the Hebrew root חלל \u003Ci\u003Echalal\u003C\/i\u003E, and the noun \u003Ci\u003Echol \u003C\/i\u003Eחול - both meaning \"profane\" (and today \"secular.\")\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B7%D7%9C%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%9C?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein provides the following etymology\u003C\/a\u003E for that root:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAram. חֲלַל, Syr. אַחֵל (= he profaned), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eḥalla\u003C\/i\u003E (= he united, undid), \u003Ci\u003Eḥall\u003C\/i\u003E (= the profane, allowed for use).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI think that there is a likely typo in Klein here, and \u003Ci\u003Ehalla\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;should be defined as \"he untied\", not \"he united.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStahl provides a similar development, saying both the Hebrew and Arabic roots mean \"released\" - which applies to robes of honor, meat from ritual prohibition, and all things from their sacred status.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8556014327267522062\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8556014327267522062","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8556014327267522062"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8556014327267522062"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/11\/gala-and-chol.html","title":"gala and chol"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3919757265286968024"},"published":{"$t":"2020-11-22T15:28:00.003+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-11-22T15:28:35.327+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"metal and metzolah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen I was a kid, I realized that while I clearly knew what \"metal\" was, it was difficult to define.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMetal is hard? Well, so is wood. Shiny? So is glass. Hard and shiny? Well, diamonds aren't metal. Can be bent? Well, I can't bend a penny, but I can bend plastic. Metals can have different colors (gold, silver, etc.), so that can't be it. But if you put two forks in front of me, one metal and one from another material, I could easily tell them apart.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI later learned that there are scientific definitions that identify what a metal is. Certain physical characteristics weren't evident to me at that age - like how well they conduct electricity or the high melting point. And at the most basic level, metals are certain elements in the periodic table, specifically those that lose electrons easily and can therefore form metallic bonds.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven reading about the meaning of metal in chemistry and physics today, I'm not sure how much I really understand. But my early exploration into the meaning of the word then has taught me a lesson that I certainly do carry with me now - the significance of semantics. While sometimes semantics is used to indicate pettiness, it's actually rather important. It's the branch of linguistics concerned with \"meaning.\" In some ways, it's as much associated with philosophy as the study of language. We tend to think that words equal their meaning. And this can actually lead to intense debates, when one person thinks a word means one thing, and someone else thinks it means another. (Consider the debate about \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tldr\/2020\/4\/9\/21214870\/hot-dog-sandwich-debate-quiz-alignment-website\"\u003Ewhether a hot dog is a sandwich\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut not only are words generally not that precise, in many cases, they can't be. This is demonstrated by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sorites_paradox\"\u003Eparadox of the heap\u003C\/a\u003E, in which it's not possible to define how many grains of sand are in a heap (does one less make it no longer a heap?)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo while many people find themselves arguing over the meaning or usage of a word, I don't find myself pulled into those debates - even though, as an amateur linguist, I'm frequently asked to adjudicate them. I certainly fall into the \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/stancarey.wordpress.com\/2010\/02\/16\/descriptivism-vs-prescriptivism-war-is-over-if-you-want-it\/\"\u003Edescriptivist\u003C\/a\u003E\" camp, as I'm sure many readers of this site can tell. Words constantly change meaning, and so I'd much rather view the way words interact like an observer of a National Geographic nature video than someone concerned about the way things are \"supposed to be.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd maybe that understanding started back when I thought about \"metal,\" and how our understanding of that material was based much more on our perceptions than any precise definition.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow while that might make a nice introduction into the psychology of my linguistic approach, it's not really a Balashon post. So I was rather surprised, when I took a more recent look into the meaning of \"metal\", that it may have a Hebrew origin!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/metal\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E provides the following entry:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Ean undecomposable elementary substance having certain recognizable \nqualities (opacity, conductivity, plasticity, high specific gravity, \netc.), mid-13c., from Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emetal\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"metal; material, substance, stuff\" (12c.), from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emetallum\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"metal, mineral; mine, quarry,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emetallon\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/i\u003E \"metal, ore\" (senses found only in post-classical texts, via the notion\n of \"what is got by mining\"); originally \"mine, quarry-pit,\" probably a \nback-formation from \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Emetalleuein\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to mine, to quarry,\" a word of unknown origin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein (in his CEDEL) picks up the \"unknown origin\" and gives his explanation:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIt [\u003Ci\u003Emetallon \u003C\/i\u003E(= mine, quarry)] is perhaps a loan word from Hebrew \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B0%D7%A6%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Emetzolah\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eמצולה, \"depth\"... Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Emetzolah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is related to \u003Ci\u003Etzula \u003C\/i\u003Eצולה, \"ocean deep,\" and to Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Etzalal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;צלל, \"he sank.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe root \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D7%9C%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5?lang=bi\"\u003Etzalal\u003C\/a\u003E - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to sink, plunge; to settle\" also took on the sense of \"to clear, clarify.\" (I assume from the sediment sinking to the bottom of the liquid.) That gives us the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Etzalul - \u003C\/i\u003E\"clear, lucid.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt's nice to think that I can associate the Hebrew word for clarity with the English word metal, considering its meaning was anything but clear to me when I was young...\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3919757265286968024\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3919757265286968024","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3919757265286968024"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3919757265286968024"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/11\/metal-and-metzolah.html","title":"metal and metzolah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3549367329961838627"},"published":{"$t":"2020-11-15T23:28:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:07:09.380+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Pekudei"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Tetzaveh"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"bareket and emerald"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EOn the breastplate of the High Priest, were affixed twelve gemstones (Shemot 28:17-20). There is almost no mention of most of them anywhere else in the Bible, aside from the parallel passage in Shemot 39:10-13. (A portion are mentioned in Yechezkel 28:13).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of the infrequent occurrences in the Tanach, along with the gap between current scientific precision and biblical nomenclature, it is difficult to identify with certainty the gems that appear in these verses. That said, let's take a look at one of them, the third stone - the \u003Ci\u003Ebareket\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;ברקת (mentioned in Shemot 28:17).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI have found many different translations for this stone, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003Eagate, beryl, carbuncle, citrine, emerald, hyacinth, malachite, peridot,\npyrite, rock-crystal, smaragd, topaz\u003Co:p\u003E\u003C\/o:p\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd then some take either the easy way out or the more precise method (depending on your point of view), and translate it as \"bareketh.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%A7%D6%B6%D7%AA.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eetymology of \u003Ci\u003Ebareket\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;isn't much help. It likely derives from the word \u003Ci\u003Ebarak \u003C\/i\u003Eברק - \"lightning\", and so means \"flashing\" or \"sparkling\" stone.\u0026nbsp; Since gems are almost by definition shiny, all of the stones mentioned above could fit that description.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe attempts to identify the \u003Ci\u003Ebareket\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with a gemstone that we know today is based on seeing its translation in ancient translations, as well as explanations offered by midrashim and later commentaries. I won't go into all of the analysis here (to see a good summary of traditional Jewish sources, see the Living Torah commentary on the verse \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/bible.ort.org\/books\/torahd5.asp?action=displayid\u0026amp;id=2306#C1680\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI'd like to take a look at how the word \u003Ci\u003Ebareket\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;ended up in European languages, and perhaps that will help us identify the stone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, this is different from some words that entered European languages because they were borrowed as part of the Bible itself entering Europe (as I recently wrote about the words \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/author\/64450\/post\/83412\"\u003Emyrrh, aloe and cassia\u003C\/a\u003E on the 929 site.) Rather, the name of the stone itself migrated into other languages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom Hebrew (or some other cognate Semitic language, like the Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Ebarraqtu\u003C\/i\u003E), \u003Ci\u003Ebareket \u003C\/i\u003Eentered into Greek as \u003Ci\u003Esmaragdos\u003C\/i\u003E, which Latin borrowed as \u003Ci\u003Esmaragdus\u003C\/i\u003E, eventually becoming \u003Ci\u003Eesmaraldus \u003C\/i\u003Ein Medieval Latin, \u003Ci\u003Eesmeraude\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in French, and then \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/emerald\"\u003Eemerald\u003C\/a\u003E\" in English.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis might seem like a strange journey, particularly from \u003Ci\u003Ebareket\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to \u003Ci\u003Esmaragdos\u003C\/i\u003E. But as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/articles\/5666\/a-long-linguistic-chase\/\"\u003Ethis Philologos column explains\u003C\/a\u003E (along with many other interesting linguistic details about the words we've discussed here and more) it's reasonable when you look at how certain letters are exchanged in phonetic shifts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhilologos actually promotes a different theory than what I've presented here. He says that the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ebaraket \u003C\/i\u003Emay have its origin in a Sanskrit word - \u003Ci\u003Emarakata:\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBareket \u003C\/em\u003Estrikes one at first glance as being an original Hebrew word that derives, quite appropriately for a gemstone, from the verb \u003Cem\u003Ebarak, \u003C\/em\u003Eto shine or sparkle. In Akkadian, the Semitic language of ancient Babylonia, we have the cognate noun \u003Cem\u003Ebarraktu, \u003C\/em\u003Ealso\n meaning an emerald, and a similar verb. Perhaps indeed it was the \ninfluence of this verb that helped change an initial “m” into a “b” (a \ncommon shift in language, “m” being in essence a nasalized “b”), because\n scholars have known for a long time that the Akkadian word was borrowed\n from the Sanskrit \u003Cem\u003Emarakata, \u003C\/em\u003Ean “emerald” or gem of green corundum. To this day, the \u003Cem\u003Emarakata \u003C\/em\u003Eis\n one of the seven sacred stones of Hinduism, associated with the planet \nMercury and the day Tuesday, on which it is traditionally worn.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMarakata \u003C\/em\u003Eis not only the ultimate source of Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Ebareket. \u003C\/em\u003EIt is also that of Greek \u003Cem\u003Esmaragdos, \u003C\/em\u003Ewith\n which, except for the Greek’s initial “s,” it shares the same root \nconsonants. (“Like “m” and “b,” “k” and hard “g,” and “t” and “d,” are \nsimilar sounds that frequently replace each other in speech.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost of the sources I looked at, including Klein and the Online Etymology Dictionary say the Sanskrit word was borrowed from a Semitic source. (For further discussion see this \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/glikman.blogspot.com\/2015\/07\/bareqet-etymology-of-theword.html\"\u003Epage\u003C\/a\u003E). Whichever direction the word ultimately traveled (the Ben Yehuda dictionary mentions both theories, although sides with a Semitic origin), the b\/m, k\/g and t\/d replacements still work here. As far as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prothesis_(linguistics)\"\u003Eprosthetic\u003C\/a\u003E \"s\" at the beginning of \u003Ci\u003Esmaragdos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- I'm not sure. But since all explanations have Greek borrowing from a foreign language, for some reason the Greeks found a reason to add the \"s\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo we do seem to have a linguistic connection drawn between \u003Ci\u003Ebareket\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \"emerald.\" I don't think that's proof that the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emerald\"\u003Eemerald\u003C\/a\u003E as we define it today was on the High Priest's breastplate, but it's certainly possible that the ancient Greek \u003Ci\u003Esmaragdos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was similar to the stone mentioned in the Torah.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3549367329961838627\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3549367329961838627","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3549367329961838627"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3549367329961838627"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/11\/bareket-and-emerald.html","title":"bareket and emerald"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5258996933416205266"},"published":{"$t":"2020-11-09T11:05:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-11-09T11:05:56.649+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"kabarnit and cyber"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A phrase often used in eulogies (too frequently heard these days) is taken from this passage Bava Batra 91a-b:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd Rav Ḥanan bar Rava says that Rav says: On that day when our forefather Abraham left the world, the leaders of the nations of the world stood in a line, in the manner of mourners, and said: \"Woe to the world that has lost its leader, and woe to the ship that has lost its captain.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eואמר רב חנן בר רבא אמר רב אותו היום שנפטר אברהם אבינו מן העולם עמדו כל גדולי אומות העולם בשורה ואמרו אוי לו לעולם שאבד\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Eמנהיגו ואוי לה לספינה שאבד קברינטא\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe word translated here as \"captain\" is קברניט \u003Ci\u003Ekabarnit\u003C\/i\u003E. It's a post-biblical word, parallel to the biblical \u003Ci\u003Erav chovel\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;רב חובל - \"chief sailor\" (as found in Yonah 1:6). \u003Ci\u003EKabarnit\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B7%D7%91%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%A0%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%98.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eborrowed from the Greek\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ekybernetes \u003C\/i\u003E(steersman), which derives from the verb \u003Ci\u003Ekybernan \u003C\/i\u003E(to steer, guide, govern).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EFrom Greek, this same root entered Latin, where it eventually gave us the word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/govern\"\u003Egovern\u003C\/a\u003E\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Elate 13c., \"to rule with authority,\" from Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Egoverner\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"steer, be at the helm of; govern, rule, command, direct\" (11c., Modern French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egouverner\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Egubernare\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to direct, rule, guide, govern\" (source also of Spanish \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egobernar\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Italian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egovernare\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), originally \"to steer, to pilot,\" a nautical borrowing from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ekybernan\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot,\" figuratively \"to guide, govern\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EA much more recent use of the Greek root was by the Jewish American mathematician, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Norbert_Wiener\"\u003ENorbert Wiener\u003C\/a\u003E. He used it to coin the term \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cybernetics\"\u003Ecybernetics\u003C\/a\u003E\":\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"theory or study of communication and control,\" coined 1948 by U.S. mathematician Norbert Wiener (1894-1964), with -ics + Latinized form of Greek \u003Ci\u003Ekybernetes \u003C\/i\u003E\"steersman\" (metaphorically \"guide, governor\"), from \u003Ci\u003Ekybernan \u003C\/i\u003E\"to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn the 1990s, when use of the internet began spreading rapidly, the first half of cybernetics was taken as a prefix: \"cyber.\" At the time, it was used it was used to describe anything internet related, and the internet as a whole was known as \"cyberspace.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EThe broad use has declined since then, and today it is primarily used in the term \"cybersecurity\". In fact, in Israel, the use of just \"cyber\" סייבר alone refers to the field of internet and data security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5258996933416205266\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5258996933416205266","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5258996933416205266"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5258996933416205266"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/11\/kabarnit-and-cyber.html","title":"kabarnit and cyber"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-293293978923089065"},"published":{"$t":"2020-09-29T13:44:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:08:10.387+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Ki Tisa"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayishlach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"khnun and chanan"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EWhat is the origin of the Hebrew word for \"nerd\" - חנון \u003Ci\u003Ekhnun\u003C\/i\u003E?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt first glance, it might seem that \u003Ci\u003Echnun\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is related to the Hebrew word for a gifted student - מחונן \u003Ci\u003Emechonan.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;That word derives from the root \u003Ci\u003Echanan\u003C\/i\u003E חנן. \u003Ci\u003EChanan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in turn, derives from \u003Ci\u003Echen\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;חן - \"grace.\" \u003Ci\u003EChanan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can mean to act graciously or mercifully, as in the verse:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp; וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"...I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.\" (Shemot 33:19)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat meaning gives us such words as \u003Ci\u003Echanun \u003C\/i\u003Eחנון - \"merciful, gracious\" (as in the above verse);\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Echanina \u003C\/i\u003Eחנינה - \"favor\" in Biblical Hebrew (Yirmiyahu 16:13) and \"amnesty\" in modern Hebrew; and the words\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Etechina \u003C\/i\u003Eתחינה and \u003Ci\u003Etachanun \u003C\/i\u003Eתחנון, both meaning \"supplication for favor.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy extension, \u003Ci\u003Echanan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can also mean \"to grant\" in general (in a gracious sense). This is how it used in Bereshit 33:5 -\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eהַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר־חָנַן אֱלֹהִים אֶת־עַבְדֶּךָ\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\"...they are the children who God kindly granted your servant\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is also found in the fourth blessing of the weekday Amidah prayer:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Eאַתָּה חוֹנֵן לְאָדָם דַּעַת\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\"You grant man knowledge\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom here we get the word \u003Ci\u003Echinam\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;חינם - \"gratuitously, for nothing, free\", since something \u003Ci\u003Echinam \u003C\/i\u003Ewas given for nothing. And it is also where the word \u003Ci\u003Emechonan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"gifted\" comes from, since someone \"gifted\" was \"granted\" or \"endowed\" with a talent or knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut this is actually not the origin of \u003Ci\u003Ekhnun\u003C\/i\u003E. Rather, it derives from a slang term, borrowed from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=uQD2Qd-dhy0C\u0026amp;lpg=PA218\u0026amp;ots=3TKBxhzY2z\u0026amp;dq=moroccan%20arabic%20snot\u0026amp;pg=PA218#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EMoroccan Arabic\u003C\/a\u003E, sometimes spelled \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/wold.clld.org\/word\/92181432513592442-1\"\u003Exnuna\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(or \u003Ci\u003Ehnuna\u003C\/i\u003E), meaning \"nasal mucus\" (snot). A snot-nosed kid was considered,\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/idioms.thefreedictionary.com\/snot-nosed+kid\"\u003E as in English\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/culture\/136405\/a-geek-by-any-other-name-would-smell\/\"\u003Ea brat\u003C\/a\u003E, or \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/momentmag.com\/a-lesson-in-sexy-and-sexist-hebrew-slang\/\"\u003Eweak\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.makorrishon.co.il\/nrg\/online\/47\/ART2\/237\/790.html\"\u003Eteased for his condition\u003C\/a\u003E, and from there it came to mean \"nerd\" as well. Perhaps that later meaning was influenced from an association with \u003Ci\u003Emechonan\u003C\/i\u003E, but it wasn't the original derivation.\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/293293978923089065\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=293293978923089065","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/293293978923089065"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/293293978923089065"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/09\/khnun-and-chanan.html","title":"khnun and chanan"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3149858652260542691"},"published":{"$t":"2020-09-22T17:45:00.008+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:09:28.996+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Ki Tetze"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Re'eh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayetze"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayishlach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"malakh and angel"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe most common English translation for the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Emalach\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מלאך is \"angel.\" Is that a good translation?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWell, it depends. If you think the definition of angel is (only) a divine, celestial being, perhaps with wings and a robe, then no. But as we'll see, that's not really what a \u003Ci\u003Emalakh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or an angel originally meant.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Biblical Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Emalakh \u003C\/i\u003Esimply means \"messenger.\" It can either refer to a divine messenger (in 124 cases) or a human messenger (88 times). To indicate that the \u003Ci\u003Emalakh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is sent by God, the word is conjugated with a name of God. If we look at Bereshit 32:2-4, we see examples of both kinds of messengers:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eוְיַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לְדַרְכּוֹ וַיִּפְגְּעוּ־בוֹ מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים׃\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eוַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאָם מַחֲנֵה אֱלֹהִים זֶה וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא מַחֲנָיִם׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eוַיִּשְׁלַח יַעֲקֹב מַלְאָכִים לְפָנָיו אֶל־עֵשָׂו אָחִיו אַרְצָה שֵׂעִיר שְׂדֵה אֱדוֹם׃\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\"rtl\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJacob went on his way, and angels of God [\u003Ci\u003Emalakhei Elohim\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;encountered him. When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim. Jacob sent messengers [\u003Ci\u003Emalakhim\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile it is possible that Jacob sent the same angels to his brother that he encountered earlier (as Rashi writes), the plain sense of the verse is that these were human messengers (as Ibn Ezra and Radak comment.)\u0026nbsp; And there are many verses, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/I_Kings.19.2?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EMelachim I 19:2\u003C\/a\u003E, where there is no question the \u003Ci\u003Emalakhim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are human.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMalakh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;derives from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%9C%D6%B0%D7%AA%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003Eroot לאך\u003C\/a\u003E, which has cognates in other Semitic languages, and means \"to send.\" (It is not used as a verb in Hebrew, but it is used as one in Ugaritic and Arabic.) Some, like Stahl, say that לאך is related to the root הלך - \"to go, to walk.\" The root לאך is also the origin of the word \u003Ci\u003Emelacha \u003C\/i\u003Eמלאכה - \"work, labor, craft.\" There are different opinions as to the connection between \u003Ci\u003Emelacha\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and sending a messenger. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B0%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%90%D7%9B%D6%B8%D7%94.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ci\u003Emelacha \u003C\/i\u003Ecomes from the root meaning \"to send\", and therefore literally means \"mission\" (presumably of the person assigned to do the work.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOthers point to the phrase \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%97_%D7%99%D7%93\"\u003Emishlach yad\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;משלח יד, which literally means \"sending of the hand\", also means \"work\" (see for example Devarim 15:10,23:21). So perhaps if in that expression the laborers \"send their hands\" to do the work, in the parallel \u003Ci\u003Emelacha \u003C\/i\u003E(with the roots שלח and לאך being synonyms) maybe the hands are being sent as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn post-biblical Hebrew, the use of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emalakh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;began to change. It came to only mean the divine messengers, where as \u003Ci\u003Eshaliach \u003C\/i\u003Eשליח was the term used for earthly ones.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the Bible was translated into Greek, a word was needed to render \u003Ci\u003Emalakh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;into Greek. The word chosen was \u003Ci\u003Eangelos\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003EAngelos \u003C\/i\u003Ewas used to refer to both human and divine messengers, as Greek didn't have a word specifically for messengers sent by God. Later the Bible was translated into Latin as well. Latin, like Greek, didn't have a word specifically for divine messengers. So those translators used the already existing Latin \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/nuntius\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Enuntius\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for human messengers (related to \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/nuncio\"\u003Enuncio\u003C\/a\u003E\" meaning envoy), and borrowed the Greek \u003Ci\u003Eangelos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for divine ones. The word \u003Ci\u003Eangelos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;entered the European languages with this meaning as well. So this is how \u003Ci\u003Eangel\u003C\/i\u003E, in English, came to mean specifically a divine, celestial agent.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut where does the Greek word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eangelos \u003C\/i\u003Eoriginally come from? There are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/angel\"\u003Ea number of theories\u003C\/a\u003E, but Klein's is particularly interesting. He says it has Semitic roots, and is cognate with familiar Hebrew words. He writes in his CEDEL:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E...of Persian, ultimately of Semitic origin. Compare Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Eagarru\u003C\/i\u003E, 'hireling, hired laborer,' from \u003Ci\u003Eagaru, \u003C\/i\u003E'to hire', which is related to Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Eagar, eggar, \u003C\/i\u003E'he hired', (whence Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eajara,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eof same meaning), Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eiggereth, \u003C\/i\u003EAramaic \u003Ci\u003Eiggera, iggarta, \u003C\/i\u003E'letter', properly 'message.' ... The sense development of Greek \u003Ci\u003Eangelos \u003C\/i\u003E[...] from a Semitic noun meaning 'hireling,' may be illustrated by the phrases 'hireling, hired messenger, messenger.'\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe've actually discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/10\/shukran.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eagar \u003C\/i\u003Eאגר as \"to hire\" before\u003C\/a\u003E. But I didn't know then that \u003Ci\u003Eigeret \u003C\/i\u003Eאגרת - \"letter\" was related to \u003Ci\u003Eagar\u003C\/i\u003E, and I certainly didn't know it could be related to \"angel.\" Klein doesn't discuss the Persian bridge word between Greek and the Semitic languages, but Ben Yehuda does. He says that perhaps \u003Ci\u003Eigeret\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;comes from the Persian \u003Ci\u003Eangar -\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"story, narrative.\" The \"n\" in \u003Ci\u003Eangar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;could explain the \"n\" in \"angel\" as well. From there it gets a little confusing. Perhaps the Persian was borrowed from Semitic, or maybe \u003Ci\u003Eigeret\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;came straight from the Semitic \u003Ci\u003Eagar.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn any case, \u003Ci\u003Eigeret\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;certainly has Persian associations, as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/mg.alhatorah.org\/Concordance\/107\"\u003Eit appears\u003C\/a\u003E only in the books of Esther and Nechemiah (which take place in the Persian period) and in Divrei HaYamim (whose composition is also from that time.) And just like in English a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/messenger\"\u003Emessenger is one who sends a message\u003C\/a\u003E, so too in the Semitic-Persian-Greek development of the word, it's not hard to see how \u003Ci\u003Eigeret\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eangelos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are connected.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo to return to the original question - is \"angel\"\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ea good translation for \u003Ci\u003Emalakh\u003C\/i\u003E? Well, considering both the fact that it was used specifically to translate \u003Ci\u003Emalakh, \u003C\/i\u003Eand may even have roots in Semitic languages like Hebrew - I'd venture to say it's the perfect word for it!\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3149858652260542691\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3149858652260542691","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3149858652260542691"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3149858652260542691"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/09\/malakh-and-angel.html","title":"malakh and angel"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2936368986668954261"},"published":{"$t":"2020-09-14T13:32:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:10:38.841+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"noa"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Bereishit"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"lashon hara, ayin hara, and yetzer hara"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;I don't discuss grammar much here, because I don't feel confident in explaining all the intricacies of the various rules of Hebrew grammar. And usually it doesn't reflect much on my focus here - the meaning and origin of Hebrew words and phrases.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut there are times where issues of grammar affect our understanding of those phrases, and this is one of those occasions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI'd like to take a look at how the letter \u003Ci\u003Eheh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is used as a definite article. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%94%D6%BE\"\u003EThis Wikipedia page\u003C\/a\u003E gives a pretty good summary:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIn traditional grammar, Hebrew common nouns have three “states”: \u003Ci\u003Eindefinite\u003C\/i\u003E (corresponding to English “a(n)\/some __”), \u003Ci\u003Edefinite\u003C\/i\u003E (corresponding to English “the __”), and \u003Ci\u003Econstruct\u003C\/i\u003E (corresponding to English “a(n)\/some\/the __ of”). Therefore, the definite article was traditionally considered to be an actual \u003Ci\u003Epart\u003C\/i\u003E\n of the definite noun. In modern colloquial use, the definite article is\n often taken as a clitic, attaching to a noun but not actually part of \nit. For example, the Hebrew term for \u003Ci\u003Eschool\u003C\/i\u003E is \u003Cspan class=\"Hebr mention\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eבֵּית־סֵפֶר\u003C\/span\u003E‎ \u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E(\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-tr tr Latn\" lang=\"he-Latn\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebeit séfer\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-double-quote\"\u003E“\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss\"\u003Ehouse-of book\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-double-quote\"\u003E”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E; so in traditional grammar, “the school” is \u003Cspan class=\"Hebr mention\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eבֵּית־הַסֵּפֶר\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E(\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-tr tr Latn\" lang=\"he-Latn\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebeit-haséfer\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-double-quote\"\u003E“\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss\"\u003Ehouse-of-the-book\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-double-quote\"\u003E”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E, but in modern colloquial speech, it is often \u003Cspan class=\"Hebr mention\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eהַבֵּית־סֵפֶר\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E(\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-tr tr Latn\" lang=\"he-Latn\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehabeit-séfer\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-double-quote\"\u003E“\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss\"\u003Ethe-house-of-book\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-double-quote\"\u003E”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E(More details and examples can be found \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/hebrew\/the-definite-article-prefix-hey-hayedia\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpeakers of a language generally absorb the rules of grammar, even if they can't explicitly explain them. So with an understanding of the rules above, Hebrew speakers usually can figure out what do with two words in one phrase.\u0026nbsp; If there are two nouns, like \u003Ci\u003Ebayit\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Esefer\u003C\/i\u003E, without the definite article, the phrase is \u003Ci\u003Ebeit sefer\u003C\/i\u003E, and with the definite article, the phrase is \u003Ci\u003Ebeit hasefer.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf there is a noun and an adjective, however, the \u003Ci\u003Eheh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears twice. So \"a big house\" is \u003Ci\u003Ebayit gadol\u003C\/i\u003E, but \"the big house\" is \u003Ci\u003Ehabayit hagadol.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Again, these are intuitive rules to anyone accustomed to speaking Hebrew.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut sometimes our familiarity with these rules doesn't work to our favor, and can lead to a phenomenon called \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hypercorrection\"\u003Ehypercorrection\u003C\/a\u003E, where we apply rules where they don't belong, and actually use the language incorrectly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the case with three familiar Hebrew phrases: \u003Ci\u003Elashon hara \u003C\/i\u003Eלשון הרע\u003Ci\u003E, ayin hara \u003C\/i\u003Eעין הרע\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eyetzer hara \u003C\/i\u003Eיצר הרע\u003Ci\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first source of confusion is the word \u003Ci\u003Era. \u003C\/i\u003EMeaning \"evil\" or \"bad\", it can be either a noun or an adjective. But as we saw above, the only time the \u003Ci\u003Eheh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears only before the second word in a phrase, is when they're both nouns. So I found frequent cases, where authors said that \u003Ci\u003Elashon hara\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"literally means the tongue of evil\" or \u003Ci\u003Eayin hara \u003C\/i\u003E\"literally means the eye of evil.\" This is supported further by the fact that \u003Ci\u003Eayin \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Elashon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are assumed to have the feminine gender, so if \u003Ci\u003Era \u003C\/i\u003Ewas an adjective, it would be \u003Ci\u003Ehara'ah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;הרעה.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile those phrases are still generally translated as \"the evil tongue\" and \"the evil eye\" (as well as \"the evil inclination\" for \u003Ci\u003Eyetzer hara\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003Ci\u003E - \u003C\/i\u003Ethere is a subtle difference between \u003Ci\u003Era\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;being a noun or an adjective in these phrases, especially since they are phrases loaded with religious meaning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn these cases, \u003Ci\u003Era \u003C\/i\u003Eactually is an adjective, not a noun. As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/LashonHaRa.pdf\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E by the Hebrew Language Academy points out, while it's not common, there are noun-adjective phrases with \u003Ci\u003Eheh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;only preceding the adjective. For example, in Bereshit 1:31, we find the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eyom hashishi\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;יום השישי - \"the sixth day\", and not \u003Ci\u003Ehayom hashishi. \u003C\/i\u003EIn post-biblical Hebrew, we find the phrase כנסת הגדולה \u003Ci\u003Eknesset hagedola - \u003C\/i\u003E\"the great assembly\", and not \u003Ci\u003Ehaknesset hagedola\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while \u003Ci\u003Eayin \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Elashon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are generally feminine nouns, there are case where they are male, as in Eicha 4:4, Zecharia 4:14 and Tehilim 11:4. So there is no need to hypercorrect, and we can still translate the phrases as \"the evil eye\", \"the evil tongue\", and \"the evil inclination.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd while we're here, let's take a quick look at the origin of each of the phrases:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELashon hara\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003C\/i\u003EThis term refers to malicious speech or slander. In Biblical Hebrew, the word for someone speaking this way is \u003Ci\u003Erechil\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;רכיל, which provided the noun \u003Ci\u003Erechilut\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;רכילות. In Rabbinic Hebrew, the phrase \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lashon_hara\"\u003Elashon hara\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was introduced (based on a related phrase in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Psalms.34.14?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003ETehilim 34:14\u003C\/a\u003E), and distinctions were made in Jewish law between \u003Ci\u003Erechilut \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Elashon hara.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EAyin hara: \u003C\/i\u003EThis phrase appears in the mishna, for example Avot 2:11\u0026nbsp;עַיִן הָרָע, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע, וְשִׂנְאַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם - \"the evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world.\" According to Safrai (on Avot), this likely refers to jealousy. It has a parallel the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eayin ra'ah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in an earlier mishna (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pirkei_Avot.2.9?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EAvot 2:9\u003C\/a\u003E), along with the opposite - \u003Ci\u003Eayin tova. \u003C\/i\u003EIn that case, the phrases are referring to a generous or stingy person (as explained in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pirkei_Avot.5.13?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EAvot 5:13\u003C\/a\u003E, and based on related phrases in Devarim 15:9; 28:54,56). One who is stingy with his own possessions is likely to be jealous of the possessions of others. Only later, in the Amoraic period (for example Berachot 20a) did \u003Ci\u003Eayin hara\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;come to be associated with an external, even magic, curse - \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Evil_eye#In_Judaism\"\u003Ethe evil eye.\u003C\/a\u003E\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EYetzer hara: \u003C\/i\u003EThis phrase, the \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yetzer_hara\"\u003Eevil inclination\u003C\/a\u003E\", originates in Bereshit 6:5 and 8:21 -\u0026nbsp;יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע‎, \u003Ci\u003Eyetzer lev-ha-adam ra\u003C\/i\u003E - \"the inclination of man's heart was evil.\"\u0026nbsp; In parallel, rabbinic texts also mention the \u003Ci\u003Eyetzer hatov - \u003C\/i\u003E\"the good inclination\", which motivates people to do good. This is certainly a more optimistic approach than the fatalistic conclusion that we are only inclined to evil. The mishna (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Berakhot.9?lang=bi\"\u003EBerachot 4:9\u003C\/a\u003E) rules that we must serve God with both of our inclinations - the good and the evil.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2936368986668954261\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2936368986668954261","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2936368986668954261"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2936368986668954261"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/09\/lashon-hara-ayin-hara-and-yetzer-hara.html","title":"lashon hara, ayin hara, and yetzer hara"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5801215655790924982"},"published":{"$t":"2020-09-06T18:34:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:50:04.919+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Ki Tavo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Re'eh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vaetchanan"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Yitro"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"segula, segel and mesugal"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Way back \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/rekhesh.html\"\u003Ein 2006\u003C\/a\u003E, I mentioned briefly the etymology of \u003Ci\u003Esegulah\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E סגולה - \"property\" is related to the Akkadian word \u003Ci\u003Esugullu\u003C\/i\u003E - herd of cattle\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/08\/sagol.html\"\u003Efew months later\u003C\/a\u003E, I pointed out that \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is not related to \u003Ci\u003Esegol \u003C\/i\u003Eסגול - \"violet, purple\" (for a more in depth discussion see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/.premium-word-of-the-day-segalgal-1.5254038\"\u003EElon Gilad's article here\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;deserves much more attention. It's a word with a fascinating history, that has led to many different meanings. Let's take a look.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuch of what I'll be discussing here is based on an article (in Hebrew) by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org\/kaddari-menachem-zevi\"\u003EM.Z Kaddari\u003C\/a\u003E, in his book \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/he\/books\/NNL_ALEPH001729829\/NLI\"\u003EThe Medieval Heritage of Modern Hebrew Usage\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(Dvir, 1970). Here's a section of the English abstract which summarizes his extensive discussion Hebrew about \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EAn instructive instance in the dialects of emotional connotation is the word \u003Ci\u003Esegula. \u003C\/i\u003EIn Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew, this word was an emotional one ('valued property', 'peculiar treasure'); however, it seems to occur as a pure concept word also ('treasure', 'fortune'). This emotional change happens similarly in the language of the Piyyutim (Liturgical Poetry) and in Medieval Hebrew. Later on in Middle Hebrew, influenced by Arabic, the word designated 'characteristic feature' too, without any emotional overtone (the former emotional overtone had disappeared). But it had been used in special environments (designating objects endowed with the power of recovery); consequently, an emotional secondary meaning had developed in it ('magic quality'), which has survived up to our days in some vernacular usages. However, due to the last generations's alienation from misbeliefs, sometimes this renewed emotional meaning of \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has been suppressed: hence the word is used simply as a term of 'character,' 'quality'. In Modern Hebrew, we find \u003Ci\u003Esegula \u003C\/i\u003Ein both meanings: the general and literary languages have its notional meaning ('quality'), while the substandard vernacular (influenced by the Musar and Hasidic literature, and by Yiddish) keeps carrying its emotional meaning ('magic quality').\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI can't transcribe all 14 pages here of his Hebrew essay, but I'll try to summarize the main developments of the word.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAs I mentioned in my original post, \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meant \"herd of cattle\" in Akkadian, and that probably was the original meaning in Hebrew as well.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFrom there, the word came to mean \"property\". As I pointed out in my \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/rekhesh.html\"\u003E2006 post\u003C\/a\u003E, the development from cattle to property can also be found in the Hebrew words \u003Ci\u003Erechesh \u003C\/i\u003Eרכש, \u003Ci\u003Ekinyan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קנין, and \u003Ci\u003Eneches\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;נכס. It is used with this meaning in Kohelet 2:8 and Divrei HaYamim I 29:3.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn the Torah, Israel is described as God's \u003Ci\u003Esegula \u003C\/i\u003E(Shemot 19:5; Devarim 7:6, 14:2, 26:18). While it clearly indicates a close relationship between God and Israel, ultimately it indicates that the nation is His property -\u0026nbsp; a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Suzerainty\"\u003Esuzerainty\u003C\/a\u003E. In the biblical context, \u003Ci\u003Esegula \u003C\/i\u003Edoes not imply any inherent advantages or positive traits. (Shemot 19:5 is noteworthy in this regard, because the nation becoming God's \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is dependent on following the laws.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn Rabbinic Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;continues to mean \"property.\" This is where we first find the verb סיגל \u003Ci\u003Esigel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- meaning \"to acquire property\" and \u003Ci\u003Emesugal \u003C\/i\u003Eמסוגל - \"belonging to.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOnce the verb \u003Ci\u003Esigel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;became widely used, \u003Ci\u003Esegula \u003C\/i\u003Ewas understood to be its gerund, so it also took on the meaning \"what one acquires for oneself\" - i.e. treasure.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis sense of \"treasure\" was expanded beyond the sense of property, and came to mean something \"dear\" to someone. So a person could also be a \u003Ci\u003Esegula \u003C\/i\u003Eto someone else.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn the \u003Ci\u003Epiyuttim\u003C\/i\u003E, a number of these meanings were combined, and so Israel is described as a \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"dear treasured nation\" or \"dear possession.\" The piyyutim literally had \"poetic license,\" and they created new words and grammatical structures. So they created the new word \u003Ci\u003Esegel\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;סגל, synonymous with \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E. As Yaakov Etsion discusses \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.safa-ivrit.org\/writers\/etsion\/segel.php\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, one of the phrases found in a Rosh Hashana piyyut is \u003Ci\u003Esegel chavura\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eסֶגֶל חֲבוּרָה. The phrase literally means that Israel is an \"association of \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E, a treasured group\" The author flipped the \u003Ci\u003Esemichut\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(construct form), as Etsion describes. This phrase was used in other contexts as a fancy, poetic expression. But over time, it was assumed to have \"normal\" \u003Ci\u003Esemichut\u003C\/i\u003E, and eventually the \u003Ci\u003Echavura \u003C\/i\u003Ewas dropped. Today, as a result, \u003Ci\u003Esegel \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"corps, cadre, senior staff\" in Modern Hebrew.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIn Medieval Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;came to mean something of great importance, and particularly something \"select, chosen.\" This is how it is used in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etzion.org.il\/en\/shiur-29-chosenness\"\u003Ethe writings of Yehuda Halevi\u003C\/a\u003E, for example. (Much of these Medieval uses are borrowed from parallel phrases in Arabic, which I won't go into here.)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis led to a distinction between the masses and special people, who became known as \u003Ci\u003Eyechidei segula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;יחידי סגולה.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFollowing its Arabic parallels, \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;also came to mean \"characteristic feature.\" This goes back to its early meaning of \"property.\" The same phenomenon can be found in words in English (deriving from Latin), like \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/peculiar\"\u003Epeculiar\u003C\/a\u003E\" which means \"belonging exclusively to one person; special, particular\", but derived from a word meaning \"private property\", and even further back - \"cattle.\" The English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/search?q=property\"\u003Eproperty\u003C\/a\u003E\" also means both \"possession, thing owned\" and \"nature, quality.\" We find this use of \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the translations of Rambam's Arabic writings into Hebrew.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EOver time, \u003Ci\u003Esegula\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;didn't just mean \"characteristic\" but specifically a \"positive\" characteristic. (Think of how in English, we tell someone to \"behave\", but we mean \"behave well.\") It specifically became attributed to the positive attributes plants and other objects had in providing healing and health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThis association with medicine and the natural world, eventually expanded to the supernatural and the magical. A \u003Ci\u003E\"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Segula_(Kabbalah)\"\u003Esegula\u003C\/a\u003E\", \u003C\/i\u003Ein this context, is a kind of charm or ritual, that would bring good fortune or protect from harm.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAs Kaddari mentioned above, as the Jewish world became more secularized, the belief in magical \u003Ci\u003Esegulot\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;faded, but the word remained. Just as a \u003Ci\u003Esegula \u003C\/i\u003Ehad magical abilities, once stripped of that belief, it just became an ability. And this was particularly found in the verbal. If a person is מסוגל\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emesugal, \u003C\/i\u003Ehe is able or capable (of performing an action). And in the \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael \u003C\/i\u003Eform, הסתגל, means \"to adapt oneself\" and \u003Ci\u003Ehistaglut \u003C\/i\u003Eהסתגלות is \"adaptation, acclimation.\"\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor me, watching a word develop that way is simply beautiful. That simple root has followed the speakers of Hebrew since antiquity, always adapting to the where the nation was at the time. Truly an \u003Ci\u003Eam segula\u003C\/i\u003E!\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5801215655790924982\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5801215655790924982","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5801215655790924982"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5801215655790924982"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/09\/segula-segel-and-mesugal.html","title":"segula, segel and mesugal"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3778517568791227991"},"published":{"$t":"2020-09-01T17:47:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:13:10.920+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Mishpatim"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"baal habayit and boss"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;The English word \"boss\" is so common, I would never had assumed it had a possible connection to Hebrew. It likely entered into English from Dutch, but its earlier etymology is unclear:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the entry from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/boss\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"overseer, one who employs or oversees workers,\" 1640s, American English, from Dutch \u003Ci\u003Ebaas \u003C\/i\u003E\"a master,\" Middle Dutch \u003Ci\u003Ebaes\u003C\/i\u003E, of obscure origin. If original sense was \"uncle,\" perhaps it is related to Old High German \u003Ci\u003Ebasa \u003C\/i\u003E\"aunt,\" but some sources discount this theory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/boss\"\u003EWiktionary entry\u003C\/a\u003E for \"boss\" suggests a connection to \u003Ci\u003Ebasa\u003C\/i\u003E, but as the source above mentions (as does Klein in his CEDEL), that theory is debatable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne possibility is that Dutch borrowed \"boss\" from the Yiddish \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/balebos\"\u003Ebalebos\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, which is derived from the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eba'al habayit \u003C\/i\u003Eבעל הבית. \u003Ci\u003EBaal habayit\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is found a few times in the Tanach (Shemot 22:7, Shoftim 19:22, and Melachim I 17:17), and then extensively in Rabbinic Hebrew. It has a number of meanings in that literature, including the literal \"master of the house\" or \"owner of the house\", and can also be understood as \"landowner\" or \"property owner.\" Ben Yehuda points out that it is often used in distinction to someone else - i.e. not a guest, a poor person, a worker, etc. (For an extensive discussion of the meaning in Tannaitic literature, see \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=4XvnDwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA123\u0026amp;dq=%22ba%27al+habayit%22\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiAwKanisjrAhVD0uAKHXMODYgQ6AEwAHoECAQQAg#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThe Independent Farmer (\u003Ci\u003EBa'al Habayit\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/a\u003E\" in\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003ESocial Stratification of the Jewish Population of Roman Palestine in the Period of the Mishnah, 70–250 CE\u003C\/i\u003E, Ben Zion Rosenfeld, Haim Perlmutter.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn later times, \u003Ci\u003Ebaal habayit\u003C\/i\u003E, and the adjective \u003Ci\u003Ebaalbati \u003C\/i\u003Eבעלבתי, came to mean \"bourgeois, provincial.\" That was one of the senses adopted into Yiddish - a \u003Ci\u003Ebalebos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is an \"important man\" (and the woman of the house is the \u003Ci\u003Ebalabuste.\u003C\/i\u003E) This could be the sense borrowed by the Dutch which later became \"boss.\" (On the other hand, a \u003Ci\u003Ebalebos\u003C\/i\u003E, as compared to a rabbi, is just a layman or congregant. It seems that it's always a relative term, understood best by what it's compared to.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI haven't seen conclusive proof to the Yiddish origin theory. It is mentioned in \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=a50qAQAAIAAJ\u0026amp;dq=editions%3AISBN0498074986\u0026amp;focus=searchwithinvolume\u0026amp;q=boss\"\u003EThe Taste of Yiddish\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E by Lillian Feinsilver, and discussed in the \"Mendele: Yiddish literature and language\" discussion group \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20060908201630\/http:\/\/shakti.trincoll.edu\/~mendele\/vol14\/vol14038.txt\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20060908202013\/http:\/\/shakti.trincoll.edu\/~mendele\/vol14\/vol14042.txt\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. (An \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.lib.cet.ac.il\/pages\/item.asp?item=3694\"\u003Ealternate theory\u003C\/a\u003E, that \"boss\" entered from Yiddish directly into American English, isn't convincing, since as mentioned above, the word is found in English already in the 17th century.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut it certainly shouldn't be discounted too quickly. Plenty of Dutch words are borrowed from Yiddish, as discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/culture\/140080\/doubling-dutch\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and many examples are found \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Category:Dutch_terms_derived_from_Yiddish\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. Could \u003Ci\u003Ebaas\u003C\/i\u003E\/boss be one of them? I suppose you'll need to ask a professional linguist. I'm just a \u003Ci\u003Ebalebos...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3778517568791227991\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3778517568791227991","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3778517568791227991"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3778517568791227991"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/09\/baal-habayit-and-boss.html","title":"baal habayit and boss"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7250513104388452645"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-23T16:11:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:14:19.088+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Chukat"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Ki Tavo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Mishpatim"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayigash"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ba'ar, bi'er and be'ir"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A reader asked about the origin of the biblical word \u003Ci\u003Ebe'ir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בעיר, meaning \"cattle\" or \"domesticated animals.\" Let's take a look.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt appears only six times in the Tanach: Bereshit 45:17; Shemot 22:4; Bamidbar 20:4,8,11, and Tehilim 78:48. In each case it refers to animals owned by humans. One verse in particular (Shemot 22:4) can perhaps shed light on where the word comes from:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eכִּי יַבְעֶר־אִישׁ שָׂדֶה אוֹ־כֶרֶם וְשִׁלַּח אֶת־בעירה [בְּעִירוֹ] וּבִעֵר בִּשְׂדֵה אַחֵר מֵיטַב שָׂדֵהוּ וּמֵיטַב כַּרְמוֹ יְשַׁלֵּם׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWhen a man lets his livestock loose to graze in another’s land, and so allows a field or a vineyard to be grazed bare, he must make restitution for the impairment\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E of that field or vineyard.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBe'ir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is translated here as \"livestock.\" But in addition to \u003Ci\u003Ebe'ir\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;we also have the verb בער \u003Ci\u003Ebi'er\u003C\/i\u003E, rendered here as \"graze.\" In and of itself, that's not so surprising - animals do graze, and verbs and nouns are often related. The question is did the noun \u003Ci\u003Ebe'ir \u003C\/i\u003Ecome from the verb בער, or did the verb provide us with the noun?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I haven't found a conclusive answer to that question. Some sources say that the noun is the source (like \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%A2%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E), others say the verb is the source (like \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tyndalearchive.com\/TABS\/Gesenius\/ppages\/GeseniusP33981.gif\"\u003EGesenius\u003C\/a\u003E), and a surprising number aren't really sure (BDB, Ben Yehuda, Kaddari.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne thing that is clear is that the verb בער has more than one meaning. In fact, another meaning is found in the very next verse!\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eכִּי־תֵצֵא אֵשׁ וּמָצְאָה קֹצִים וְנֶאֱכַל גָּדִישׁ אוֹ הַקָּמָה אוֹ הַשָּׂדֶה שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם הַמַּבְעִר אֶת־הַבְּעֵרָה׃\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWhen a fire is started and spreads to thorns, so that stacked, standing, or growing\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E grain is consumed, he who started the fire must make restitution. (Shemot 22:5)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIn this verse, בער means \"to start a fire,\" and we also find the noun \u003Ci\u003Eb'erah \u003C\/i\u003Eבערה - \"burning, fire.\" The verbs in each verse have very different meanings (aside from some \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=_q43AAAAIAAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA88\u0026amp;lpg=PA88\u0026amp;dq=%22%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D+%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%93+%D7%92%D7%91%D7%A8%22\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=mEiIvyTACN\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U3K_UcQmvxYTtirZcqVYlX3AH-_aw\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjt3Pexi7HrAhWHDxQKHWN6AO8Q6AEwAXoECAEQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eancient Aramaic translations\u003C\/a\u003E suggest that 22:4 is also \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/23593042?seq=1\"\u003Etalking about fire, not grazing\u003C\/a\u003E). And as Cassuto put it in his commentary on Shemot, \"there is clearly noticeable here a word-play in the use of the verb בער \u003Ci\u003Eba'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in two different senses ['graze' and 'burn'] and in its proximity to the substantive בעיר \u003Ci\u003Ebe'ir \u003C\/i\u003E['cattle', 'beast'].\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EWe've discussed the the possibility of biblical word play before, most famously in my post about \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2008\/10\/ish-and-isha.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eish \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2008\/10\/ish-and-isha.html\"\u003Eisha\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;But while that theory is subject to some controversy, these two verses make it very clear that the Torah is willing to use two words in proximity, with similar spellings but different meanings, even though it might lead to some confusion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe verb בער has a number of meanings aside from \"burn\" (or \"kindle, light\") and \"graze.\" It can also mean \"to remove, eliminate, destroy.\" Which meaning is used in the phrase \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chametz#Removal_of_chametz\"\u003Ebi'ur chametz\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;ביעור חמץ? Is it the removal of chametz from the home before Pesach, or the burning of that chametz? At first glance it would seem that this is the source of the debate in the mishna:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין בִּעוּר חָמֵץ אֶלָּא שְׂרֵפָה. \nוַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אַף מְפָרֵר וְזוֹרֶה לָרוּחַ אוֹ מַטִּיל לַיָּם:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; Rabbi Judah says: there is no removal of chametz except by \nburning; But the sages say: he may also crumble it and throw it to the \nwind or cast it into the sea. (Pesachim 2:1)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EHowever, the halacha is that the chametz can be removed by any method, and the commentaries say that the disagreement between Rabbi Judah and the Sages is only about the ideal method to destroy the chametz. And while the Torah doesn't mention \u003Ci\u003Ebi'ur\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in connection with chametz, it does mention removing the consecrated\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ema'aser\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;food by using the verb בער (Devarim 26:13-14). In that case, it clearly means \"removal\", not \"burning.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAs I mentioned above, the linguists aren't certain about the origins and connections between the various meanings of בער. One possible line that runs between all of them is the sense of \"consume,\" which could apply to both the grazing of animals and the burning of fire, and then be extended metaphorically to all removal or destruction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOne other meaning of בער is \"to be brutish or foolish.\" This is actually related to the words we just discussed. It comes from \u003Ci\u003Ebe'ir\u003C\/i\u003E, and so would literally mean \"to act like an animal.\" The adjective \u003Ci\u003Eba'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בַּֽעַר means \"foolish, ignorant.\" As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/culture\/12172\/a-bur-in-the-talmudist-s-side-00897\/\"\u003EPhilologos points out here\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Eba'ar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is unrelated to both the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ebur\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בור - \"ignoramus\" (connected to \u003Ci\u003Ebar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בר, which we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2011\/09\/bar.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) and the English \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/boor\"\u003Eboor\u003C\/a\u003E\" (which also aren't related to each other.)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7250513104388452645\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7250513104388452645","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7250513104388452645"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7250513104388452645"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/08\/baar-bier-and-beir.html","title":"ba'ar, bi'er and be'ir"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3767806090014040146"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-17T15:31:00.004+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:15:08.529+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Shelach"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Shemot"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"kash and kashish"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;A reader asked if there was a connection between the verb קשש - \"to gather\", and \u003Ci\u003Ekashish\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קשיש - \"elderly.\"\u0026nbsp; I didn't think it was likely, but according to Klein's etymologies, they are related.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B4%D7%A9%D6%BC%D7%81%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%A8?lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%A9%D7%81_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5\u0026amp;lang2=bi\u0026amp;p3=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%A9%D7%81_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5\u0026amp;lang3=bi\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that the root קשש means \"to gather, assemble (especially straw or stubble.)\" We find this root in the story of the מקושש עצים \u003Ci\u003Emekoshesh etzim - \u003C\/i\u003E\"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etzion.org.il\/en\/stick-gatherer\"\u003Ethe stick gatherer\u003C\/a\u003E\" (Bamidbar 15:32-36), as well as the description of the Israelite slaves \"gathering stubble [\u003Ci\u003Ekash]\u003C\/i\u003E for straw [\u003Ci\u003Eteven\u003C\/i\u003E]\"\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;לְקֹשֵׁשׁ קַשׁ לַתֶּבֶן (Shemot 5:12).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein provides this etymology:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003ERelated to Syriac קַשׁ, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqashsha\u003C\/i\u003E (= he collected, gathered). The original meaning probably was ‘to become dry’. Compare. Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqashsha\u003C\/i\u003E in the sense ‘became dry, dried up, shriveled up, withered’.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe writes that this is the root of \u003Ci\u003Ekash \u003C\/i\u003Eקש - \"straw.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;In modern Hebrew, as in English, \u003Ci\u003Ekash\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;refers to both straw as \"dried stalks of grain\" and \"a thin, hollow tube for drinking.\" The latter (the drinking straw), however, is often called a \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2019\/11\/14\/%D7%A7%D7%A9-%D7%90%D7%95-%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%A4%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%93%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%AA-%D6%BE%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%AA\/\"\u003Ekashit\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קשית.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlein then goes on to say that the root קשש can also mean \"to grow old\", and comes from the earlier sense \"to become dry, wither, fade.\" This gives us the word \u003Ci\u003Ekashish -\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\"old, elderly.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBen-Yehuda, however, says that perhaps \u003Ci\u003Ekashish\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;comes from the root קשה \u003Ci\u003Ekasheh - \u003C\/i\u003E\"hard.\" So instead of an elderly person being like someone who has withered and faded, this \u003Ci\u003Ekashish \u003C\/i\u003Ehas been hardened, and strengthened, by the challenges of life. This is also the approach of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B7%D7%A9%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%81%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%81?lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E, who brings support from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Shabbat.53a.13?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Commentary\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EShabbat 53a\u003C\/a\u003E, where it says that animals can go out into the public domain on Shabbat with \"splints\" \u003Ci\u003Ekeshishin. \u003C\/i\u003EThese splints were meant to straighten the fracture, to make it stiff (\u003Ci\u003Ekasheh\u003C\/i\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut \u003Ci\u003Ekashish \u003C\/i\u003Eitself doesn't actually mean \"elderly\" in its first appearances in Rabbinic Hebrew, just \"older.\" So an older brother is referred to as \u003Ci\u003Ekashish\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Targum to Melachim I 2:22) even though he wasn't older.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut in today's Hebrew it doesn't have that meaning, and \"older than\" is usually \u003Ci\u003Emevugar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מבוגר. And \u003Ci\u003Ekashish\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is specifically someone elderly. (This is similar to the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/senior\"\u003Esenior\u003C\/a\u003E,\" which first meant \"older\" and then \"elderly.\") But even though \u003Ci\u003Ekashish\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means elderly today, each of us, as we get older, can decide whether that will mean \"withering away\" or \"becoming strengthened.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3767806090014040146\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3767806090014040146","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3767806090014040146"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3767806090014040146"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/08\/kash-and-kashish.html","title":"kash and kashish"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5739363141464806663"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-10T10:44:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-08-10T10:44:30.879+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"chasmal and amber"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Hebrew word for \"electricity\" is \u003Ci\u003Echashmal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;חשמל. That is originally a biblical word, only appearing three times (all in the book of Yechezkel). Certainly at that time it didn't mean electricity. So how did the modern meaning come about?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are the three verses:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן־הַצָּפוֹן עָנָן גָּדוֹל וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EI looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north—a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of amber. (1:4)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוָאֵרֶא  כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ בֵּית־לָהּ סָבִיב מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָעְלָה וּמִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה רָאִיתִי כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EFrom what appeared as his loins up, I saw a gleam as of amber—\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Ewhat looked like a fire encased in a frame; and from what appeared as his loins down, I saw what looked like fire. There was a radiance all about him. (1:27)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוָאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה דְמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה אֵשׁ וּמִמָּתְנָיו וּלְמַעְלָה כְּמַרְאֵה־זֹהַר כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַלָה׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EAs I looked, there was a figure that had the appearance of fire:\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E from what appeared as his loins down, [he was] fire; and from his loins up, his appearance was resplendent and had the color of amber. (8:2)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EIn all three of these verses the word \u003Ci\u003Ehashmal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is translated as \"amber.\" This is based on the ancient Greek translation, the Septuagint, which used the Greek word \u003Ci\u003Eelektron\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"amber.\" This tradition is in contrast to one found in the Talmud (Hagiga 13a-b), which says that \u003Ci\u003Echashmal \u003C\/i\u003Eis a kind of angel. In any case, since the visions are described as being \"like\" \u003Ci\u003Echashmal \u003C\/i\u003Eor having the color of \u003Ci\u003Echashmal, \u003C\/i\u003Ewe can't conclusively say what it was from these verses, although it was likely something particularly radiant. The Akkadian cognate, \u003Ci\u003Eelmesu\u003C\/i\u003E, according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1602801142\/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1602801142\u0026amp;linkId=3ba09415ade616d4fedafda368adc11a\"\u003ETawil\u003C\/a\u003E, refers to a \"precious stone with the characteristic sparkle and brilliancy of fire.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EElektron\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electrum\"\u003Eelectrum\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Ein Latin) referred to an alloy of gold and silver. The same word was also used to refer to amber (the tree resin), because of the similar color. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CWk0qCrdA00\"\u003ERubbing amber gives an electrical charge\u003C\/a\u003E, and so when the phenomenon of electricity was defined, the scientists turned to the Greek and Latin terms for amber to coin the word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/electric\"\u003Eelectric\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EThe Hebrew poet \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Judah_Leib_Gordon\"\u003EJudah Leib Gordon\u003C\/a\u003E followed the same logic around 1880, when \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/onthemainline.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/what-does-chashmal-mean.html\"\u003Ehe suggested to use \u003Ci\u003Echashmal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to refer to electricity\u003C\/a\u003E as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EDue to the rabbinic association of \u003Ci\u003Echashmal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with angels, and the esoteric nature of Yechezkel's prophecy, there were many who opposed this secular use of \u003Ci\u003Echashmal\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp; (An alternate suggestion at the time was \u003Ci\u003Ebazak -\u003C\/i\u003Eבזק \"lightning.\")\u0026nbsp;But as we've discovered many times over the years, language has a power of its own, and \u003Ci\u003Echashmal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is universally used in Hebrew today to refer to electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EAnd if you're curious, modern Hebrew has a different word to refer to \"amber\" - ענבר \u003Ci\u003Einbar.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;This word is borrowed from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eanbar, \u003C\/i\u003Eas is the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/amber\"\u003Eamber\u003C\/a\u003E.\" (However, as discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2020\/01\/23\/%d7%a2%d7%a0%d7%91%d7%9c-%d7%95%d7%a2%d7%a0%d7%91%d7%a8\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, it first entered Hebrew via European languages, and was spelled אמברא or אמבער, and only later began to be spelled ענבר to match the original Arabic.)\u0026nbsp; The etymology of \u003Ci\u003Eanbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forum.wordreference.com\/threads\/amber.3318610\/\"\u003Eunclear\u003C\/a\u003E. Some say that the Arabic word comes from Persian, and others say that the similar Persian word comes from Arabic. \u003Ci\u003EInbar \u003C\/i\u003Eis primarily heard today as a girl's name. It was in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ynet.co.il\/articles\/0,7340,L-4480477,00.html\"\u003Etop 50 girls names\u003C\/a\u003E in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so as of this writing, you're most likely to find it used by women around 30 years old.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5739363141464806663\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5739363141464806663","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5739363141464806663"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5739363141464806663"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/08\/chasmal-and-amber.html","title":"chasmal and amber"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8123193734830029500"},"published":{"$t":"2020-08-02T21:10:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:16:36.546+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Re'eh"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayechi"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"almanac and menucha"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There are a lot of theories as to the origin of the word \"almanac.\" Here's what the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/almanac\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E has to say:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003Elate 14c., \"book of permanent tables of astronomical data,\" attested in Anglo-Latin from mid-13c., via Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ealmanach\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eor directly from Medieval Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ealmanachus\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\n a word of uncertain origin and the subject of much speculation. The \nLatin word is often said to be ultimately from Arabic somehow, but an \nexact phonological and semantic fit is wanting: OED connects it to a \nsupposed Spanish-Arabic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eal-manakh\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"calendar, almanac,\" which is possibly ultimately from Late Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ealmenichiakon\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"calendar,\" which itself is said to be of Coptic origin. But the author of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ia601709.us.archive.org\/18\/items\/EnglishWordsThatAreOfArabicEtymologicalAncestry\/English-words-that-are-of-Arabic-etymological-ancestry.htm#cite_note-165\" target=\"\" title=\"\u0026lt;span data-offset-key=\u0026quot;bfv0g-0-0\u0026quot; style=\u0026quot;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: initial;\u0026quot;\u0026gt;\u0026lt;span data-text=\u0026quot;true\u0026quot; style=\u0026quot;-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: initial;\u0026quot;\u0026gt;English words of Arabic Ancestry\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;\/span\u0026gt;\"\u003EEnglish words of Arabic Ancestry\u003C\/a\u003E\n makes a detailed case \u0026nbsp;\"that the word almanac was pseudo-Arabic and was\n generated within the circle of astronomers in Paris in the mid 13th \ncentury.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThose are all interesting suggestions, but one not mentioned in that entry allows for a connection to a Hebrew word. Stahl mentions a theory that does in his \u003Ci\u003EBilingual Etymological Dictionary of Spoken Israeli Arabic and Hebrew\u003C\/i\u003E, and it also appears in other sources, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=728Q-hLxaD0C\u0026amp;lpg=PT50\u0026amp;ots=YBghl70TZw\u0026amp;dq=almanac%20etymology%20where%20camels%20kneel\u0026amp;pg=PT50#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethis\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/nativeenglishspain.blogspot.com\/2013\/02\/word-for-day-almanac.html\"\u003Ethis\u003C\/a\u003E. He points out that in Arabic \u003Ci\u003Emanakh \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"weather, climate\" and derives from a word meaning \"where the camels kneel and rest.\" That place was a camp, and for nomadic tribes, it took on the sense of a permanent settlement. This sense of permanence, became associated with other constant or expected things - in this case, the weather. And so an almanac was a book which included certain astronomical predictions (like the times of sunrise and sunset), dates for holidays, and meteorological forecasts.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThis Arabic root - either via\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Enakha, \u003C\/i\u003E\"kneel\" or \u003Ci\u003Emanakh, \u003C\/i\u003E\"camp\" - is cognate with the Hebrew word root נוח meaning \"to rest.\" That root gives us the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emenucha \u003C\/i\u003Eמנוחה. In Modern Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Emenucha\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means the condition of \"rest, respite\" or \"calm, serenity.\" But in the Bible, it generally (perhaps always) means a resting \u003Cu\u003Eplace\u003C\/u\u003E. In many verses it is synonymous with \u003Ci\u003Enachala \u003C\/i\u003Eנחלה - \"inheritance\", as in Devarim 12:9 where both refer to the Land of Israel:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003Eכִּי לֹא־בָּאתֶם עַד־עָתָּה אֶל־הַמְּנוּחָה וְאֶל־הַנַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר־ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"TEXT\"\u003ENow you have not yet come to the resting place [\u003Ci\u003Emenukha\u003C\/i\u003E]\u0026nbsp;and hereditary land that God your Lord is giving you.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EAnother verse with the same meaning is Bereshit 49:15, which compares \u003Ci\u003Emenucha\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to \u003Ci\u003Earetz \u003C\/i\u003E(land):\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E...וַיַּרְא מְנֻחָה כִּי טוֹב וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ כִּי נָעֵמָה\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EBut he sees that the resting place [\u003Ci\u003Emenucha\u003C\/i\u003E] is good, and that the land is pleasant...\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EIn this way, \u003Ci\u003Emenucha\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is similar to the word \u003Ci\u003Emeluna \u003C\/i\u003Eמלונה - \"lodge\" (and related to the word \u003Ci\u003Emalon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מלון - \"inn\"), which derives from the root לון - \"to lodge, to pass the night.\" \u003Ci\u003EMeluna \u003C\/i\u003Eis clearly a place, and so too \u003Ci\u003Emenucha \u003C\/i\u003Emeans a resting place.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003EOf course, it's easy to conflate a resting place and a state of rest, and so there are some verses where it's not clear which meaning is intended. In the end, just as the Arabian nomads appreciated the chance to let their camels kneel and rest, so to did the nomadic tribes of Israel appreciate the chance to stop wandering and settle in their homeland. The resting place \u003Cu\u003Ecaused\u003C\/u\u003E\u0026nbsp;a state of rest.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8123193734830029500\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8123193734830029500","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8123193734830029500"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8123193734830029500"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/08\/almanac-and-menucha.html","title":"almanac and menucha"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3457061951759660377"},"published":{"$t":"2020-07-26T19:49:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:17:05.937+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayetze"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"beged and begidah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A number of readers have written to ask about a connection between \u003Ci\u003Ebeged\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;בגד - \"garment\" and \u003Ci\u003Ebegida \u003C\/i\u003Eבגידה - \"betrayal.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EBegida\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;derives from the root בגד - \"to betray,\" which is spelled the same as \u003Ci\u003Ebeged.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D7%92%D7%93_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E provides a connection in his entry for the root בגד:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EProbably denominated from בֶּגֶד (= clothing, garment) and literally meaning ‘to cover with, or as with, a garment’, ‘to conceal’. For sense development compare מעל (= to act unfaithfully, to behave treacherously), which probably derives from מְעִיל (= upper garment, coat); compare also Arab. \u003Ci\u003Elabisa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he put on a dress, clothed, dressed), and \u003Ci\u003Elabasa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he disguised, he confused), \u003Ci\u003Elabbasa\u003C\/i\u003E (= tangle, confusion).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn addition to Klein's mention of \u003Ci\u003Emeil \u003C\/i\u003Eמעיל - \"coat\" and \u003Ci\u003Eme'ilah \u003C\/i\u003Eמעילה - \"treachery, embezzlement\", I would also add \u003Ci\u003Ebad \u003C\/i\u003Eבד- \"linen\" and \u003Ci\u003Ebadah \u003C\/i\u003Eבדה - \"to lie, concoct.\" In fact, English also has that same pairing in fabric and fabricate, and the two meanings of \"cloak\" (a kind of garment and \"to hide, conceal.\")\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd previously, we've \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/12\/chalifa-and-california.html\"\u003Ediscussed one more\u003C\/a\u003E: the root חלף - \"to change\" gives us\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Echalifa\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;חליפה - \"change of clothes, suit of clothes\", and that verb is also associated with deception (see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Genesis.31.7?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EBereshit 31:7\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe common thread to all of these is that clothing covers us up, and that cover up can be a source of deception and falsehood. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tora.co.il\/parasha\/meat\/vayigash_71.doc\"\u003EAnother theory\u003C\/a\u003E says that like the \"change\" of clothes, deceit is considered temporary and unreliable (certainly to the victim), whereas truth is permanent and faithful.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3457061951759660377\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3457061951759660377","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3457061951759660377"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3457061951759660377"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/07\/beged-and-begidah.html","title":"beged and begidah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7634418487883653911"},"published":{"$t":"2020-06-21T19:39:00.008+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-06-22T12:05:30.549+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"baba ghanoush"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EOver the past few months, I've been primarily using questions I received by\n  email as inspiration for my posts here. While the volume of mail I get\n  prevents me from responding to everyone, I do appreciate the messages you\n  send. They often send me on quests that I wouldn't have thought to\n  investigate on my own, so they are a benefit to all of us.\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EToday I got to the earliest post in my inbox. I'm a little embarrassed to\n    say that it is actually from 2008. Here's the question, from the inimitable\n    \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/benjilovitt.com\/\"\u003EBenji Lovitt\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBalashon,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EQuestion:\u0026nbsp; this one I'm dying to figure out.\u0026nbsp; Only a few\n        years ago did I realize that \"babaganush\" was not Hebrew or even an\n        Israeli name.\u0026nbsp; Americans think it's Israeli, Israelis have no idea\n        what we're talking about.\u0026nbsp; What in the hell is this word and where\n        did it come from?\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAny ideas?\u0026nbsp; : )\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThanks,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBenji\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIt's important to note that none of the other questions in the queue were\n    anywhere near that old. I think I must have kept it there because I didn't\n    have an answer then that had a connection to Hebrew etymology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWell, now I do.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ETo answer the first question, it's true that \u003Ci\u003Ebaba ghanoush\u003C\/i\u003E isn't a\n    Hebrew word (or technically a Hebrew phrase). It comes from Arabic, and it refers to\n    an eggplant salad that is similar, but not identical with the common\n    eggplant salad found in Israel. Here's how the\n    \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baba_ghanoush\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ebaba ghanoush\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Wikipedia entry\u003C\/a\u003E\n    describes the two:\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBaba ghanoush\u003C\/i\u003E, also spelled \u003Ci\u003Ebaba ganoush\u003C\/i\u003E or\n      \u003Ci\u003Ebaba ghanouj\u003C\/i\u003E,is a Levantine appetizer of mashed cooked eggplant\n      mixed with tahini (made from sesame seeds), olive oil, possibly lemon\n      juice, and various seasonings. [...] The traditional preparation method is\n      for the eggplant to be baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling\n      [...] In Israel, it is also known as \u003Ci\u003Esalat ḥatzilim\u003C\/i\u003E. Unlike\n      \u003Ci\u003Ebaba ghanoush \u003C\/i\u003E[however], it is made with fried or grilled eggplants mixed\n      with mayonnaise, salt, lemon and chopped fried onions.\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESo Americans - likely ones who've visited Israel - conflate the baba\n    ghanoush they find in their supermarkets with the \u003Ci\u003Esalat chatzilim \u003C\/i\u003Eסלט\n    חצילים they tasted here. That is the source of the confusion (and the fact\n    that the Israeli brand\n    \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.strauss-group.com\/brand\/sabra\/\"\u003ESabra\u003C\/a\u003E calls their\n    eggplant spread in English \"babaganoush\" doesn't help either.)\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ENow what about the second question - where does the word come from?\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThere are a number of theories out there. Most agree that the word\n    \u003Ci\u003Ebaba \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"father\" and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eghanoush \u003C\/i\u003Emeans something like\n    \"pampered\" or \"flirtatious.\" This leads to the following suggested\n    etymologies:\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\n      \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/dondarijc.wordpress.com\/2013\/09\/08\/babaganoush-the-celebration-of-the-eggplant\/\"\u003EThis site\u003C\/a\u003E\n        quotes the Oxford English Dictionary as saying that it was named\n        “perhaps with reference to its supposed invention by a member of a royal\n        harem\" - the sultan being the \"pampered daddy.\" Although since we're\n        talking about a harem, it could be referring to a \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.thefreedictionary.com\/baba+ghanouj\"\u003Eflirtatious papa\u003C\/a\u003E\" or \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/baba_ganoush\"\u003Efather of coquetry\u003C\/a\u003E\" as these sites suggest.\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\n      \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymologynerd.com\/blog\/pampered-father\"\u003EThe Etymology Nerd\u003C\/a\u003E\n        gives two possibilities:\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\n        \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EOne is similar to the previous idea, saying that it was \"invented by a concubine in one of the historical sultans' harems for\n          her master.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\n        \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAnother idea references \"the old folk tale about a toothless father\n            who had to be fed premasticated food, something that no doubt looked\n            like eggplant puree.\"\n            \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/feastinthemiddleeast.wordpress.com\/2017\/11\/29\/baba-ghanoush-a-story-of-love\/\"\u003EThis site\u003C\/a\u003E\n            has a similar theory, saying the dish was from a loving daughter to\n            her pampered father (although she said the eggplants were mashed,\n            not \"premasticated.\")\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\n      \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0470391308\/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0470391308\u0026amp;linkId=720e9caa854e38b740609728538abd37\"\u003EThe Encyclopedia of Jewish Food\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;says that perhaps the \"father\" wasn't a person, but the\n          eggplant itself, \"which is considered the most important (big daddy)\n          of vegetables.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESo now we've discussed the origin of the phrase, but as I mentioned\n        earlier, I waited 12 years until I found a connection to a Hebrew word.\n        The cognate word is \u003Ci\u003Eoneg \u003C\/i\u003Eעונג - \"exquisite delight, pleasure\" (as well as the practically\n        synonymous \u003Ci\u003Eta'anug \u003C\/i\u003Eתענוג).\u0026nbsp;Klein, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A2%D7%A0%D7%92?lang=bi\"\u003Ediscussing the root of \u003Ci\u003Eoneg\u003C\/i\u003E, ענג\u003C\/a\u003E, writes that it is cognate with \"Arab. \u003Ci\u003E‘anija\u003C\/i\u003E\n        (= he was coquettish, was amorous).\"\u0026nbsp; The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=TyJBBDlqdfwC\u0026amp;pg=PA212\u0026amp;lpg=PA212\u0026amp;dq=oneg+etymology\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=VPun3JgwOM\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U3UiggDXcd5Ppy8iDp_ZvXQIIwASA\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiZyfGctvfpAhUNYxoKHSFvAaMQ6AEwBXoECAgQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=oneg%20etymology\u0026amp;f=false\" style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003ETheological Dictionary of the Old Testament\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003E\n        concurs,\u0026nbsp;writing that the cognate Arabic verb means \"adorn oneself,\n        flirt\" and occasionally also \"pamper, be ingratiating.\" So to be a\n        little closer to that Arabic origin, the spelling\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ebaba ghanouj\u003C\/i\u003E\n        is a little better (and it helps to remember that Arabic has a\n        hard\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/12\/ayin.html\"\u003Eayin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;that sounds like a \"g\", giving us Gaza for עזה \u003Ci\u003EAza\u003C\/i\u003E. So an\n        \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%91%D7%90%D7%91%D7%90_%D7%92%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9\"\u003Eaccurate Hebrew spelling\u003C\/a\u003E\n        would be\u0026nbsp;באבא ע'נוג'.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe association of eggplants with culinary delight began in earnest\n        during the \"austerity\" period at the founding of the State of Israel.\n        Eggplants became a common meat substitute, and remained very popular\n        even when meat became available again.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EHowever, some prefer a vegetarian lifestyle for ideological, not\n        economic, reasons. One of those, was\n        \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shlomo_Goren\"\u003ERabbi Shlomo Goren\u003C\/a\u003E, who served as the chief rabbi of the IDF and later chief rabbi of\n        Israel. In the 1980s, he visited Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi, which is a major\n        processed meat manufacturer and also breeds fish. I spent time on Tirat\n        Tzvi in the early 1990s, and have the book \u003Ci\u003EDmut V'Koma\u003C\/i\u003E, by\n        resident Efraim Yair, who describes Rabbi Goren's visit:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"letter-spacing: 0.32px;\"\u003EThe truth is, that the Shabbat meal on Tirat Tzvi is quite full, with\n          meat and fish, and other delights [as mentioned in the shabbat song,\n          \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.zemirotdatabase.org\/view_song.php?id=9\"\u003EMah Yedidut\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E],\n          \u003Ci\u003El'hit'aneg b'ta'anugim, barburim u'slav v'dagim\u003C\/i\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eלְהִתְעַנֵּג בְּתַעֲנוּגִים בַּרְבּוּרִים וּשְׂלָו וְדָגִים \"to savor\n        the delights of fowl, quail and fish\" ... [But in the family of Rabbi\n        Goren] they instead sang\n        \u003Ci\u003El'hitaneg b'ta'anugim, chatzilim v'kishuim\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;להתענג בתענוגים\n        חצילים וקישואים \"to savor the delights of eggplant and\n        zucchini\"...\u003C\/span\u003E\n    \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESo we can see that the connection between \u003Ci\u003Eta'anug\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\n      \u003Ci\u003Ebaba ghanouj\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;runs deep.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EHope this answers your question, Benji!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7634418487883653911\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7634418487883653911","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7634418487883653911"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7634418487883653911"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/06\/baba-ghanoush.html","title":"baba ghanoush"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5606244083703028412"},"published":{"$t":"2020-06-15T18:06:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-12-28T11:58:11.741+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"directions"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"darom"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've written about many of the words for directions in Hebrew, but I realized I never wrote about \u003Ci\u003Edarom \u003C\/i\u003Eדרום - \"south.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EDarom\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears in the bible 17 times. That's less than its synonyms \u003Ci\u003Enegev \/ negba \u003C\/i\u003Eנגב \/ נגבה, which appear around 50 times and תימן \u003Ci\u003Eteiman \u003C\/i\u003E(24 times), but more than ימין \u003Ci\u003Eyamin\u003C\/i\u003E, which although appears 139 times, but only 8 of those mean \"south\" (the rest mean \"right\").\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nWe discussed \u003Ci\u003Eyamin \/ teiman\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/12\/yamin.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, and the origin of \u003Ci\u003Enegev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is fairly straightforward. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%91?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that it comes from the root נגב meaning \"to be dry\", so it literally means \"the dry land\" (which makes sense looking at the Negev desert in the south of Israel. But regarding \u003Ci\u003Edarom\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%93%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9D.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein says\u003C\/a\u003E that it is \"of uncertain origin.\" Are there any theories we can discuss?\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe one serious suggestion I found for the origin of \u003Ci\u003Edarom\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is by Gesenius. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tyndalearchive.com\/TABS\/Gesenius\/ppages\/GeseniusP53770.gif\"\u003EHe suggests\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that it comes from a root, דרר, \"unused as a verb.\" This root, as explained in the BDB, means \"to stream, flow abundantly.\" This meaning is found also in the Arabic cognate \u003Ci\u003Edarra - \u003C\/i\u003E\"it ran swiftly.\" This gives us the word \u003Ci\u003Edror\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;דרור, which has three meanings: \"sparrow\" (since the bird flies quickly), flowing (found in the phrase מר-דרור - \"fine flowing myrrh\"), and \"freedom, liberty\" (which the BDB says is like \"free run.\")\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAnother related word is דהר \u003Ci\u003Edahar - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to gallop\". It originally referred specifically to horses, but is also now used metaphorically to describe anyone hurrying or going fast.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAnd as I mentioned, it also is suggested as the origin of \u003Ci\u003Edarom\u003C\/i\u003E. From \"flow\" it also is said to have the meaning \"to give light, shine\", presumably from the way light flows. \u003Ci\u003EDar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;דר\u0026nbsp; (Esther 1:6) means \"pearl\" - a shiny stone.\u0026nbsp;So too\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edarom, \u003C\/i\u003Eaccording to Gesenius, means \"the bright region\", which makes sense, since in the Northern Hemisphere the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Southern_exposure_(terminology)\"\u003Esouthern exposure\u003C\/a\u003E gets more sunlight,\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/home.howstuffworks.com\/real-estate\/buying-home\/southern-exposure.htm\"\u003E due to the tilt of the earth's axis\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThis also fits our explanation of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/07\/tzafon.html\"\u003Etzafon\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eצפון - \"north\" as the \"hidden or dark region.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe English word \"south\" has a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/south\"\u003Esimilar etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\nOld English \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Esuð\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"southward, to the south, southern, in the south,\" from Proto-Germanic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Esunthaz\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, perhaps literally \"sun-side\" (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esuth\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"southward, in the south,\" Middle Dutch \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esuut\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Dutch \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ezuid\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, German \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESüden\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), and related to base of \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Esunnon\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"sun\" (from PIE root *\u003Ci\u003Esawel\u003C\/i\u003E- \"the sun\").\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nI would not be surprised if this was the case in other languages as well, but probably only those in the Northern Hemisphere.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5606244083703028412\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5606244083703028412","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5606244083703028412"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5606244083703028412"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/06\/darom.html","title":"darom"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8228178883698322498"},"published":{"$t":"2020-06-10T13:54:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-06-10T13:54:40.498+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"shechinah and scene"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shekhinah\"\u003EHebrew word for the Divine Presence\u003C\/a\u003E is \u003Ci\u003Eshechinah \u003C\/i\u003Eשכינה.\u0026nbsp; It derives from the root שכן, meaning \"to dwell, settle down,\" so the \u003Ci\u003Eshekinah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is literally \"the dwelling place (of God).\" That same root gives us the words \u003Ci\u003Eshachen\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שכן - \"neighbor\", \u003Ci\u003Eshechuna \u003C\/i\u003Eשכונה - \"neighborhood\",\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emishkan \u003C\/i\u003Eמשכן - \"tabernacle, sanctuary\", and \u003Ci\u003Emaskhanta \u003C\/i\u003Eמשכנתא - \"mortgage\" (from \u003Ci\u003Emishkon \u003C\/i\u003Eמשכון - \"pledge\", since a pledge or deposit was \"set down.\")\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%9B%D7%9F?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that the root is the \u003Ci\u003EShaph'el \u003C\/i\u003Eform of the root כון - \"to be, set up, be established.\" In \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2008\/04\/ken.html\"\u003Ethis post\u003C\/a\u003E we discussed that earlier root, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2010\/12\/misken-sakana-and-sochen.html\"\u003Ewe also discussed here\u003C\/a\u003E a possible connection between שכן and the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Esochen \u003C\/i\u003Eסוכן - \"steward, agent.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut I realized that there was one additional connection that I did not discuss. Nicholas Oster, in his book\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca data-amzn-asin=\"0060935723\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Empires-Word-Language-History-World\/dp\/0060935723?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;link_code=btl\u0026amp;camp=213689\u0026amp;creative=392969\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EEmpires of the Word - A Language History of the World\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(which I've recommended \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/12\/agape.html\"\u003Ebefore\u003C\/a\u003E) quotes the scholar C. F. D. Moule, who writes \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=ajX85SJjrkUC\u0026amp;lpg=PP1\u0026amp;pg=PA186#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E that the Greek \u003Ci\u003Eskēnḗ\u003C\/i\u003E - \"tent\" may have been influenced by the Hebrew root שכן meaning \"dwelling.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ENow that doesn't mean that this is a direct etymology. The \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/scene\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E provides a different derivation:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote style=\"border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003Erelated to \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eskia\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"shadow, shade,\" via notion of \"something that gives shade\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBut that doesn't contradict Moule's theory. He writes of \"Greek words whose use, or at least frequency, may have been suggested by a certain (perhaps fortuitous) similarity of sound or spelling to certain Semitic words.\" That certainly could be the case here, and we've discussed many times how this has worked in the other direction - some modern Hebrew words were adopted because of the similarity of sound to foreign words (even if they have ancient Hebrew roots - take \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/07\/kesem.html\"\u003Emaksim\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מקסים meaning \"great\" and influenced by \"maximum\" as just one example.)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAs the same OED entry quoted above mentions, the Greek \u003Ci\u003Eskene\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;gave us the English word \"scene\":\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\"subdivision of an act of a play,\" also \"stage-setting,\" from Middle French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Escène\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(14c.), from Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Escaena\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Escena\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"scene, stage of a theater,\" from Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Eskene\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"wooden stage for actors,\" also \"that which is represented on stage,\" originally \"tent or booth\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EScene has expanded its meaning beyond just the acts of play, and can now mean \"a place or representation of an incident\" or \"a specified area of activity or interest.\" Those meanings aren't actually so far away from our understanding of \u003Ci\u003Eshechina...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"mention-gloss-paren annotation-paren\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8228178883698322498\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8228178883698322498","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8228178883698322498"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8228178883698322498"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/06\/shechinah-and-scene.html","title":"shechinah and scene"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3234525194274772122"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-24T20:20:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:19:37.145+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Korach"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayechi"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"shevet and matteh"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There are two Hebrew words that are very similar: \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שבט and \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp; מטה.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThey both have the same two non-synonymous meanings: stick (or staff) and tribe. And they both appear in parallel in Biblical Hebrew. How is that so?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ELet's first take a look at the etymologies. The origins of \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are actually very different, which contributes to the mystery.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShevet \u003C\/i\u003Ecomes from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%91%D7%98?lang=bi\"\u003Ea root meaning \"to strike.\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp; It has cognates in other Semitic languages, including the Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Eshabatu \u003C\/i\u003E(= to beat, kill, destroy). That, according to Klein, is the root of the Hebrew month of Shevat - literally the \"month of destroying rain.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMatteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;comes from the root נטה meaning \"to stretch out\" or \"to bend down.\" That root also gives us such words as \u003Ci\u003Emita \u003C\/i\u003Eמיטה - \"bed\" and \u003Ci\u003Emata \u003C\/i\u003Eמטה - \"down\" (as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/01\/mat.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.) Perhaps this is either how a stick or branch stretches out (or comes down) from a tree, or because a stick or a staff is brought down on the ground when walking or pointing.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAs I mentioned, both appear in Biblical Hebrew. While they each appear more frequently in some books than others, they do appear in the same books, and sometimes even in the same verse, such as this one:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוְגַם אֶת־אַחֶיךָ מַטֵּה לֵוִי שֵׁבֶט אָבִיךָ הַקְרֵב אִתָּךְ וְיִלָּווּ עָלֶיךָ וִישָׁרְתוּךָ וְאַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל הָעֵדֻת׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EYou [Aharon] shall also associate with yourself your kinsmen the tribe [\u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E] of Levi, your ancestral [literally father's] tribe [\u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E], to be attached to you and to minister to you, while you and your sons under your charge are before the Tent of the Pact. (Bamidbar 18:2)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn his JPS commentary here, Milgrom writes that \"synonyms are used to avoid monotonous repetition.\" But he adds, referring to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/1454048?read-now=1\u0026amp;refreqid=excelsior:6db5c031a6fffe8201d09366cd0462fd\u0026amp;seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents\"\u003Ethis more detailed article of his\u003C\/a\u003E, that \u003Ci\u003Ematteh \u003C\/i\u003Eis more precise (referring specifically to one of the 12 tribes), whereas \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can be also a smaller group (like in this verse, Aharon's father's family) or to the entire nation of Israel (like in Tehilim 74:2).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EHow did these two words with distinct origins come to mean both stick and tribe? And why did \"stick\" develop into \"tribe\" (twice)?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThere are a number of theories:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESome say that between \"stick\" and \"tribe\" the term meant \"scepter.\" (The Hebrew word for scepter - \u003Ci\u003Esharvit\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שרביט - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D6%B7%D7%81%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%98?lang=bi\"\u003Emay have derived\u003C\/a\u003E from \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as well.)\u0026nbsp;That symbol of leadership became associated with the leader of the tribe itself, and then to the tribe he led. This intermediate stage is found in Bereshit 49:10, for example. Based on how he presents the order of the definitions of \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E, I think this is Kaddari's approach. Since he presents that development for \u003Ci\u003Eshevet, \u003C\/i\u003Eand not for \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E, perhaps he holds that \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was influenced by \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in that regard. (For more detail about how the meanings of the words developed, see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24354804?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents\"\u003Ethis Hebrew article\u003C\/a\u003E by\u0026nbsp;Athalya Brenner. She finds the \"missing link\" of \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;referring to the actual leader, but that link is not found with \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EStahl has a similar approach, and points out that the the \u003Ci\u003Eshevet \u003C\/i\u003Eas a scepter signified the leader's power to beat and punish, which connects back to the etymology of the root.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBen Yehuda says that \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(as stick) became \"tribe\" in the way a branch splits off from the main part of a tree. In the same way multiple tribes would be divisions of a single nation.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERadak takes a different approach. He says that the \"original\" word was \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E. He writes that one leans (relies) on a \u003Ci\u003Ematteh \u003C\/i\u003E(as implied by the root of the word), and both \u003Ci\u003Eshevet \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as \"tribe\" refer to something you can rely upon. Perhaps he means that in tribal group everyone helps one another.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGesenius combines some of the above approaches, saying that \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;came to be tribe from the authority of the scepter, and \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;represents the branching out (as Ben Yehuda wrote about \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E). I suppose he viewed the developments of \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;as parallel, but independent.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EBefore researching this, I thought that there was a parallel development in English, with the word \"staff\" meaning both \"stick\" and \"group (of people employed by an organization.) But that was a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/staff\"\u003Every late entry into English\u003C\/a\u003E, first appearing only in 1702. It originally had a specifically military sense, as it came \"from the notion of the 'baton' that is a badge of office or authority.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe early Zionist leader and Hebrew linguist\u0026nbsp;Nahum Sokolow adopted this meaning of staff as a group of military officers, and adopted the word \u003Ci\u003Ematteh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for that purpose. So today, the commander in chief of the Israeli army is the \u003Ci\u003Erosh hamatteh haklali \u003C\/i\u003Eראש המטה הכללי - \"the Chief of the General Staff\" (frequently abbreviated to רמטכ\"ל Ramatkal.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd while in Modern Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ematteh \u003C\/i\u003Ehas a primarily military connotation, \u003Ci\u003Eshevet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has much more of a civilian tone, used either for groups in youth movements, or to represent an ethnic or large family group (sometimes in a derogatorily way, similar to the English \"tribal.\")\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs I've said before, Hebrew just can't handle synonyms...\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3234525194274772122\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3234525194274772122","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3234525194274772122"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3234525194274772122"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/05\/shevet-and-matteh.html","title":"shevet and matteh"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3318181713306109729"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-17T13:55:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:51:38.396+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayeshev"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"yom huledet"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Hebrew phrase for \"birthday\" is יום הולדת \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet. \u003C\/i\u003EWhile it's certainly a familiar phrase, it's actually kind of a strange construct. \u003Ci\u003EHuledet \u003C\/i\u003Eis the \u003Ci\u003Ehufal \u003C\/i\u003E(passive and causative) form. Why not use the simpler יום הלידה \u003Ci\u003Eyom haleida - \u003C\/i\u003E\"day of birth\"?\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe phrase \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears three times in the Bible. The first is in Bereshit 40:20 after Yosef deciphered the dreams of his servants (the other two are in Yechezkel 16:4,5). Here is how the phrase appears in Bereshit:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eוַיְהִי  בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי יוֹם הֻלֶּדֶת אֶת־פַּרְעֹה וַיַּעַשׂ מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל־עֲבָדָיו וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ  שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים וְאֶת־רֹאשׁ שַׂר הָאֹפִים בְּתוֹךְ עֲבָדָיו׃ \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003EOn the third day—his birthday [\u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet\u003C\/i\u003E]—Pharaoh made a banquet for all his officials, and he singled out\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E his chief cupbearer and his chief baker from among his officials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOn this verse, Rashi asks our question above, and mentions the other occurrences of\u0026nbsp; \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eיום הלדת את פרעה.\u003C\/b\u003E יוֹם לֵידָתוֹ, וְקוֹרִין לוֹ יוֹם גֵּינוּסְיָא. וּלְשׁוֹן הֻלֶּדֶת, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הַוָּלָד נוֹצָר אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁהַחַיָּה מְיַלֶּדֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה, וְעַל כֵּן הַחַיָּה נִקְרֵאת מְיַלֶּדֶת, וְכֵן וּמוֹלְדוֹתַיִךְ בְּיוֹם הוּלֶּדֶת אוֹתָךְ (\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" href=\"\/Ezekiel.16\"\u003Eיחזקאל ט\"ז\u003C\/a\u003E) וְכֵן אַחֲרֵי הֻכַּבֵּס אֶת הַנֶּגַע (\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" href=\"\/Leviticus.13\"\u003Eויקרא י\"ג\u003C\/a\u003E), שֶׁכִּבּוּסוֹ עַל יְדֵי אֲחֵרִים: \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003Eיום הלדת את פרעה HIS (PHARAOH’S) BIRTHDAY. It is called (\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" href=\"\/Avodah_Zarah.10a\"\u003EAvodah Zarah 10a\u003C\/a\u003E) “The birthday festival”. The causative passive form (הלדת) is used because the infant is born only by the assistance of others, for the midwife delivers the woman. On this account a midwife is called מילדת a Piel form “one who brings to birth”. This passive form occurs similarly (\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" href=\"\/Ezekiel.16.4\"\u003EEzekiel 16:4\u003C\/a\u003E) “And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born (הולדת אתך)”. A similar passive form is used in (\u003Ca class=\"refLink\" href=\"\/Leviticus.13.55\"\u003ELeviticus 13:55\u003C\/a\u003E) “after the plague (הכבס) is washed away”, because the washing is done by others).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn other words, a better translation for \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;would be \"the day [he] was delivered\" instead of \"birthday,\" even though both phrases refer to the same date. (An alternate suggestion, by Radak and Rabbeinu Bachye, is that this was the day a son was born to Pharaoh.) This can also help us understand why the phrase is \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet et paro\u003C\/i\u003E, where Pharaoh is the object of the phrase, instead of \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet paro\u003C\/i\u003E, which is how we would say it today. Pharaoh was the object - he was delivered on that day. According to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.biu.ac.il\/JH\/Parasha\/eng\/vayeshev\/ros.html\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E, the verse describes the historical record of\u0026nbsp; \"a\nceremony at which the Pharaoh was \u003Cu\u003Eborn again\u003C\/u\u003E as far as Egyptian protocol\nwas concerned.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo this usage could explain why \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet \u003C\/i\u003Eis the phrase we use for \"birthday.\" However, there are other phrases used to describe birthdays in the Bible:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp; כְּיוֹם הִוָּלְדָהּ \u003Ci\u003Ek'yom hivalda - \u003C\/i\u003E\"as on the day she was born\" (Hoshea 2:5)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ - \u003Ci\u003Em'yom hivaldo - \u003C\/i\u003E\"than the day of his birth\" (Kohelet 7:1)\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd in the mishna (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Mishnah_Avodah_Zarah.1?lang=bi\"\u003EAvoda Zara 1:3\u003C\/a\u003E), we find \u003Ci\u003Eyom haleida \u003C\/i\u003Eיום הלידה.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo why didn't any of the above become the standard term for \"birthday\"?\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EI couldn't find an proven answer to this question. However, it seems that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/3322-birthday\"\u003Ebirthdays weren't a big deal in Judaism until recently\u003C\/a\u003E. And so there wasn't need for a standard Hebrew phrase for the concept. I didn't find \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;mentioned in Rabbinic sources that weren't discussing the verses in Bereshit or Yechezkel until relatively recently.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWe can see the trends even better, by looking at this chart of appearances of the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet \u003C\/i\u003E(with both spellings) in Hebrew books over the last few centuries:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"500\" hspace=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" name=\"ngram_chart\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/ngrams\/interactive_chart?content=%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D+%D7%94%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%AA%2C%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D+%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%AA\u0026amp;case_insensitive=on\u0026amp;year_start=1500\u0026amp;year_end=2008\u0026amp;corpus=24\u0026amp;smoothing=3\u0026amp;share=\u0026amp;direct_url=t1%3B%2C%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D%20%D7%94%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%AA%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2C%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D%20%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%93%D7%AA%3B%2Cc0\" vspace=\"0\" width=\"700\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe usage (of the full spelling) really starts spiking around the 1960s. I assume that most of the earlier occurrences were discussing the biblical examples.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut as we saw, there were other choices - \u003Ci\u003Eyom hivaldo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Eyom haleida\u003C\/i\u003E. Why not them? My guess is that people were very familiar with the \u003Ci\u003Eyom huledet \u003C\/i\u003Eof Pharaoh, due to the weekly Torah reading. And although Rashi gives it a slightly different explanation than \"day of birth,\" that wasn't enough to prevent it from becoming the popular phrase.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3318181713306109729\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3318181713306109729","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3318181713306109729"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3318181713306109729"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/05\/yom-huledet.html","title":"yom huledet"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3824513399326383662"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-11T20:25:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-11T20:25:58.468+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"po and kan"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u0026nbsp;Is there any difference between the two Hebrew words for \"here\" - \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;פה and \u003Ci\u003Ekan \u003C\/i\u003Eכאן?\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThey originate in different strata of Hebrew. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D6%B9%D6%BC%D7%94.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is of biblical origin\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;starts appearing in Rabbinic Hebrew. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%90%D7%9F?lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D6%B9%D6%BC%D7%94.1\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003EIt derives\u003C\/a\u003E from a Biblical word, \u003Ci\u003Eko\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;כה, which means \"so, thus\" and can also mean \"here.\")\u0026nbsp; They each are part of words meaning \"where\" - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2019\/12\/03\/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%94%D7%99%D7%9B%D7%9F-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%9F-%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F\/\"\u003Ethe biblical \u003Ci\u003Eeifo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;איפה and the rabbinic \u003Ci\u003Eheikhan \u003C\/i\u003Eהיכן\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhat about the meanings? They both mean \"here\" and are often viewed as complete synonyms, even being the most popular example of two Hebrew words with the same meaning, and define each other in dictionaries. While in English having two synonymous words might not be remarkable, as we \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/tzedek-and-tzedaka.html\"\u003Epointed out recently\u003C\/a\u003E, \"Hebrew has a hard time hanging on to synonyms.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAnd yet, a closer look does show differences in uses, even though the translation to the English \"here\" remains in place. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=sdZBAAAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA298\u0026amp;lpg=PA298\u0026amp;dq=here+po+kan+hebrew\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=OEqAmaVY18\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U1Oup6U6zuMTBIHXhbsm7kYxbeD5Q\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjfqrfth6zpAhUuy4UKHaGUB5MQ6AEwBXoECAgQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThis book\u003C\/a\u003E does a good job of capturing those differences:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThere is, however, a very basic semantic distinction between \u003Ci\u003Epo \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Ekan \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich — in my experience — most people take for granted but immediately recognize when it is pointed out to them. The word \u003Ci\u003Epo \u003C\/i\u003Eis limited to the realm of space on the spatio-temporal-existential cline. It always refers to a specific and concrete place in the immediate or proximate vicinity. The word \u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E, on the other hand, has gone beyond the realm of space in the universal spatio-temporal-existential cline and may also be used for temporal and existential messages as well. The word \u003Ci\u003Ekan \u003C\/i\u003Emay refer to specific places and immediate or proximate vicinities (like \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E), to the present time (the here-and-now), and to general relevant issues and situations (\u003Ci\u003Eleadken \u003C\/i\u003E- 'to bring up to date') (lit. 'to-until-here-now').\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn other words, \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is almost always talking about a physical place. \u003Ci\u003EKan\u003C\/i\u003E, on the other hand, can be about place - but can also be about time (like how far along you are in process), or even purely abstractly (like your understanding of an issue). \"Here\" captures all of those in English, but the difference in nuance in the Hebrew words are real. If you would say (without context), \u003Ci\u003Ekan chashavti lehitpater \u003C\/i\u003Eכאן חשבתי להתטפר - \"here I thought of resigning\", it could mean \"in this place\" or \"at this point in my life.\" But if you used \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;instead of \u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E, it would likely mean \"in this physical place.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAll that said, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/24331468?read-now=1\u0026amp;refreqid=excelsior%3A7b302baa29f8ad0f19308eb56a898c1f\u0026amp;seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E seems to show a trend in the opposite direction. Collecting examples of spoken Hebrew in the 1980s and 1990s, it found that \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was used in the vast majority of cases. And while it recognizes the trend we mentioned above in \"classical\" Hebrew, it says that in the usages they studied, \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;actually was used in more varied circumstances than \u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E. This is how the English abstract describes the study:\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EThe paper traces the fine distinction between two adverbs of location —  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eפה \u003Cspan dir=\"ltr\"\u003Eand\u003C\/span\u003E  כאן\u003C\/bdo\u003E\n  — frequently regarded as an example of exact synonyms. Data based on a\n recorded corpus of native speakers are analyzed quantitatively and \nqualitatively, namely, using semantic and functional methods of \nsign-oriented linguistics. The findings show  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eפה\u003C\/bdo\u003E  to be the dominant, unmarked term of the pair, found in 97 percent of the cases. Unlike in their classical use,  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eפה\u003C\/bdo\u003E  may designate not only location but also temporal concepts, whereas  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eכאן\u003C\/bdo\u003E\n  is restricted to locational concepts. Although their denotation is the\n same, the marginal field of their meaning differs. In certain lexical \nphrases,  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eכאן\u003C\/bdo\u003E  carries a submeaning of 'border' or 'end', whereas  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003Eפה\u003C\/bdo\u003E  has a submeaning of 'now', and functions as a half-empty prosodic or emotive filler, mainly in the existence  \u003Cbdo dir=\"auto\" lang=\"he\"\u003E(יש)\u003C\/bdo\u003E  sentence pattern.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhile I don't challenge the scholarship of the study, the results have not been my experience. When it comes to a word describing the \"physical\" here, I haven't noticed a preference for \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E. And I haven't seen \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;being used to designate \"temporal concepts.\" It could be that my ear isn't that sensitive, or I'm not in the same social groups as the study, or that things have changed in the past 30 years. I'm happy to hear your experiences as well.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EOne word I didn't mention was \u003Ci\u003Ehinei\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;הנה which can also mean \"here,\" but isn't interchangeable with \u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E. As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=WJVpaiGvoCQC\u0026amp;pg=PA74\u0026amp;dq=here+po+kan+hebrew\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwjd2IC0iKzpAhVJTxUIHYNOBrYQ6AEIMTAB#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethis book\u003C\/a\u003E puts it:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003EIt might be translated as \"here,\" but unlike the Hebrew synonyms for \"here,\" \"\u003Ci\u003Ekan\u003C\/i\u003E\" and \"\u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E,\" it cannot occur in a mere descriptive proposition. \"\u003Ci\u003EHine\u003C\/i\u003E\" is used only presentationally; that is, I can say \"\u003Ci\u003Ehine hameil\u003C\/i\u003E,\" here is the coat, when I point to the coat (hence the translation: \"Behold the coat!\"), but I cannot say, \"\u003Ci\u003EEtmol hameil haya hine\u003C\/i\u003E\" (Yesterday the coat was \u003Ci\u003Ehine\u003C\/i\u003E) to mean \"Yesterday the coat was here\"; I have to say \"\u003Ci\u003EEtmol hameil haya po\u003C\/i\u003E\" or \"\u003Ci\u003EEtmol hameil haya kan\u003C\/i\u003E.\" Thus \u003Ci\u003Ehine \u003C\/i\u003Eperforms the speech-act of calling attention to, or presenting, not describing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESo now I can state: \u003Ci\u003Ehinei\u003C\/i\u003E, the post about the Hebrew words for \"here\" is \u003Ci\u003Ekan. \u003C\/i\u003E(Or should I say \u003Ci\u003Epo\u003C\/i\u003E?)\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3824513399326383662\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3824513399326383662","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3824513399326383662"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3824513399326383662"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/05\/po-and-kan.html","title":"po and kan"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8095635371155295981"},"published":{"$t":"2020-05-03T12:14:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-05-03T14:54:08.364+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"charata"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've discussed a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/05\/cheresh.html\"\u003Efew\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2011\/01\/khartoum-and-hartumim.html\"\u003Etimes \u003C\/a\u003Ein \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/08\/katom.html\"\u003Ethe past\u003C\/a\u003E that the root חרט means \"to engrave\", as in the word \u003Ci\u003Echarita \u003C\/i\u003Eחריטה - \"engraving, chiseling.\" But I didn't answer the question: is that root related to the words \u003Ci\u003Echarata \u003C\/i\u003Eחרטה - \"regret, remorse\" and \u003Ci\u003Ehitcharet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;התחרט - \"to regret\"?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis meaning isn't found in the Bible, but first appears in Rabbinic Hebrew.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%97%D6%B8%D7%A8%D6%B7%D7%98.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E makes the fanciful suggestion that \"to regret, feel sorry\" is to \"scratch one's self.\"\u0026nbsp; Ben Yehuda says that the etymology of \u003Ci\u003Echarata\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(and the related verb) is unknown and no cognates are found in Semitic languages.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, Klein does provide an etymology. He has two distinct entries for חרט. After the entry for חרט - \"to chisel, engrave\", he has חרט as \"to repent\", \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%98_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eand says\u003C\/a\u003E that it comes from\u0026nbsp; the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Einḫaraṭa\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp; - \"he did ignorantly.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis would make it cognate with a common word in Israeli slang - \u003Ci\u003Ekharta \u003C\/i\u003Eחרטה. It means \"nonsense, rubbish\", and I actually thought it was a rude word with scatological origins. But no, it just comes from the same Arabic root meaning \"lies, nonsense.\" Related slang words are \u003Ci\u003Ekharta barta \u003C\/i\u003Eחרטה ברטה - \"nonsense, make-believe, baloney\" and the verb \u003Ci\u003Ekhirtet \u003C\/i\u003Eחרטט - \"to make up nonsense.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGoing back to the original question, I expected some linguistic proof that the two forms of חרט are unrelated. This happens not infrequently with words including the Hebrew letter \u003Ci\u003Echet. \u003C\/i\u003EWhile Hebrew has only one \u003Ci\u003Echet\u003C\/i\u003E, the cognates in Arabic have two different letters - like a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E1%B8%AA%C4%81%CA%BE\"\u003Ehard \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%E1%B8%AA%C4%81%CA%BE\"\u003Echet\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eand a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heth#Arabic_%E1%B8%A5%C4%81%CA%BE\"\u003Esoft \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Heth#Arabic_%E1%B8%A5%C4%81%CA%BE\"\u003Echet\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/i\u003ESo sometimes two words in Hebrew will seem to be homonyms, but when compared with Arabic, they will be shown to be unrelated. This was the case, for example, with the words for fat and milk - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/06\/chalav-and-chelev.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Echalav \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Echelev\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. They are spelled the same in Hebrew - חלב - but are unrelated.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut both meanings of חרט have Arabic cognates, and both are spelled with the hard \u003Ci\u003Echet. \u003C\/i\u003ESo that can't prove they aren't related.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd in fact, while I don't have direct proof, I think that perhaps they are connected. Let's look another Hebrew root with similar meanings - פסל.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EOne meaning\u003C\/a\u003E is \"to hew, hew out, carve.\" From here we get such words as \u003Ci\u003Epesel\u003C\/i\u003E פסל - \"carved image, idol\" and \u003Ci\u003Epesolet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;פסולת - \"chips, stone dust.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe other meaning is \"to disqualify, declare unfit.\" This meaning gives us \u003Ci\u003Epasul \u003C\/i\u003Eפסול - \"disqualified, defective, unfit.\" For this sense, Klein provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ethis etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAram. \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פסל ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eפְּסַל\u003C\/a\u003E (= he disqualified, declared unfit), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Efasala\u003C\/i\u003E (= was ignoble, was valueless). According to several scholars \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פסל ᴵᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C%20%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eפסל ᴵᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E represents a special sense development of \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פסל ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eפסל ᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E (as if \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פסל ᴵᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C%20%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eפסל ᴵᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E would have meant orig. ‘was cut away’, whence arose the meaning ‘was considered useless’). They refer to the sense development of \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פְּסֹֽלֶת 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D6%B0%D6%BC%D7%A1%D6%B9%D6%BD%D7%9C%D6%B6%D7%AA.1\"\u003Eפּֽסֹלֶת\u003C\/a\u003E (= chips, stone dust), whence ‘worthless matter’. However, according to others \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פסל ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eפסל ᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, פסל ᴵᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A4%D7%A1%D7%9C%20%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eפסל ᴵᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E are two different bases.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo according to the first explanation, which seems reasonable, there was a development from \"carving\" to \"worthless matter.\" Could the same have happened from \u003Ci\u003Echarita - \u003C\/i\u003E\"engraving\" to \u003Ci\u003Ekharta - \u003C\/i\u003E\"nonsense\" to \u003Ci\u003Echarata - \u003C\/i\u003E\"regret\"?\u0026nbsp; Doesn't look like \u003Ci\u003Ekharta barta\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to me..."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8095635371155295981\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8095635371155295981","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8095635371155295981"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8095635371155295981"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/05\/charata.html","title":"charata"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3408225244126716764"},"published":{"$t":"2020-04-25T23:49:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:23:27.336+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Shemot"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"midbar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I recently wrote an essay for the journal Tradition entitled \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/traditiononline.org\/words-of-ailing-words-of-healing\/\"\u003EWords of Ailing, Words of Healing\u003C\/a\u003E\" where I discussed the origins of Hebrew words relating to illness and health, in the light of the current pandemic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne of the words I mentioned was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edever\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;דבר - \"plague.\" After discussing the word for pandemic,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emagefa\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמגפה, I continued:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nA more common Biblical word for plague is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edever\u003C\/i\u003E. This word does not appear to be related to the very common word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edevar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Emeaning “word, speech.” More surprisingly, it is not cognate with the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ehadbara\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E– “extermination.” That word comes from a third Hebrew root, which meant “to follow behind” or “to push forward.” This meaning led to the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E– “desert,” which was a place where cattle were pushed forward to graze. In the more intense\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ehifil\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eform of the verb,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Ehidbir\u003C\/i\u003E, “pushing forward” became “subdue, overwhelm,” and from there came the meaning “to eliminate, exterminate.” (“\u003Ci\u003EYadber sonenu\u003C\/i\u003E,” we recite in the Prayer for the I.D.F., asking God to “subdue our enemies.”)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI wrote that\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמדבר in English is \"desert\". But another common translation is \"wilderness.\" Which is correct?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWell, in some ways, this is more a question about English semantics than Hebrew. Let's look at what the two English words mean.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nToday most people would say that desert is a barren land, likely arid, and probably hot and full of sand. A wilderness, on the other hand, is full of wild vegetation, but not settled by humans.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, these were not the original meanings of the words.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Desert#Etymology\"\u003E\"Desert\" was an abandoned place\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(think of the verb \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/desert\"\u003Eto desert\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;= \"to abandon\".)\u0026nbsp; Only in the 20th century did desert become associated with aridity. Before that there are many examples of desert being used in places that were clearly not arid (think of \"desert island\", which was the original phrase, not \"deserted island\",\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/ngrams\/graph?content=desert+island%2Cdeserted+island\u0026amp;year_start=1800\u0026amp;year_end=2008\u0026amp;corpus=15\u0026amp;smoothing=3\u0026amp;share=\u0026amp;direct_url=t1%3B%2Cdesert%20island%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cdeserted%20island%3B%2Cc0\"\u003Edespite the increase in use of the latter recently\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWilderness also meant something similar - an uninhabited or uncultivated place. So while there may have been differences in nuance between desert and wilderness,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=ctYRAAAAIAAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA126\u0026amp;dq=wilderness+desert+synonym\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwjH9ZfesYTpAhVSQhoKHetnCAIQ6AEIWTAG#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=wilderness%20desert%20synonym\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Euntil relatively recently\u003C\/a\u003E, they were pretty much synonyms.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo if both words are used to translate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E, that shouldn't concern us too much. But that said, what was the nature of the biblical word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe answer is found in what I wrote above, that\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;originally meant \"a place where cattle were pushed forward to graze.\" This meaning is evident in Shemot 3:1 -\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nוּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת־צֹאן יִתְרוֹ חֹתְנוֹ כֹּהֵן מִדְיָן וַיִּנְהַג אֶת־הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵבָה׃\u003Cbr \/\u003ENow Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, drove the flock into the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nIf Moses drove his flocks there, the land was not entirely barren (but not settled). As Sarna in the JPS commentary writes,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \"a region of uninhabited and unirrigated pastureland.\" Cassuto, following Onkelos (who interprets it as \"choice pasture\") , goes so far as to translate the word as \"grassland.\" This may seem strange, but verses like this one show that a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;did not have to be arid at all:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nFear not, O beasts of the field, for the pastures in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;are clothed with grass. The trees have borne their fruit; fig tree and vine have yielded their strength. (Yoel 2:22)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nThe Sinai\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;that sustained the Israelites for 40 years also fits the definition - it was uninhabited, but could support the nomadic tribes (with some help from above.) The focus on \"uninhabited\" is captured in the midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 1:7) which writes:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAnyone who does not make themselves ownerless like the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;cannot acquire the wisdom and the Torah. Therefore it says, \"the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eof Sinai.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nThere are however, other words to describe a particularly barren land in biblical Hebrew -\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/05\/erev.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Earava\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eערבה and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eyeshimon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eישימון.\u0026nbsp; Those words are offered as synonyms for a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;that is particularly desolate, in Devarim 32:10 and Yirmiyahu 50:12.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nSo a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can be a desert - even according to the contemporary meaning. It can also be a wilderness - although a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emidbar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ein the Middle East is not likely to look like a wilderness in other parts of the world. As often happens, there is not a perfect translation. Just one more reason to try to read the Bible (or any book) when possible in the original language...\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3408225244126716764\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3408225244126716764","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3408225244126716764"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3408225244126716764"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/midbar.html","title":"midbar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-611106848073094886"},"published":{"$t":"2020-04-19T00:42:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-04-19T00:43:44.984+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"stam"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"One of the most popular words in Israel slang is \u003Ci\u003Estam \u003C\/i\u003Eסתם. It means \"just kidding.\" How did it come to mean that?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn Biblical Hebrew, the verb \u003Ci\u003Esatam\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;סתם means two things: a) to literally stop up or close up (wells) and b) to hide, conceal (to close up in a metaphorical sense).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nToday the first meaning still exists. A blocked pipe is \u003Ci\u003Esatum\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;סתום, and a rude way of telling someone to shut up is \u003Ci\u003Estom et hapeh \u003C\/i\u003Eסתום את הפה - literally, \"close your mouth.\" A valve is a \u003Ci\u003Eshastom\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שסתום. It is a blend of the similarly words with opposite meanings - \u003Ci\u003Esatam \u003C\/i\u003E(to close) and \u003Ci\u003Eshatam \u003C\/i\u003Eשתם (to open).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe metaphorical sense developed further. Under Aramaic influence, the word \u003Ci\u003Estam \u003C\/i\u003Ecame to mean \"a vague or indefinite expression\", \"an anonymous opinion\" or \"in general.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A1%D7%AA%D7%9D.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that these senses developed from \"something stopped up\", \"something closed\", \"something unknown.\" In Medieval Hebrew the adjective\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Estami\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;סתמי came to mean \"vague, indefinite, uncertain.\" In Modern Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Estami \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"neutral\", and has been used in attempts to replace the Yiddish \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/pareve.html\"\u003Epareve\u003C\/a\u003E, but without much success.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Aramaic form of \u003Ci\u003Estam\u003C\/i\u003E, סתמא \u003Ci\u003Estama, \u003C\/i\u003Ealso meant \"anonymous opinion,\" but also meant the related \"without qualification.\" A form of that word in Talmudic literature is \u003Ci\u003Emistama\u003C\/i\u003E מסתמא - \"of a general nature.\" In Yiddish this became \u003Ci\u003Emistome\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and in Modern Hebrew - \u003Ci\u003Emin hastam\u003C\/i\u003E מן הסתם. The more recent sense is \"likely, probably, predictably\" - since as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=Tqdff1z0d0UC\u0026amp;lpg=PA144\u0026amp;dq=stam%20yiddish\u0026amp;pg=PA119#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethis book\u003C\/a\u003E puts it, \"what is generally applicable is most probably applicable in a more specific case.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe meaning \"without qualification\" brings us closest to the current meaning in modern Hebrew slang. Another way to say \"without qualification\" is \"just is, merely.\" It had that sense in Yiddish, and entered Israeli slang with the same connotation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo \u003Ci\u003Estam \u003C\/i\u003Ecould mean \"nothing fancy.\" How was the meal? \"\u003Ci\u003EStam, \u003C\/i\u003Enothing special.\" Or, \"that was no \u003Ci\u003Estam \u003C\/i\u003Evacation, it was amazing.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut it can also mean \"for no particular reason.\" Why aren't you coming to the party? \"\u003Ci\u003EStam\u003C\/i\u003E, I don't feel like it.\" Or, \"I just \u003Ci\u003Estam \u003C\/i\u003Ecalled to say hi.\"\u0026nbsp;And while that sense of \u003Ci\u003Estam\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;sounds rather apathetic, the just kidding version has a very different tone. As Shoshana Kordova wrote \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/.premium-word-of-the-day-stam-1.5198176\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nLet’s say your Israeli colleague wants to pull your leg. When you get into the office your coworker, ever a kidder, announces that the computer system is down and no one will be able to do any work until the tech people fix it. He watches as you get excited (“Yes! I get to play hooky without having to take a sick day!”) or upset (“Now I’ll have to stay longer to finish the project I need to get done today!”), and then breaks in to let you know it was all a joke. The word he reaches for could well be “\u003Ci\u003Estam\u003C\/i\u003E,” but in this context the “a” sound is usually drawn out, sounding something like “\u003Ci\u003EStaaaaaaaaaahm\u003C\/i\u003E!”\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOr a different example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/learninghebrew.net\/hebrew-slang-stam\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n-That dress looks terrible on you.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n-Really?!?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n-\u003Ci\u003EStam\u003C\/i\u003E! It looks great on you.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nEven more samples of its use can be found \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.elephant.org.il\/translate\/translatable-but-debatable-stam\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI think this is an interesting example of a word that meant \"closed up\" and \"concealed\" and ended up meaning \"probably\" and \"for no reason at all.\" And the most fascinating bit of trivia? The English word stem - as in \"to stem the tide\" - actually derives directly from the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Esatam\u003C\/i\u003E!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/stem\"\u003EStaaaaaaaaaahm...\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/611106848073094886\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=611106848073094886","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/611106848073094886"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/611106848073094886"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/stam.html","title":"stam"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7409279954934640095"},"published":{"$t":"2020-04-12T22:44:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-04-13T11:27:13.431+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"tzedek and tzedaka"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In modern Hebrew, \u003Ci\u003Etzedek\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;צדק and \u003Ci\u003Etzedakah \u003C\/i\u003Eצדקה have very different meanings. \u003Ci\u003ETzedek\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \"justice, which is obligatory and compels all. \u003Ci\u003ETzedaka \u003C\/i\u003Eis \"charity\", which is praiseworthy, but voluntary. (In Jewish law, giving charity in general is obligatory, but the amount given and the intended recipient is left to the donor's discretion.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBoth words are found in biblical Hebrew. \u003Ci\u003ETzedek\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is found 119 times in the Bible, and \u003Ci\u003Etzedaka\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;appears 157 times. In the Bible, they are essentially synonyms. They both refer to righteousness and justness. Nissan Netzer, in his book on Bereshit (p. 47), points out that there are synonym pairs in Biblical Hebrew where one word ends with the letter \u003Ci\u003Eheh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the other doesn't. He brings the examples of \u003Ci\u003Eotzem \u003C\/i\u003Eעוצם and \u003Ci\u003Eotzma \u003C\/i\u003Eעצמה - which both mean \"force, might\", and \u003Ci\u003Eshir \u003C\/i\u003Eשיר and \u003Ci\u003Eshira \u003C\/i\u003Eשירה - which both mean \"song.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2011\/09\/12\/%D7%A6%D7%93%D7%A7-%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%93%D7%A7%D7%94\/\"\u003EThis article\u003C\/a\u003E by the Academy of the Hebrew Language points out that there is a slight difference between the two words in biblical Hebrew. \u003Ci\u003ETzedek \u003C\/i\u003Emore often refers to the concept or value of justice, whereas \u003Ci\u003Etzedaka \u003C\/i\u003Eis more frequently found referring to the act (or acts) of performing justice. Evidence to this difference can be found by the fact that \u003Ci\u003Etzedek \u003C\/i\u003Eis only found in the singular, but \u003Ci\u003Etzedaka \u003C\/i\u003Ecan have a plural (\u003Ci\u003Etzedakot \u003C\/i\u003Eצדקות).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHebrew seems to have a hard time hanging on to synonyms. These differences in nuance, through a process known as \"semantic shift\", led the two words to diverge fully. Starting in Rabbinic Hebrew, they ended up as \"justice\" and \"charity to the poor\" (as an expression of justice). (The same phenomenon can be found with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eshir \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eshira. \u003C\/i\u003EToday \u003Ci\u003Eshir \u003C\/i\u003Estill means song, but \u003Ci\u003Eshira \u003C\/i\u003Erefers to poetry.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom the same root we get other Hebrew words. A \u003Ci\u003Etzadik\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;צדיק is a righteous person. And it also provides the verbs\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Etzodek \u003C\/i\u003Eצודק -\u0026nbsp; \"to be correct\" and \u003Ci\u003Ematzdik \u003C\/i\u003Eמצדיק - \"to justify.\" These words seems to have echoes in other Semitic languages, as seen in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D7%93%D7%A7.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eetymology Klein provides\u003C\/a\u003E for the root:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAram. \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, צֶֽדֶק ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A6%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%93%D6%B6%D7%A7%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eצְדֵק\u003C\/a\u003E (= he was righteous), Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eזָדֵק\u003C\/span\u003E (= it is right; for the change of \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, צ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A6.1\"\u003Eצ\u003C\/a\u003E to \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, ז 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%96.1\"\u003Eז\u003C\/a\u003E see the introductory article to letter \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, ז 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%96.1\"\u003Eז\u003C\/a\u003E), Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Eṣdq\u003C\/i\u003E (= reliability, virtue), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eṣadaqa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he spoke the truth), Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Eṣadaqa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he was just, was righteous)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe connection between \"correct\" and \"justice\" can be found in English as well, in the related words \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/righteous\"\u003Eright\u003C\/a\u003E\" (correct) and \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/righteous\"\u003Erighteous\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7409279954934640095\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7409279954934640095","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7409279954934640095"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7409279954934640095"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/tzedek-and-tzedaka.html","title":"tzedek and tzedaka"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1126073747859658817"},"published":{"$t":"2020-04-06T17:58:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2024-06-20T07:46:15.759+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kohelet words"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pesach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"nirtzah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/04\/haggadah-and-aggadah.html\"\u003EHaggadah\u003C\/a\u003E opens up with a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-language.com\/songs-kadesh-urchatz\/\"\u003Esong\u003C\/a\u003E, to help the participants remember, via rhyme, the various actions they need to perform throughout the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/03\/seder.html\"\u003Eseder\u003C\/a\u003E. The last section, however, is not an instruction per se - but more of a description of this final stage. This is the \u003Ci\u003ENirtza \u003C\/i\u003Eנרצה section, which is followed by various songs after the seder is completed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhat does \u003Ci\u003Enirtza \u003C\/i\u003Emean? I've seen it translated as \"(all is) accepted\" or \"acceptance.\" The source appears to be this verse in Kohelet, which in a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=I4pDAAAAcAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PP15\u0026amp;ots=l5P-Zvco29\u0026amp;dq=%22%D7%9B%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%20%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%A8%20%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%A6%D6%B8%D7%94%20%D7%94%D6%B8%D7%90%D6%B1%D7%9C%D6%B9%D7%94%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9D%20%D7%90%D6%B6%D7%AA%20%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A2%D6%B2%D7%A9%D6%B6%D7%82%D7%99%D7%9A%D6%B8%22%20%20%22%D7%A0%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94%22\u0026amp;pg=PP15#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Enumber of\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=qNlRAAAAcAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PP75\u0026amp;ots=tLVoWj_Vh7\u0026amp;dq=%22%D7%9B%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%20%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%A8%20%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%A6%D6%B8%D7%94%20%D7%94%D6%B8%D7%90%D6%B1%D7%9C%D6%B9%D7%94%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9D%20%D7%90%D6%B6%D7%AA%20%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A2%D6%B2%D7%A9%D6%B6%D7%82%D7%99%D7%9A%D6%B8%22%20%20%22%D7%A0%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94%22\u0026amp;pg=PP76#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eolder\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=s9lRAAAAcAAJ\u0026amp;lpg=PP93\u0026amp;ots=PD_pAAOl5V\u0026amp;dq=%22%D7%9B%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%20%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%A8%20%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%A6%D6%B8%D7%94%20%D7%94%D6%B8%D7%90%D6%B1%D7%9C%D6%B9%D7%94%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%9D%20%D7%90%D6%B6%D7%AA%20%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%A2%D6%B2%D7%A9%D6%B6%D7%82%D7%99%D7%9A%D6%B8%22%20%20%22%D7%A0%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94%22\u0026amp;pg=PP94#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ehaggadot\u003C\/a\u003E opens the \u003Ci\u003ENirtza\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;section:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nכִּי כְבָר רָצָה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־מַעֲשֶׂיךָ׃...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n...\u0026nbsp; for your action was long ago approved by God. (Kohelet 9:7)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nAnd so \u003Ci\u003ENirtza\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a time where after all of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/04\/pesach.html\"\u003EPesach\u003C\/a\u003E service is completed, we can enjoy the fact that God approved our actions.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThis understanding reflects the fact that in Biblical Hebrew, the verb \u003Ci\u003Eratzah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;רצה meant \"to be pleased with, to be favorable to.\"\u0026nbsp; That is the most common meaning. There are also verses where it means \"to like\" or \"to appease.\" Similarly, the derivative noun \u003Ci\u003Eratzon\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;רצון means \"goodwill, favor.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nHowever, Fox, in his JPS Commentary on Kohelet writes that this is not the best translation for that verse. He says the phrase should be instead translated as \"for your action was long ago \u003Cu\u003Edesired\u003C\/u\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eby God.\" This sense of \u003Ci\u003Eratzah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the one commonly used today - \"to want.\" This sense is very common in Rabbinic Hebrew, but is rarely found in Biblical Hebrew. If Fox is correct, this is probably due to Kohelet frequently using Hebrew that reflects later usage.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nDespite \u003Ci\u003Eratzah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"to want\" being one of the first words learned in Hebrew (either by young children or new speakers), strangely neither Ben Yehuda nor Klein mention it in their dictionaries, rather providing only the biblical meanings.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003ERatzon \u003C\/i\u003Ealso changed meanings. While as we said, in Biblical Hebrew it meant \"favor\", in later Rabbinic writings it came to mean \"will\" (this is also likely the meaning in later books of the Bible, such as Esther 9:5)\u0026nbsp; In the Medieval period, much ink was spilled by rabbis who debated the nature of God's will. The rationalists, like Maimonides, much preferred to speak of God's will than His favor.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nInspired by \u003Ci\u003Eratzon \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"will\" (as in persistence), Eliezer Ben Yehuda took the Arabic word \u003Ci\u003Erazin \u003C\/i\u003E(\"grave, serious\") and coined the word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/.premium-word-of-the-day-retzinut-1.5249821?=\u0026amp;ts=_1586184536256\"\u003Eretzini\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- רציני - \"serious.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThe sense of \u003Ci\u003Eratzah \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"to be pleased\" still has footing in Modern Hebrew. The related word \u003Ci\u003Emerutzeh \u003C\/i\u003Eמרוצה means \"satisfied.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nThe Hebrew words for \"lecture\" - הרצאה \u003Ci\u003Ehartza'ah \u003C\/i\u003Eand \"lecturer\" - מרצה \u003Ci\u003Emartzeh\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;also share the root רצה, and are related to the words we discussed above. Klein says that secondary meaning of the root meant originally \"to count, enumerate, pay off\" and later \"to recount, narrate, deliver a lecture.\" He provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ethis etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nFor the sense development of \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, רצה ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eהִרְצָה\u003C\/a\u003E cp. \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, ספר ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eסָפַר\u003C\/a\u003E (= he counted), \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, ספר ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eסִפֵּר\u003C\/a\u003E (= he recounted, told, narrated); Arab. \u003Ci\u003Emanā, manā(y)\u003C\/i\u003E (= he counted), \u003Ci\u003Emānā(y)\u003C\/i\u003E (= he paid); Gk. \u003Ci\u003Earithmein\u003C\/i\u003E (= to count; to pay); Eng. to \u003Ci\u003Etell\u003C\/i\u003E, which means both ‘to count’ and ‘to recount’, Eng. \u003Ci\u003Ere-count\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003Erecount\u003C\/i\u003E; Fren. \u003Ci\u003Ecompter\u003C\/i\u003E (= to count), and \u003Ci\u003Econter\u003C\/i\u003E (= to tell, recount, narrate), which both derive from L. \u003Ci\u003Ecomputāre\u003C\/i\u003E (= to count), and It. \u003Ci\u003Econtare\u003C\/i\u003E, Sp. \u003Ci\u003Econtar\u003C\/i\u003E, which are of the same origin, and mean both ‘to count’, and ‘to tell, relate’. JAram. \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, אַרְצִי 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%A8%D6%B0%D7%A6%D6%B4%D7%99.1\"\u003Eאַרֽצִי\u003C\/a\u003E (= he counted, enumerated). According to several lexicographers \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, רצה ᴵᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94%20%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eרצה ᴵᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E properly represents a special sense development of \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, רצה ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%94%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eרצה ᴵ\u003C\/a\u003E and orig. meant ‘to satisfy the creditor’.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;So now perhaps this can give us another feeling when we arrive at \u003Ci\u003ENirtza.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;We've counted (so many plagues!) and recounted the story of the Exodus. The \"creditor\" is indeed satisfied!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1126073747859658817\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1126073747859658817","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1126073747859658817"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1126073747859658817"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/04\/nirtzah.html","title":"nirtzah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8826175462928254652"},"published":{"$t":"2020-03-29T16:11:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:26:53.712+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Beshalach"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Lech Lecha"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Vayikra"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"karov, korban and kerev"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Ekarov \u003C\/i\u003Eקרוב means \"near.\" All the verbs that derive from the root of that word - קרב - mean \"to come near, approach\". In Biblical Hebrew, we find that meaning in the \u003Ci\u003Ekal \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Ekarav\u003C\/i\u003E), \u003Ci\u003Epiel \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Ekirev\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003Ci\u003E, \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Ehifil \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Ehikriv\u003C\/i\u003E)\u0026nbsp;forms. The \u003Ci\u003Ehitpael \u003C\/i\u003Eform - \u003Ci\u003Ehitkarev \u003C\/i\u003Eהתקרב - only appears in Hebrew literature after the biblical period.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;The form \u003Ci\u003Ehikriv\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has an additional meaning. Rabbi Amnon Bazak, in his book \u003Ci\u003ENekudat Peticha \u003C\/i\u003E(p. 219) points out that for the first two books of the Torah, \u003Ci\u003Ehikriv \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"to approach\" (e.g. Bereshit 12:11, Shemot 14:10). However, in the beginning of the book of Vayikra, we find a new meaning:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003Eדַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי־יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַיהוָה מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה מִן־הַבָּקָר וּמִן־הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת־קָרְבַּנְכֶם׃\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003ESpeak to the Israelite people, and say to them:  When any of you presents an offering of cattle to the LORD, \u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Ehe shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock. (Vayikra 1:2)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nHere \u003Ci\u003Ehikriv \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"bring an offering\" and we also find the first mention of the nouns \u003Ci\u003Ekorban \u003C\/i\u003Eקרבן - \"offering, sacrifice.\" Bazak points out that there were many sacrifices earlier in the Torah, but they always use other words like \u003Ci\u003Emincha \u003C\/i\u003Eמנחה (Bereshit 4:3), \u003Ci\u003Eolah \u003C\/i\u003Eעולה (Bereshit 8:20) and \u003Ci\u003Ezevach\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;זבח (Bereshit 46:1). So why did the Torah start using the word \u003Ci\u003Ekorban\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;only now?\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nHe says that this is due to the meaning of the verb \u003Ci\u003Ehikriv\u003C\/i\u003E. Since previously it meant \"to draw close to\", he claims that only in Vayikra, when God established a permanent location in the Sanctuary, could these sacrifices be considered a way to become near to God. Previously, there might have been a spiritual closeness in sacrifices. Now, when one could actually approach the sanctuary, there was a physical dimension that expressed itself in this new word - \u003Ci\u003Ekorban.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nIn his book \u003Ci\u003EMidabrim Besefat Hatanach, \u003C\/i\u003ERubik Rosenthal notes (p. 140-141), that in Modern Hebrew, the words \u003Ci\u003Ehikriv\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Ekorban\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;have left that earlier meaning regarding ritual sacrifices, and split into two different meanings. The verb \u003Ci\u003Ehikriv\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means sacrifice in the secular sense: to give up something important for a higher purpose (and the noun form of this verb is \u003Ci\u003Ehakrava \u003C\/i\u003Eהקרבה - \"self-sacrifice.\"). \u003Ci\u003EKorban\u003C\/i\u003E, however, refers to someone harmed or killed by someone else's action - i.e. a victim. So for example, victims of terrorism are \u003Ci\u003Ekorbanot hateror\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קרבנות הטרור. There were those that opposed such usage, because the religious sense of \u003Ci\u003Ekorban\u003C\/i\u003E would seem to instill a higher purpose to those who perpetrated the crimes. But as we've seen many times before, language has a path of its own, and that usage stuck.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nA word that derives from this root is \u003Ci\u003Ekrav \u003C\/i\u003Eקרב - \"battle.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B0%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%91.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein \u003C\/a\u003Esays it probably originally meant \"hostile approach.\" In Israel, a combat soldier is called \u003Ci\u003Ekravi\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;קרבי - \"ready for battle.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nA different word that at first glance looks like it should be from the same root, but perhaps isn't is \u003Ci\u003Ekerev \u003C\/i\u003Eקרב - \"midst, interior.\" The Ben-Yehuda dictionary provides three possibilities:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\na) That \u003Ci\u003Ekerev \u003C\/i\u003Ederives from \u003Ci\u003Ekarav. \u003C\/i\u003EIf this is the case, \u003Ci\u003Ekerev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;originally meant something like \"drawn close, closeness.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nb) They could be from entirely different roots. This what \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%A8%D6%B6%D7%91.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E suggests:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E midst, interior. \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E inward part, bowels, intestines. [Related to Moabite בקרב (= in the midst of), Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Eqrb \u003C\/i\u003E(of same meaning), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eqirbu \u003C\/i\u003E(= inward part, interior), \u003Ci\u003Eqirib \u003C\/i\u003E(= in). These related words show that the orig. meaning of קֶרֶב was ‘midst, interior’, and that the meaning, ‘inward part, bowel, intestines’ is secondary. However, according to several scholars, Heb. קֶרֶב is related to Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqalb \u003C\/i\u003E(= heart); see קבל ᴵ.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nHis reference to קבל (to be opposite, which \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/kimu-vkiblu.html\"\u003Ewe've discussed before\u003C\/a\u003E) brings us \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%9C_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ethis entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nBAram. לָקֳבֵל, JAram. קְבֵל, לִקְבֵל (= in front, before), Syr. מֶן קֽבוֹל (= opposite); whence Aram.–Syr., also BAram. קַבֵּל, Heb. קִבֵּל, ‘he received, accepted’), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqabila \u003C\/i\u003E(= he received, accepted), OSArab. קבל (= to receive, accept), Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Eqabala \u003C\/i\u003E(= he went to meet, encountered), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eqablu \u003C\/i\u003E(= battle; middle of the body, middle). However, according to some scholars Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eqablu \u003C\/i\u003Ein the meaning ‘middle’ is related to קֽרָב (= battle). According to other scholars Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eqablu \u003C\/i\u003Ein the meaning ‘middle’ is related to Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eqalb \u003C\/i\u003E(= heart; see קֶרֶב)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo according to Klein's approach, the Arabic word \u003Ci\u003Eqalb - \u003C\/i\u003E\"heart\" - developed into two different meanings. One developed into the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Ekibel - \u003C\/i\u003E\"to receive, accept\" and the other \u003Ci\u003Ekerev - \u003C\/i\u003E\"interior, inner part.\" Neither are related to \u003Ci\u003Ekarov\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;- \"near.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nc) The third possibility mentioned in Ben Yehuda is that one root split into two meanings. This seems to be the approach of Gesenius, whose entry for \u003Ci\u003Ekerev\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;mentions the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eqalb\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;but says that here the \"r\" softened into an \"l\" - i.e. the Arabic meaning came later. This understanding would allow that even \u003Ci\u003Eqalb\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is related to \u003Ci\u003Ekarov\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8826175462928254652\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8826175462928254652","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8826175462928254652"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8826175462928254652"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/03\/karov-korban-and-kerev.html","title":"karov, korban and kerev"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8288272929180511163"},"published":{"$t":"2020-02-29T22:34:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-02-29T22:34:56.106+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"alachson"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A reader asked about the origin of the Hebrew word for diagonal - אלכסון \u003Ci\u003Ealakhson. \u003C\/i\u003EIt first appears in Rabbinic Hebrew (also as \u003Ci\u003Elokhsan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;לוכסן).\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003EKlein provides the following etymology:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nPBH diagonal (line). [Borrowed from Greek. \u003Ci\u003ELixon\u003C\/i\u003E, neuter \u003Ci\u003Eloxos \u003C\/i\u003E(= standing crosswise, oblique)]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn his CEDEL, in the entry for \"lekane\" (a large dish or bowl), Klein says it derives from the Greek \u003Ci\u003Elekose \u003C\/i\u003E(a dish, pot, pan), and that word is probably cognate with the \u003Ci\u003Eloxos\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;mentioned above, due to the way the sides of a dish or bowl bend inwards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA Latin cognate of \u003Ci\u003Elekose\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is \u003Ci\u003Elanx,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and that provides us with two English words that I would not have thought were related.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne is \"balance.\" This is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/balance#etymonline_v_212\"\u003Ethe entry in the Online Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nearly 13c., \"scales, apparatus for weighing by comparison of mass,\" from Old French \u003Ci\u003Ebalance \u003C\/i\u003E\"balance, scales for weighing\" (12c.), also in figurative sense; from Medieval Latin \u003Ci\u003Ebilancia\u003C\/i\u003E, from Late Latin \u003Ci\u003Ebilanx\u003C\/i\u003E, from Latin (\u003Ci\u003Elibra\u003C\/i\u003E) \u003Ci\u003Ebilanx\u003C\/i\u003E \"(scale) having two pans\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe other is even stranger - it was originally part of the phrase that became the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/satire#etymonline_v_22765\"\u003Esatire\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nlate 14c., \"work intended to ridicule vice or folly,\" from Middle French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign\"\u003Esatire\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(14c.) and directly from Latin \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign\"\u003Esatira\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"satire, poetic medley,\" earlier \u003Cspan class=\"foreign\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Esatura\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, in \u003Cspan class=\"foreign\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Elanx satura\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"mixed dish, dish filled with various kinds of fruit,\" literally \"full dish\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nInteresting, no?"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8288272929180511163\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8288272929180511163","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8288272929180511163"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8288272929180511163"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/02\/alachson.html","title":"alachson"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2205624136557205836"},"published":{"$t":"2020-01-26T19:47:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-01-26T19:47:08.817+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"erusin and eres"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I was recently asked if there was any connection between the root of the Hebrew word for engagement (i.e. betrothal) - ארוסין \u003Ci\u003Eerusin \u003C\/i\u003E(the root being ארס) and \u003Ci\u003Eeres \u003C\/i\u003Eארס - \"venom, poison.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nEven before I could look at a dictionary, I told him that it wasn't likely, since I remembered that while \u003Ci\u003Eerusin\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with the letter \u003Ci\u003Esamech\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the form in Rabbinic Hebrew (and followed in Modern Hebrew as well), in Biblical Hebrew it is spelled with the letter \u003Ci\u003Esin - \u003C\/i\u003Eארש.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut when I looked at Klein's entries for the two of them, I discovered some information I did not know previously.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHere is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%82?lang=bi\"\u003Ewhat he writes for ארש\u003C\/a\u003E (having noted in the entry for ארס that these are variant spellings), with the meaning \"to betroth\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAmong the many attempts to find the origin of this word the most probable is the one which connects it with Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eērishu\u003C\/i\u003E (= bridegroom), \u003Ci\u003Eirshitu\u003C\/i\u003E (= betrothal), which, according to Haupt, derive from Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eerēshu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to desire) ...\u0026nbsp; cp. also Arab. \u003Ci\u003E‘arus\u003C\/i\u003E (= bridegroom).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe then connects this root to the word \u003Ci\u003Eareshet\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;ארשת. I knew the word \u003Ci\u003Eareshet \u003C\/i\u003Ewell from the prayers on Rosh Hashana, sung after the shofar is blown. But I'm a little embarrassed to say I didn't actually know what it meant. Here's what Klein writes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nexpression (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Psalms. 21:3 in the phrase אֲרֶשֶׁת שְׂפָתָיו, which is usually rendered by ‘the request of his lips’. Most Jewish commentators, however, render \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאֲרֶשֶׁת שְׂפָתָיו\u003C\/span\u003E by ‘expression of his lips’.  [Prob. related to Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eerēshu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to desire), \u003Ci\u003Eerishtu\u003C\/i\u003E (= desire, request).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nWhile \u003Ci\u003Eerishtu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"desire\" is similar to the Greek \u003Ci\u003Eerasthai \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"to love, desire\", and is the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/eros\"\u003Eorigin of the word \"Eros\"\u003C\/a\u003E, I have not found any sources that connect the Greek and Akkadian words. I also have not found any sources that connect the root to the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ears, \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich meant \"pimp\", and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ars_(slang)\"\u003Eentered Hebrew slang\u003C\/a\u003E as a derogatory term meaning someone low-class and sleazy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nStahl, in his Arabic etymological dictionary, in the entry for \u003Ci\u003Earus \u003C\/i\u003E(bridegroom) says that this root might be related to \u003Ci\u003Earisut \u003C\/i\u003Eאריסות - \"tenant farming, sharecropping\" and \u003Ci\u003Earis \u003C\/i\u003Eאריס - \"land tenant\", since the transactional nature of leasing land was similar to the dowry involved in marriage. However, Klein provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B8%D7%A8%D6%B4%D7%99%D7%A1.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Ea different etymology\u003C\/a\u003E, connecting it to the Akkadian\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eerēshu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to till the soil). That makes it cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/05\/cheresh.html\"\u003Ekharash\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Eחרש -\u0026nbsp; meaning \"to plow.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd what about \u003Ci\u003Eeres \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning venom or poison? Here is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%A8%D6%B6%D7%A1.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein's interesting entry\u003C\/a\u003E. He says it was a post-biblical word:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nFrom earlier \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eאִירָס\u003C\/span\u003E. Of uncertain origin. Perhaps, together with Syr. \u003Ci\u003E‘irsā\u003C\/i\u003E (of s.m.), a blend of Gk. \u003Ci\u003Eios\u003C\/i\u003E (= poison) and L. \u003Ci\u003Evīrus\u003C\/i\u003E (= poison).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EEres \u003C\/i\u003Eand \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/virus\"\u003Evirus\u003C\/a\u003E\" are so similar, I'm surprised I never thought of a connection before.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2205624136557205836\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2205624136557205836","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2205624136557205836"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2205624136557205836"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/01\/erusin-and-eres.html","title":"erusin and eres"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1847087351038375076"},"published":{"$t":"2020-01-19T09:43:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:28:20.587+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Noach"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Shemot"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"teiva"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Today I was thinking about the word \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;תבה. In the entire Bible, it only appears twice: as the word for Noah's ark and for the baby Moshe's basket.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHere is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's entry for \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%AA%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%91%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Eteivah\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003E1\u003C\/b\u003E ark, box.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nNH  \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E Holy Ark (in the synagogue).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nPBH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E word.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n[Prob. a loan word from Egypt. \u003Ci\u003Etbt\u003C\/i\u003E (= chest; coffin). Arab. \u003Ci\u003Etābūt\u003C\/i\u003E (= box, case, chest, coffer), is a Heb. loan word.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI can easily understand how the word progressed from meaning 1 (\"box\") to meaning 2 (\"Holy Ark in the synagogue\" - although the word for the Ark that carried the Tablets of the Law in the desert is \u003Ci\u003Earon \u003C\/i\u003Eארון.)\u0026nbsp; But how did \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;come to mean \"word\"?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis was surprisingly difficult to research. First of all, the dictionaries that I thought would help me - Ben Yehuda, Jastrow, Klein, Even-Shoshan - all mentioned the various meanings, including \"word\", but didn't explain the shift in meaning.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSecondly, since the meaning is \"word\", searching online is really challenging. If I'm looking for a web page or article, I often search for the the term and include the various meanings. That will usually pull up something helpful. But since the meaning is \"word\" - well, that appears on probably every page. Not really beneficial.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo I had to try a little harder. I did find some discussion of it in the dictionary \u003Ci\u003EAruch Hashalem \u003C\/i\u003Eby \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexander_Kohut\"\u003EAlexander Kohut\u003C\/a\u003E. He says that some claim that \u003Ci\u003Eteiva \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"word\" comes from a different source - an Arabic root meaning \"to cut.\" And therefore, \u003Ci\u003Eteiva \u003C\/i\u003Emeans a word \"cut and separate\" from other letters in the text.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe then compares \u003Ci\u003Eteiva \u003C\/i\u003Eto a common word for \"word\" - \u003Ci\u003Emila\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;מילה.\u0026nbsp; This word is familiar from the phrase \u003Ci\u003Ebrit milah \u003C\/i\u003Eברית מילה - \"circumcision.\" So according to this theory, both \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Emila\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;come from the sense \"to cut.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, this theory is problematic. From their uses in Rabbinic Hebrew (where \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;first means \"word\"), \u003Ci\u003Emila \u003C\/i\u003Erefers to spoken words, and \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;to written words. This also fits the etymology of \u003Ci\u003Emila.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;Klein points out that \u003Ci\u003Emila \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning circumcision comes from the root מול - \"to circumcise\", whereas \u003Ci\u003Emila\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"word\" comes from מלל - a root meaning \"to speak, to say.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo while \"cut\" could be still be an origin of \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E, the parallel to \u003Ci\u003Emila\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;doesn't hold up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKohut then provides a second theory, saying that in a \u003Ci\u003Eteiva, \u003C\/i\u003Ethe letters are connected as if they were in a box. This seems like a more reasonable theory - it keeps the various meanings of \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;with the same origin, as all of the dictionaries I checked claimed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA further expansion on this idea is found in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%94\"\u003EHebrew Wiktionary entry\u003C\/a\u003E for \u003Ci\u003Eteiva. \u003C\/i\u003EThe entry provides five meanings found in Biblical and Rabbinic sources:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Eboat (Bereshit 7:13, Shemot 2:3)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ebox (Mishna Tahorot 8:2)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Eark (closet) that holds the Torah scrolls (Mishna Taanit 2:1)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ea rectangle or square; the rectangle that one word is written in (Talmud Yerushalmi Eruvin 5:1, Talmud Bavli Menachot 30a)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ea word with a space before and after it (Talmud Bavli 30a)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThere is a note there saying that meaning 5 derived from meaning 4. This works well with Kohut's second theory. The only issue is that neither example provided in 4 are particularly convincing. The source from the Jerusalem Talmud says, \"How did did the Israelites march in the desert? Like a \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E.\" This means they formed a square (in contrast with the other opinion, which says they marched in a column, like a beam.) That doesn't really mean that \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meant \"rectangle\", but only that a rectangle is like a \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E, because of the shape.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe second example, from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Menachot.30a.16?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Steinsaltz\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003EMenachot 30a\u003C\/a\u003E says that when writing a Torah scroll, the space between one \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and another \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;must be the size of one small letter. While I suppose it's possible that \u003Ci\u003Eteiva\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;there could mean the rectangle that contained a word, the simpler meaning is that it just meant the space between one word and the following word. And the Wiktionary entry itself provides a quote from the same page in Menachot where \u003Ci\u003Eteiva \u003C\/i\u003Eclearly means \"word\"!\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nNow, if I could find some evidence that all words were enclosed in rectangles, there would be more support for this theory. I'm not a scribe, so I can't speak from personal experience, and I couldn't find any mention of that in the sources I checked. And the nature of Wiki editing prevents me from contacting the person who wrote this theory. But if any of you out there have any proof, or even suggestions, one way or another - please let me know!\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1847087351038375076\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1847087351038375076","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1847087351038375076"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1847087351038375076"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/01\/teiva.html","title":"teiva"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3854713099450392070"},"published":{"$t":"2020-01-12T22:18:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-01-12T22:24:58.274+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"chafifa"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EChafifa \u003C\/i\u003Eחפיפה can mean both \"shampooing\" and \"overlapping\" (often used when two people are overlapping at a job, and one needs to train another). Is there a connection between these two Hebrew homonyms?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom every reliable source I've seen, they come from two homographic, but distinct, roots: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A4%D7%A3_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5?lang=bi\"\u003Eחפף\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nLet's look first at the root that gives us \"overlapping.\" In this case, חפף means \"to surround, cover.\" By extension, it can also mean \"to protect\" or \"to be congruent\" (this is the sense that leads to \"overlap.\") A related root is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%A4%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Eחפה\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom this root we get a number of familiar words:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Echupah \u003C\/i\u003Eחופה - the wedding canopy (which covers the bride and groom)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Echof \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D7%95%D7%A3?lang=bi\"\u003Eחוף\u003C\/a\u003E - \"coast\" (which surrounds the land)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Echipui\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/i\u003Eחיפוי - \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/covering_fire\"\u003Ecovering\u003C\/a\u003E (or \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Suppressive_fire\"\u003Esuppressive\u003C\/a\u003E) fire, used in a military context to prevent an enemy from attacking\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe other meaning of חפף is \"to rub.\" From there developed the sense of \"to cleanse the head by rubbing\", i.e. shampooing.\u0026nbsp; This type of cleanliness is extended to a general sense of being clean, pure - and so it also gives us the word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%97%D6%B7%D7%A3.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eחף\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ci\u003Echaf \u003C\/i\u003E- \"innocent\", often used in the phrase \u003Ci\u003Echaf m'pesha \u003C\/i\u003Eחף מפשע - \"innocent of crime.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAccording to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=6mGAIhWqJxMC\u0026amp;pg=PR346\u0026amp;lpg=PR346\u0026amp;dq=%22an+unused+root,+to+be+barefoot%22\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=KFQt7kcfsP\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U256soYM11vXlG2xSHkrLY2Mfxsrg\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjT2NS66v7mAhU7DGMBHWChDAkQ6AEwAHoECAMQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22an%20unused%20root%2C%20to%20be%20barefoot%22\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Esome sources\u003C\/a\u003E, the word \u003Ci\u003Eyachef \u003C\/i\u003Eיחף - \"barefoot\" also derives from a cognate of this root. The idea is that removing shoes is like rubbing or peeling them off.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAll of the roots above have Arabic cognates as well. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/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=10\"\u003ERuvik Rosenthal points out\u003C\/a\u003E that there are two more Arabic roots, which have similar spellings, but aren't cognate with the ones we've discussed before. They gave us two Hebrew slang words (and I haven't been able to find any earlier Hebrew cognates).\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nOne is the word \u003Ci\u003Echafif\u003C\/i\u003E חפיף. In Arabic it means \"light\", \"nimble\" or \"agile.\" When it entered Hebrew it came to mean \"lightweight\", \"wishy-washy\" or \"sloppy\", and a \u003Ci\u003Echafifnik \u003C\/i\u003Eis a \"slacker.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe other word is a verb - התחפף \u003Ci\u003Ehitchafef. \u003C\/i\u003EWhen talking in the past tense it means \"took off\", and in the imperative, it means \"scram\" or \"get lost.\" While Rosenthal says it is a fourth, distinct root, this \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%A4%D7%A3\"\u003EWiktionary entry\u003C\/a\u003E says it comes from the same root as \u003Ci\u003Echafif - \u003C\/i\u003Esomething light as air can easily \"disappear\", \"go away.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3854713099450392070\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3854713099450392070","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3854713099450392070"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3854713099450392070"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/01\/chafifa.html","title":"chafifa"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-944937626051119696"},"published":{"$t":"2020-01-06T20:43:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2020-01-06T20:43:35.648+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"pelishtim and palash"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/spiel.html\"\u003EI've discussed previously\u003C\/a\u003E how I like to listen to language podcasts, particularly those with a focus on etymology. One that I somehow forgot to mention is \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wordsforgranted.com\/\"\u003EWords for Granted\u003C\/a\u003E by Ray Belli. The podcast usually deals with the history of a particular English word, telling its story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nRecently, he dealt with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wordsforgranted.com\/podcast-1\/2019\/12\/15\/episode-79-philistine\"\u003Ethe history of the word \"Philistine.\"\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Here's his abstract of the episode:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nIn common usage, a \"philistine\" is a derogatory term for an anti-intellectual materialist. The word derives from the ancient Middle Eastern Philistines, a people best known as an early geopolitical enemy of the Israelites in the Hebrew Bible. The historical Philistines were far from \"philistines\" (note the lowercase P). The circumstance by which the latter derives from the former can be traced back to a murder in the 17th century German city of Jena. (Yes, actually.)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI recommend giving it a listen. In it, he describes how the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philistines\"\u003EPhilistines\u003C\/a\u003E went from being a people living on the southern Mediterranean coast of Canaan, with uncertain, but probably Aegean origin, to the enemy of the Israelites, and eventually disappearing after the Babylonian conquest. The Greek historian Herodotus called the region previously under Philistine control Palaistinē, and then after they conquered the entire area, the Romans called it Palestine. He does his best to avoid the political discussion of the name \"Palestine\", and then moves on to the interesting story of why \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Philistinism\"\u003Ephilistine\u003C\/a\u003E\" became a term to describe a person who doesn't appreciate arts and culture.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe one point that I would like to add on to was his brief discussion of the origin of the name Philistine itself. He claimed that derived from whatever name the Philistines called themselves. Since the Philistines likely were of Greek origin (as we discussed here when talking about the origin of the Hebrew words \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/07\/seren.html\"\u003Eseren\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/lishkah.html\"\u003Elishka\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E), that name would not have Semitic roots.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, I always assumed that the name actually came from Hebrew. In Hebrew the people are called \u003Ci\u003EPelishtim\u003C\/i\u003E פלשתים and the land is known as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EPeleshet\u003C\/i\u003E פלשת. These words would appear to come from the root פלש \u003Ci\u003Epalash - \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich in Modern Hebrew means \"to invade.\" As the Philistines were considered to be invading sea-peoples (in both Biblical tradition as well as according to recent scholarship), I thought that this was one of those frequent cases where the name of a people was given to them by others (an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Exonym_and_endonym\"\u003Eexonym\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWell, first of all, my understanding of \u003Ci\u003Epalash\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;wasn't entirely accurate. It did take on the meaning of \"invade\" in post-Biblical Hebrew. But in the Bible, it meant \"to roll (in dust)\". That said, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%A9%D7%81_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5?lang=he\"\u003EKlein \u003C\/a\u003Econnects the two meanings. He says the original meaning of the Biblical usage was \"to burrow into\", and so is ultimately identical with the other meaning - \"to open through, penetrate, invade.\" And he brings a number of cognates from other Semitic languages where it has that meaning, including Ethiopian, which gave the word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/falasha\"\u003Efalasha\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;for the Ethiopian Jews. (But since that term - whether it meant \"wanderer\" or \"invader\" is considered derogatory, the term \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beta_Israel\"\u003EBeta Israel\u003C\/a\u003E is preferred.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd yet, Klein doesn't claim Peleshet comes from \u003Ci\u003Epalash\u003C\/i\u003E. I did find some \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/momentmag.com\/jewish-word-philistine\/\"\u003Esources that do make that claim\u003C\/a\u003E, but from what I can see the question remains unanswered (probably due to the lack of written material from the Philistines). Maybe the people called themselves something like Pelishtim or maybe it was an exonym.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, I do think that an association between the two terms was likely understood even back in the times of the Israelites - even as a folk etymology. And this could help explain something Belli mentioned in the podcast.\u0026nbsp; He pointed out that in the Septuagint (the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), some occurrences of the word Pelishtim was translated not as \"Philistines\" but as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eallophuloi - \u003C\/i\u003E\"foreigners.\" This translation may very well be from an ancient understanding that \u003Ci\u003EPelishtim \u003C\/i\u003Ederived from \u003Ci\u003Epalash\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/944937626051119696\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=944937626051119696","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/944937626051119696"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/944937626051119696"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2020\/01\/pelishtim-and-palash.html","title":"pelishtim and palash"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3372223445072138026"},"published":{"$t":"2019-12-29T19:00:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:29:55.342+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Naso"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"zechut and zechuchit"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Let's take a look at root that has some unexpected derivatives (at least I didn't expect them).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis interesting root is זכה and the secondary form זכך. They both mean \"to be clear, clean, pure.\" One fairly obvious related word is \u003Ci\u003Ezakh\u003C\/i\u003E זך - \"pure, clean\" as in \u003Ci\u003Eshemen zayit zakh \u003C\/i\u003Eשמן זית זך - \"pure olive oil.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA noun that I didn't realize was related is \u003Ci\u003Ezekhukhit \u003C\/i\u003Eזכוכית - \"glass\". It only appears once in the Tanach (Iyov 28:17) - and while the glass back then wasn't transparent like it generally is today, it was certainly more clear than other solids.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom the literal \"pure\" and \"clear\" in Biblical Hebrew, the root took on more of a metaphorical sense in Rabbinic Hebrew. Just like we say in English that an innocent person has been \"cleared\" of charges and has a \"clean\" record, the verb זכה means \"to make someone innocent\", and that innocent person is \u003Ci\u003Ezakai\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;זכאי - \"innocent.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAn innocent, pure person is considered \"worthy\" and even \"deserving\" (of goodness). And so another meaning of the verb זכה is \"to deserve, to attain.\" This leads us to the noun \u003Ci\u003Ezekhut \u003C\/i\u003Eזכות - which according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%96%D6%B0%D7%9B%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%AA?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E has 5 different meanings:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Eprivilege, benefit\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Elegal right, title\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Efavor, advantage\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Emerit, virtue\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003Ecredit side of an account, asset\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nIn English there is a clear distinction between\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.encyclopedia.com\/politics\/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps\/right-privilege-distinction\"\u003Erights and privileges\u003C\/a\u003E. In Hebrew there is discussion of the difference between \u003Ci\u003Ezekhut\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Echova \u003C\/i\u003Eחובה - \"obligation\", but I'm not sure how you could contrast rights and privileges without using a foreign word for privilege like פריבילגיה.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nFrom \u003Ci\u003Ezekhut \u003C\/i\u003Ecomes the word \u003Ci\u003Ezakaut \u003C\/i\u003Eזכאות - \"entitlement.\" But since \u003Ci\u003Ezekhut\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can have different connotations, it doesn't necessarily carry the negative associations that \"entitlement\" can have in English today.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThere are two other Hebrew roots that are likely related to זכה\/זכך. One is זגג - it is the Aramaic equivalent of זכך, and is found in Hebrew as well.\u0026nbsp; The \u003Ci\u003Ezag\u003C\/i\u003E זג is the skin of the grape (Bamidbar 6:4), and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%96%D6%B7%D7%92.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E says it is probably \"allusion to the transparency of the skin of the grape.\" In Rabbinic Hebrew, a glassmaker is a \u003Ci\u003Ezagag\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;זגג, and today if you need to get the windows on your car replaced you go to a \u003Ci\u003Ezagagut \u003C\/i\u003Eזגגות - \"glazier(y).\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe other related root, according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%96%D7%A7%D7%A7_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E, is זקק. This verb means \"to purify, to refine.\" Distilled water is \u003Ci\u003Emayim mezukakim \u003C\/i\u003Eמים מזוקקים, and \u003Ci\u003Ebatei zikuk \u003C\/i\u003Eבתי זיקוק are \"refineries.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe other meaning of זקק - \"to bind, force, compel\" (as in זקוק \u003Ci\u003Ezakuk - \u003C\/i\u003E\"in need of\")\u0026nbsp;is not related to this one, and neither is the root זיק meaning to \"to spark, to sparkle\" (as in \u003Ci\u003Ezikukim \u003C\/i\u003Eזקוקים - \"fireworks\"). But I think we found plenty of words that are related, we are not \u003Ci\u003Ezakukim \u003C\/i\u003Efor more..\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3372223445072138026\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3372223445072138026","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3372223445072138026"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3372223445072138026"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/12\/zechut-and-zechuchit.html","title":"zechut and zechuchit"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1852513304651761820"},"published":{"$t":"2019-12-23T21:18:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-12-23T21:18:24.836+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gizbar and geniza"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Let's take a look at two Hebrew words: \u003Ci\u003Egizbar \u003C\/i\u003Eגזבר and \u003Ci\u003Egeniza \u003C\/i\u003Eגניזה. They're actually related, and have a similar story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EGeniza\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is familiar to many of us a place to dispose of sacred books and papers, so they won't be simply tossed in the trash. The most famous was the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cairo_Geniza\"\u003ECairo Geniza\u003C\/a\u003E, where hundreds of thousands of Jewish documents were found, some over 1000 years old. But before \u003Ci\u003Egeniza\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;had that specific meaning, it meant \"storage\" or \"hiding.\" It derives from the root גנז, which appears a few times in the later books of the Bible (Esther, Yechezkel and Divrei Hayamim), with the meaning \"to hide, conceal, store away.\"\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D7%A0%D7%96?lang=he\u0026amp;p2=Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B6%D6%BC%D6%BD%D7%A0%D6%B6%D7%96\u0026amp;lang2=he\"\u003EKlein says\u003C\/a\u003E it ultimately comes from the Persian words \u003Ci\u003Eganz(a)\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eganj\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"treasure.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EGizbar \u003C\/i\u003Emeans \"treasurer\", and comes from the same root. It also appears in a late Biblical book - Ezra.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%96%D6%B0%D7%91%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E provides this etymology:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nTogether with JAram. גִּזְבָּרָא, Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eגֵּזַבְרָא\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eגִּיזַבֽרָא\u003C\/span\u003E (= treasurer), Mand. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eגאנזיברא\u003C\/span\u003E (= high priest), borrowed from Pers. \u003Ci\u003Eganzabara\u003C\/i\u003E (= treasurer), from \u003Ci\u003Eganj̄\u003C\/i\u003E (= treasure)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe \u003Ci\u003Ebara\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;of \u003Ci\u003Eganzbara\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is cognate with the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/bear\"\u003Ebear\u003C\/a\u003E\" meaning \"to carry\", so the \u003Ci\u003Egizbar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is one who carries (= is responsible for) the treasure (or treasury).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Persian \u003Ci\u003Eganz \u003C\/i\u003Emay have made its way into a couple of English words as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere are many theories as to the etymology of the word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/gazette\"\u003Egazette\u003C\/a\u003E\", meaning a newspaper. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/wordhistories.net\/2016\/10\/21\/gazette\/\"\u003EOne theory\u003C\/a\u003E says that it comes from the Latin word \u003Ci\u003Egaza\u003C\/i\u003E, which meant \"treasury\", so that a gazette is a little treasury of news. The Latin \u003Ci\u003Egaza \u003C\/i\u003Ederived from the Greek \u003Ci\u003Egaza\u003C\/i\u003E, which in turn came from the Persian root \u003Ci\u003Eganza\u003C\/i\u003E, all meaning \"treasure.\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gazzetta\"\u003EA different theory\u003C\/a\u003E says that the cost of the newspaper was a \"\u003Ci\u003Egazeta\u003C\/i\u003E\" - a half penny, and the coin was a diminutive of the Latin \u003Ci\u003Egaza\u003C\/i\u003E, so it meant \"of small value\" (literally \"a little treasure\"). And as we saw, \u003Ci\u003Egaza\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;can be traced back to the Persian \u003Ci\u003Eganza.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe cold Spanish soup \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/whatholtandbarbarahadfordinner.blogspot.com\/2007\/08\/gaz.html\"\u003Egazpacho\u003C\/a\u003E\" might also have the same origin. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/gazpacho\"\u003EOne suggested etymology\u003C\/a\u003E is:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nFrom Spanish\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Egazpacho\u003C\/i\u003E, perhaps via Mozarabic *\u003Ci\u003Egazpelağo\u003C\/i\u003E from Latin \u003Ci\u003Egazophylacium\u003C\/i\u003E (“treasure-chest in a church”), alluding to the diversity of its contents.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThat's quite a treasure of etymologies!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1852513304651761820\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1852513304651761820","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1852513304651761820"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1852513304651761820"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/12\/gizbar-and-geniza.html","title":"gizbar and geniza"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-8862982266948109895"},"published":{"$t":"2019-12-15T21:11:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-12-15T21:11:56.492+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"BOOK REVIEW: Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjXsAfHHokEKx40EW1xhf2Ni7RTT8AOdVGEGyfXRMwX_F80meHYzQ5kxMyJgLa4GzW4uBCAtarfHGWZKpwB9YyAg9VQzq1wdv4rt9FBEmtH4mx-J_77K0W0Qv1ZNVbtrup59Cxl\/s1600\/benstein.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"499\" data-original-width=\"335\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjXsAfHHokEKx40EW1xhf2Ni7RTT8AOdVGEGyfXRMwX_F80meHYzQ5kxMyJgLa4GzW4uBCAtarfHGWZKpwB9YyAg9VQzq1wdv4rt9FBEmtH4mx-J_77K0W0Qv1ZNVbtrup59Cxl\/s320\/benstein.jpg\" width=\"214\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\nAs you might imagine, I have quite a few books about Hebrew.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDozens of dictionaries, books that discuss the history of Hebrew, books about etymology and linguistics, and more. I've often thought - if I wanted to make a book based on Balashon, what would it look like?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWell, thankfully, I don't have to ponder that question any more. I recently received the book\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0874419875\/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0874419875\u0026amp;linkId=5aeed9e6d463573102a07cfd2fc1c183\"\u003EHebrew Roots, Jewish Routes\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E by Dr. Jeremy Benstein. This book does the two things that any book on Hebrew that I'd want to write would need to do: discuss the significance of Hebrew (both throughout history and in today's society), and present many stories of Hebrew roots and words.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDr. Benstein, like me, is a immigrant from the United States, who was (according to the acknowledgements in the book), like me, influenced by Edward Horowitz's \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/08\/horowitz-how-hebrew-language-grew.html\"\u003EHow the Hebrew Language Grew\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/i\u003EUnlike me, he has BA in linguistics from Harvard, as well as advanced degrees in Judaic studies and cultural anthropology. (He's also the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/author\/34011\"\u003Emanaging editor of 929 English\u003C\/a\u003E, a very important project where a chapter of the Bible is studied daily, and I'm thrilled to have \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.929.org.il\/lang\/en\/author\/64450\"\u003Erecently begun contributing\u003C\/a\u003E). His expertise in these fields really shows, as he seamlessly navigates between Biblical texts, Jewish life throughout the millennia, and the heart and soul of Modern Israeli culture (amongst all the various populations and sub-cultures.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe has chapters that talk about such topics as \"Hebrew and Other Languages\", \"Ben Yehuda's Crusade for Spoken Hebrew\", \"God: Name, Names and 'The Name'\", and \"Hebrew Time: Sacred and Otherwise.\" Throughout these chapters, are interspersed what he calls \"Wordshops\" - a deep dive into a Hebrew root, from the beginning of its usage until today, with examples of the various verbs, nouns and other words that derive from that root. He explains how the development and meanings of those roots and words reflect the concepts and trends that have followed Hebrew and the Jews over the ages.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe book was a real pleasure to read. It somehow managed to enthrall a Hebrew word-nerd like me, and yet I could recommend it to anyone, even those with little or no background in Hebrew. And it was often laugh-out-loud funny, which is not what I usually get from my books about the history of Hebrew.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo if you like Balashon, get this book - you'll really enjoy it. And to Jeremy - thanks for all the hard work that must have gone into a project like this, and I sincerely thank you for writing it. Now I don't need to wonder and worry what my book on Hebrew will be. It really is a relief! (However, my books on Kohelet, and why Avraham was chosen, still need my attention...)"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/8862982266948109895\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=8862982266948109895","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8862982266948109895"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/8862982266948109895"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/12\/book-review-hebrew-roots-jewish-routes.html","title":"BOOK REVIEW: Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjXsAfHHokEKx40EW1xhf2Ni7RTT8AOdVGEGyfXRMwX_F80meHYzQ5kxMyJgLa4GzW4uBCAtarfHGWZKpwB9YyAg9VQzq1wdv4rt9FBEmtH4mx-J_77K0W0Qv1ZNVbtrup59Cxl\/s72-c\/benstein.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6310440913559280107"},"published":{"$t":"2019-12-08T19:51:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-12-10T07:10:49.111+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"gir"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Let's take a look at \u003Ci\u003Egir \u003C\/i\u003Eגיר - the Hebrew word for \"chalk.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhile today that is the primary meaning, it had other meanings in the past. It appears only once in the Bible, in Yeshaya 27:9:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nכְּאַבְנֵי־גִר מְנֻפָּצוֹת\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe New JPS translates it as \"like shattered blocks of chalk,\" but other translations have \"lime\" or \"limestone.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Aramaic equivalent, \u003Ci\u003Egira \u003C\/i\u003Eגירא, appears in Daniel 5:5, where it is translated as \"plaster.\" And the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/dictionary\/chalkstone\/\"\u003EArabic cognate, \u003Ci\u003Ejir\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, means \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/12\/geves-and-gypsum_11.html\"\u003Egypsum\u003C\/a\u003E\" or \"quicklime\". All of these words - chalk, lime, gypsum - are calcium based minerals (and plaster is made from them), and so it is understandable how one word (in different languages) could come to refer to all of them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis is the direction Klein follows in his \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Eetymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nRelated to BAram. גִּירָא (= plaster), JAram. גִּירָא (= lime), Syr. גִּירָא (= birdlime), OSArab. גירא (= lime), Tigre \u003Ci\u003Egerger\u003C\/i\u003E (= chalkstone). All these words are ultimately borrowed from Akka.\u003Ci\u003E kīru\u003C\/i\u003E (= chalkstone), which itself is a loan word from Sumerian \u003Ci\u003Egir\u003C\/i\u003E (of s.m.). Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ejayyār, jīr\u003C\/i\u003E (= lime), are Aram. loan words.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%F0%92%8C%8B%F0%92%80%9C#Akkadian\"\u003EAkkadian\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%F0%92%8C%8B%F0%92%80%9C#Sumerian\"\u003ESumerian\u003C\/a\u003E words also refer to the kilns and ovens used to make lime. From Akkadian the word entered Hebrew again, this time in the form of \u003Ci\u003Ekor \u003C\/i\u003Eכור - \"furnace.\" For that word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein write\u003C\/a\u003Es:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nכּוּר m.n. melting pot, furnace (for melting metals). [Related to Aram.-Syr. כּוּרָא, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ekūr\u003C\/i\u003E, Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Ekawer\u003C\/i\u003E, Akka. \u003Ci\u003Ekūru\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ekīru \u003C\/i\u003E(= furnace), and to כִּירַיִם.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMost people don't use a furnace in their daily lives, but \u003Ci\u003Ekirayim \u003C\/i\u003Eכיריים - \"stove, stove-top\" is found in every home.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd one more kitchen feature might have also have the same origin. While Klein provides a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D6%B4%D6%BC%D7%99%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003Edifferent etymology\u003C\/a\u003E, Elon Gilad in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/pre.haaretz.co.il\/magazine\/the-edge\/mehasafa\/.premium-1.6071801\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E says that \u003Ci\u003Ekiyor\u003C\/i\u003E כיור - \"sink,\" might have originated as the basin that collected the hot metal from the furnace."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6310440913559280107\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6310440913559280107","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6310440913559280107"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6310440913559280107"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/12\/gir.html","title":"gir"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-569566140535529701"},"published":{"$t":"2019-12-01T19:27:00.005+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:31:15.539+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Beshalach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"nebech and navoch"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A reader asked if there was any connection between the Yiddish word \u003Ci\u003Enebech\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"an unfortunate person\" (also used as an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/culture\/169362\/a-nebbish-is-born\/\"\u003Einterjection expressing pity\u003C\/a\u003E - \"\u003Ci\u003Eoy, nebech\u003C\/i\u003E\") and the similar sounding Hebrew word נבוך\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Enavoch\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"confused, bewildered, perplexed.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBottom line - no. But let's look at the etymology of each.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Yiddish \u003Ci\u003Enebech \u003C\/i\u003E(which later morphed into the English \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/nebbish\"\u003Enebbish\u003C\/a\u003E\"), derives from the Czech word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/neboh%C3%BD\"\u003Enebohý\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"unhappy.\" That word can be broken down into two parts. The first part, \u003Ci\u003Ene\u003C\/i\u003E, is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/*ne-\"\u003Eultimately cognate\u003C\/a\u003E with the English words \"no\" and \"not.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe second part comes from an earlier Slavic root \u003Ci\u003E*\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic\/bog%D1%8A\"\u003Ebogu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"fortunate.\" It is said to go back to an Indo-European root, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/*bhag-#etymonline_v_52748\"\u003E*bhag\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"to share out, apportion.\" The development seems to be that someone who \"received a share\" is fortunate and happy (but not the \u003Ci\u003Enebech\u003C\/i\u003E). It has some interesting cognates in English, like the words \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/baksheesh\"\u003Ebaksheesh\u003C\/a\u003E (a bribe, also used in Hebrew) and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/pagoda\"\u003Epagoda\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo while some Yiddish words have Hebrew origins, this isn't one of them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nNow let's discuss \u003Ci\u003Enavoch\u003C\/i\u003E. It is a biblical word (for example Pharaoh said the Israelites were confused - \u003Ci\u003Enevuchim \u003C\/i\u003Eנבוכים - at the sea in Shemot 14:3). And the Hebrew title of Maimonides' \u003Ci\u003EGuide for the Perplexed \u003C\/i\u003Eis \u003Ci\u003EMoreh Nevuchim\u003C\/i\u003E מורה נבוכים.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003ENavoch's\u003C\/i\u003E initial letter of \u003Ci\u003Enun\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;isn't radical, and so Klein says it derives from the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%BC%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%99%D6%B8%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003Eבוך\u003C\/a\u003E - meaning to be confused or perplexed. The \u003Ci\u003Ehifil\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form of that root is מביך, and so a \u003Ci\u003Ematzav mevich\u003C\/i\u003E מצב מביך is an embarrassing situation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKlein adds that roots that may be related to בוך are \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D7%91%D7%9A?lang=bi\"\u003Eאבך\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(to rise or roll up, like with smoke or dust) and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%9A.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eהפך\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to turn, turn over.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo as we've seen these are two unrelated roots. If you look online, you'll see that some people do insist that \u003Ci\u003Enebech \u003C\/i\u003Edoes derive from \u003Ci\u003Enavoch. \u003C\/i\u003EI think one reason for that confusion is how \u003Ci\u003Enebech \u003C\/i\u003Eis spelled in Modern Hebrew. In Yiddish it was spelled נעבעך which doesn't look too similar to \u003Ci\u003Enavoch. \u003C\/i\u003EBut when the word entered Hebrew slang, it was streamlined to נבך which does look a lot like \u003Ci\u003Enavoch.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/i\u003EI can see how such an unfortunate word can lead to confusion...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/569566140535529701\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=569566140535529701","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/569566140535529701"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/569566140535529701"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/12\/nebech-and-navoch.html","title":"nebech and navoch"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-925946196848932634"},"published":{"$t":"2019-11-24T14:40:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-11-24T14:40:07.069+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"nagar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A reader asked about two words: \u003Ci\u003Enagar \u003C\/i\u003Eנגר and \u003Ci\u003Erahit \u003C\/i\u003Eרהיט. He points out an interesting similarity between the two. Both appear to derive from roots which have some some association with carpentry and with flowing. Is there some common justification for this, or is it just a coincidence?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWe've already discussed \u003Ci\u003Erahit\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/04\/rahut-and-rahit.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;- and the investigation was inconclusive. But what about \u003Ci\u003Enagar\u003C\/i\u003E?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAccording to Klein, \u003Ci\u003Enagar \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"carpenter\" derives from the Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Enaggaru, \u003C\/i\u003Eand Sokoloff goes even further back to the Sumerian \u003Ci\u003Enagar - \u003C\/i\u003Eall of the same meaning. It first appears in Rabbinic Hebrew.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, the verb נגר - \"to pour, flow, run\" has a different origin. It appears in the Bible, and according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D6%B7%D7%92%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E, it is related to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\"\u003Eroot גרר\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to drag, tow, draw.\" Unlike \u003Ci\u003Enagar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;the carpenter, in this root the letter \u003Ci\u003Enun\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;isn't radical. In Hebrew it was added on, and in other Semitic languages, it doesn't appear, like in Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Egararu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ejarra \u003C\/i\u003E(which would make it possibly related to the word Madrid, as we \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/sepharad-revisited.html\"\u003Ediscussed recently\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne related word is\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emegerah\u003C\/i\u003E מגרה - \"drawer\", which is \"drawn out.\" A homonym of \u003Ci\u003Emegerah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"drawer\" is the older, biblical, \u003Ci\u003Emegerah - \u003C\/i\u003Ewhich means \"saw\", the tool used for cutting, dragging the blade across the wood.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe fact that this tool was likely used by a carpenter must have caused some people to assume a connection between the two roots. As I said above, the Akkadian and Sumerian derivation of \u003Ci\u003Enagar - \u003C\/i\u003Ecarpenter is very well established. And yet a theory connecting \u003Ci\u003Emegerah\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Enagar\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;pops up in a surprising number of recent sources, including the Even-Shoshan dictionary (in the entry for\u0026nbsp;נַגָּר), \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%A8#%D7%A0%D6%B7%D7%92%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8\"\u003EWikimilon\u003C\/a\u003E, and even \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B7%D7%92%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%A8%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein himself\u003C\/a\u003E, despite having provided the Akkadian etymology. I guess sometimes it's hard to root out outdated etymologies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/925946196848932634\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=925946196848932634","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/925946196848932634"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/925946196848932634"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/nagar.html","title":"nagar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3676684033525275180"},"published":{"$t":"2019-11-17T19:33:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-11-17T19:33:58.492+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Britain"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/sepharad-revisited.html\"\u003Erecent post\u003C\/a\u003E, I discussed Semitic connections to places in Spain. Let's take a look now at another European country - Britain.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFirst of all, I'd like to dismiss any idea that Britain could come from \"Brit-Ish.\" A great job of debunking this theory was done by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/articles\/2383\/is-british-ish-brit\/\"\u003EPhilologos in 2005\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nRabbi Samuel Silver of Boca Raton, Fla., has a short question: “Is ‘British’ related to \u003Ci\u003Ebrit\u003C\/i\u003E?”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nI take it that this question is tongue in cheek. The claim that “British” comes from the Hebrew words \u003Ci\u003Ebrit\u003C\/i\u003E (or “covenant,” familiar to many of you in its Ashkenazic form of \u003Ci\u003Ebris\u003C\/i\u003E, a circumcision) and \u003Ci\u003Eish\u003C\/i\u003E (“man”) so that it means “man of the covenant” has been around for a long time — 200 years, in fact. It goes back to the beginnings of the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/British_Israelism\"\u003EBritish Israelites\u003C\/a\u003E, a movement founded in England in the early 19th century to promulgate the idea that the British people hailed from the 10 (actually nine) Lost Tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel that disappeared from history after being carried off into exile by the Assyrians in the eighth century C.E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nThe British Israel movement was founded by an Englishman named Richard Brothers, who in 1800 published a book titled “Correct Account of the Invasion of England by the Saxons, Showing the English Nation To Be Descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes.”At its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the movement had tens of thousands of followers. Among the many “proofs” offered by it, such as the claim that the Stone of Scone in Westminster Abbey was the very stone that served Jacob as a pillow on the night he dreamed his ladder of angels while fleeing from his brother, Esau, were a large number of supposed linguistic resemblances between English and biblical Hebrew. The British\/\u003Ci\u003Ebrit ish\u003C\/i\u003E equation was one of the foremost of these.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nOf course, any beginning Hebrew student could tell you that “man of the covenant” in Hebrew is \u003Ci\u003Eish brit\u003C\/i\u003E and not \u003Ci\u003Ebrit ish\u003C\/i\u003E, but the British Israelites were never a group to be deterred by even the simplest facts...\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFeel free to read the rest of his column for more explanation of why people insist on seeing patterns where the aren't any. This something I've discussed many times in Balashon, and perhaps even more in person. People frequently come up to me, knowing my interest in Hebrew etymology, and ask me if this Hebrew word is related to that English word. I certainly understand their curiosity, and even their emotional interest in finding such a bond, but in the end, we need to deal with evidence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWith all that in mind, I found a different theory about the etymology of Britain and a possible Semitic connection. I'll say from the outset that I'm skeptical of this one, but I'm not quite as ready to dismiss it out of hand.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nApparently it's been around for quite a while. Here's a summary from a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/all-geo.org\/metageologist\/2013\/03\/cornwall-tin-pasties-and-the-world\/\"\u003Egeology website\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nThe Phoenicians, a now vanished pre-Roman civilisation in North Africa, traded directly with Cornwall. The name “Britain” comes from the Phoenician name “\u003Ci\u003EBaratanac\u003C\/i\u003E”, meaning “Land of Tin”. The Greek historian Herodotus, who is the source for much of the little we know about the ancient world, describes how tin comes from the Cassiterides, ‘lands of tin’ that sat beyond Gaul (France).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nThe fact that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tin_mining_in_Britain\"\u003Etin mining took place in Britain\u003C\/a\u003E in ancient times is not under dispute. And it's not preposterous to claim that the Phoenicians sailed to Britain. The only question is whether that particular etymology is reasonable and has any evidence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;Let's look at the etymology itself. It took me some time, but I believe I have managed to dissect \u003Ci\u003Ebaratanac \u003C\/i\u003Einto two Semitic words that could give us Land of Tin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFirst is \u003Ci\u003Ebarat\u003C\/i\u003E. I think that this theory likely connects it to a cognate of the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Ebar \u003C\/i\u003Eבר, which I've discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2011\/09\/bar.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. Klein provides \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%91%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%A8_%E1%B4%B5%E2%B1%BD.1?lang=bi\"\u003Ethis entry\u003C\/a\u003E, which makes it a reasonable candidate:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nopen field (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Job 39:4). [cp. BAram. בָּרָא, JAram. בָּרָא, בַּר (= open field), Syr. בָּרָא (= open field), Aram.–Syr. בּוּר (= to lie uncultivated), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ebarr \u003C\/i\u003E(= open country, inland, continent), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Ebarru\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Ebāru \u003C\/i\u003E(= open country).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd what about \u003Ci\u003Eanac\u003C\/i\u003E? This has a cognate in the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eanakh\u003C\/i\u003E אנך, found in Amos 7:7-8. While many translate it there as \"lead\" (or the synonymous \"plumb\"), there's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bible.org\/netbible\/brian_webster\/%E2%80%99anak_%E2%80%99anak._who%E2%80%99s_there_did_god_put_%E2%80%9Ctin%E2%80%9D_a_%E2%80%9Cplumb_line%E2%80%9D_or_something_else_in_israel\"\u003Egood evidence\u003C\/a\u003E that \"tin\" is a better translation. For example, there already is a Hebrew word for lead - \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/05\/africa.html\"\u003Eoferet\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E עופרת. And in the Akkadian cognate \u003Ci\u003Eannaku\u003C\/i\u003E, it \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=dCdeeYC3obkC\u0026amp;pg=PA455\u0026amp;lpg=PA455\u0026amp;dq=anak+akkadian+tin\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=3ucfeUd81w\u0026amp;sig=FnZpZDIIDp4Ep6N5XSsUGpznWaU\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwj-3vOXjoLbAhVBJ1AKHYuDCw4Q6AEIMDAC#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=anak%20akkadian%20tin\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eclearly means\u003C\/a\u003E \"tin.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo it looks nice. Does it hold water? Most people say no (including\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/all-geo.org\/metageologist\/2013\/03\/cornwall-tin-pasties-and-the-world\/#comment-250400\"\u003E a comment accepted by that geology website above\u003C\/a\u003E). The most common etymology says it comes from a word meaning \"tattooed people.\" Here's the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Briton\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for Briton:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nc. 1200, \"a Celtic native of the British Isles,\" from Anglo-French \u003Ci\u003EBretun\u003C\/i\u003E, from Latin \u003Ci\u003EBrittonem \u003C\/i\u003E(nominative \u003Ci\u003EBritto\u003C\/i\u003E, misspelled \u003Ci\u003EBrito\u003C\/i\u003E in MSS) \"a member of the tribe of the Britons,\" from *\u003Ci\u003EBritt-os\u003C\/i\u003E, the Celtic name of the Celtic inhabitants of Britain and southern Scotland before the 5c. Anglo-Saxon invasion drove them into Wales, Cornwall, and a few other corners. In 4c. B.C.E. Greek they are recorded as \u003Ci\u003EPrittanoi\u003C\/i\u003E, which is said to mean \"tattooed people.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nIn response, those who claim a Phoenician connection point out that tattoos weren't unique to Britain at that time. And they provide other sources of evidence against other counter-claims. Read \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.caitlingreen.org\/2016\/12\/punic-names-britain.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/gaelg-hasht.000webhostapp.com\/astoo\/gb\/THE%20NAMES%20FOR%20BRITAIN%20AND%20IRELAND%20REVISITED.pdf\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for more extensive discussion.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhere am I at the end of all of this? Unconvinced. Maybe that's a sign of my lack of knowledge - I admit that I haven't researched this as extensively as a confident conclusion would demand. But I think it's also due to a feeling that many on both sides have an interest in a particular outcome. There are those that wanted to prove a connection between Britain and the biblical lands for religious reasons. Others rejected any possibility of such a connection (even if the etymology itself didn't hold up) for their own reasons, not all of which are purely academic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut actually, being unconvinced is fine. It means that people will continue to study this question (and others), and through that effort come up with unforeseen discoveries. As a lover of language, I couldn't ask for anything more."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3676684033525275180\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3676684033525275180","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3676684033525275180"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3676684033525275180"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/britain.html","title":"Britain"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-32776367747082537"},"published":{"$t":"2019-11-10T16:43:00.001+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-11-18T09:38:01.860+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"tzion"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I'd like to discuss the etymology of \u003Ci\u003ETziyon\u003C\/i\u003E ציון (Zion in English). But before I get to that, I have to answer a more basic question. What is \u003Ci\u003ETzion\u003C\/i\u003E?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn the Bible, the name first refers to the fortress of Jerusalem, conquered by King David, as in this verse:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\nוַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִד אֵת מְצֻדַת צִיּוֹן הִיא עִיר דָּוִד׃\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut David captured the stronghold of Tzion; it is now the City of David. (Shmuel II 5:7)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt has that limited sense in three other verses. However, in the other 150 occurrences in the Bible, it refers to either all of Jerusalem or the entire Land of Israel.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIts meaning was always more poetic or symbolic than a specific place name. I think, perhaps, it could be considered more of a concept than a location.\u0026nbsp; I particularly identify with Ruvik Rosenthal's description in his (Hebrew) book, \u003Ci\u003EOld Language, New Language: The Biblical Foundations of Modern Hebrew\u003C\/i\u003E, where he writes (page 283) that Tzion\u0026nbsp;\"is a dream that desires to become reality.\" This is the sense found in the famous verses in Tehilim that describe the songs of Tzion (137:3) and the future return to Tzion (126:1).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe longing for this idealized Tzion was captured beautifully in Hebrew poetry of the Middle Ages, particularly by Ibn Gabriol and Yehuda HaLevi, in their poems known as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zionides\"\u003EZionides\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ci\u003Etzionim \u003C\/i\u003Eציונים).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nTheir desire for Tzion likely inspired the groups in 19th century Europe, such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hovevei_Zion\"\u003EHovevei Tzion\u003C\/a\u003E (lovers of Tzion) who promoted immigration to the Land of Israel. Later they coalesced into a political movement, known as Zionism (\u003Ci\u003Etzionut \u003C\/i\u003Eציונות). That term was coined by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nathan_Birnbaum\"\u003ENathan Birnbaum\u003C\/a\u003E in 1890. And of course, the Zionist movement eventually led to the founding of the State of Israel.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nConsidering the centrality of Tzion in Jewish thought and prayer, it is surprising that the etymology is so unclear. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D6%B4%D7%99%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%9F?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E offers the following:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nOf uncertain etymology. Some scholars derive it from צוה in the sense ‘to erect’ (cp. צִיּוּן). Others connect it with base צין, appearing in Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eṣāna\u003C\/i\u003E (= he protected), so that צִיּוֹן would lit. mean ‘fortress, citadel’. Scholars, with reference to Syr. צֶהְיוּן (= Heb. צִיּוֹן), derive these words from base צהה or ציה; according to them the orig. meaning of צִיוֹן would be ‘bare hill’. Other scholars regard Syr. צֶהְיוּן as the older form.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nHis first theory connects \u003Ci\u003Etzion\u003C\/i\u003E with the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Etziyun\u003C\/i\u003E ציון - \"monument, landmark.\" \u003Ci\u003ETziyun\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has a verb form - צין - \"to make a note, make a mark\", from which we get the word \u003Ci\u003Emetzuyan\u003C\/i\u003E מצוין - \"distinguished, excellent\" (the positive connotation here apparently inherited from Yiddish and German.) Klein's connection of this root to צוה - \"to command, to order\", would make Tzion cognate with \u003Ci\u003Emitzva \u003C\/i\u003Eמצוה - \"commandment.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI'm not aware of any other Hebrew cognates to the Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eṣāna\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E**\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, but his third theory, that \u003Ci\u003Etzion\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;ultimately derives from the roots ציה or צהה meaning \"dry, drought,\" has two possible outcomes. One is that, as he said, that the original meaning was \"bare hill\" - and Jerusalem is on the border of the Judean desert, so that name could be fitting. Another possibility (mentioned \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2015\/05\/11\/%d7%a9%d7%9e%d7%95%d7%aa%d7%99%d7%94-%d7%a9%d7%9c-%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%a9%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%91%d7%9e%d7%a7%d7%a8%d7%90\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) is that \u003Ci\u003Etzion\u003C\/i\u003E was named for the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/chatul.html\"\u003Ewild cats\u003C\/a\u003E that were present there - the \u003Ci\u003Etziyim \u003C\/i\u003Eציים, whose name \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D6%B4%D7%99_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein writes elsewhere\u003C\/a\u003E also derives from ציה meaning \"desert, dry.\" While we don't find wild, desert cats in Jerusalem today, it certainly has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.israelnationalnews.com\/News\/News.aspx\/262856\"\u003Eplenty of stray cats\u003C\/a\u003E - so that origin is perhaps still relevant.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt does seem somewhat mundane to end a discussion of such a lofty concept as Tzion by describing wild cats. But this has always been the reality of Jerusalem and Tzion - trying to find a connection between the corporeal and the spiritual...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E**\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;Thanks so much to reader \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/moadimblog.wordpress.com\/\"\u003EYair Ron\u003C\/a\u003E, for writing on the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/balashon\/posts\/10157600749187487?comment_id=10157623306257487\u0026amp;notif_id=1574060712824429\u0026amp;notif_t=feed_comment\u0026amp;ref=notif\"\u003EFacebook page\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cspan dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"_3l3x\"\u003E\"I'm not aware of any other \nHebrew cognates to the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eṣāna\u003C\/i\u003E\" - of course there is: צנה is a large\n shield, a body armor or a defensive wall, and Klein thinks it may be \nrelated to the same Arabic root.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nHere's \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D6%B9%D7%A0%D6%B6%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein's entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\na large shield (covering the whole body).     \u003Cb\u003E2\u003C\/b\u003E a protective wall.   NH  \u003Cb\u003E3\u003C\/b\u003E barrel shield of a revolver.  [Derived from base \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, צנן ᴵ 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%A6%D7%A0%D7%9F%20%E1%B4%B5.1\"\u003Eצנן\u003C\/a\u003E, which prob. means ‘to preserve, keep’, and possibly related to Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eṣāna\u003C\/i\u003E (= he preserved, kept).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo that's one more possible origin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/32776367747082537\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=32776367747082537","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/32776367747082537"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/32776367747082537"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/tzion.html","title":"tzion"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7915871895933706216"},"published":{"$t":"2019-11-03T20:55:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-11-03T20:55:43.458+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"sepharad revisited"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/spiel.html\"\u003EI've discussed\u003C\/a\u003E a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/02\/kasher-and-kosher.html\"\u003Enumber of times\u003C\/a\u003E that I listen to a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2018\/10\/elephant.html\"\u003Ebunch of podcasts\u003C\/a\u003E that deal with language, linguistics and etymology. But I don't believe that I've mentioned that there are also YouTube channels that focus on those same topics.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPerhaps my favorite one is \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCy_QZ1EEY4S5YT6cmBTwMwg\"\u003EName Explain\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;by Patrick Foote. His charming British accent, subtle sense of humor and genuine curiosity about the etymology of words makes each video a pleasure to watch.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nRecently, I watched his video on \"The Names of Iberia Explained\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ciframe width=\"320\" height=\"266\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ogrim3yKdmo\/0.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ogrim3yKdmo?feature=player_embedded\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nEven though I've written about some of the words he discussed before, he caused me to think about them from a new perspective, and suggested some new ones that I had not heard previously.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI wrote about \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/sefarad.html\"\u003ESefarad ספרד\u003C\/a\u003E - the Hebrew name for Spain - back in 2006, when I just started Balashon. It's an interesting place to write about in regards to Hebrew etymology, because it was settled at one point by the Phoenicians, and then centuries later by the Arabs, both of whom spoke languages cognate to Hebrew, and those cognates are reflected in many place names.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn that post, I wrote:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAccording to a theory in the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newadvent.org\/cathen\/14169b.htm\"\u003ECatholic Encyclopedia\u003C\/a\u003E, the Phoenicians gave the name to Gibraltar's neighbor Spain (Hispania) as well. One theory claims that the name derives from \u003Ci\u003Etsepan\u003C\/i\u003E - rabbit or hyrax (in Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eshafan\u003C\/i\u003E \u003Cspan lang=\"he\"\u003Eשפן\u003C\/span\u003E) and so another name could be \"The Land of Rabbits\".\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI should have been more careful, and pointed out, as Rabbi Natan Slifkin famously does \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.zootorah.com\/RationalistJudaism\/ResponseToDialogueShafan.pdf\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, that in ancient Hebrew the \u003Ci\u003Eshafan\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is only a hyrax, not a rabbit. (In fact, according to Slifkin in his book, \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/9652295752\/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;creativeASIN=9652295752\u0026amp;linkId=30e74ac2f72a959c7c7b90a105ea63ed\"\u003EThe Camel, the Hare and the Hyrax\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Ethere were no rabbits in biblical Israel. The word commonly used today for rabbit - \u003Ci\u003Earnav\u003C\/i\u003E ארנב, which in the Bible only appears in the female, \u003Ci\u003Earnevet \u003C\/i\u003Eארנבת - refers to a hare, which is distinct from a rabbit.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nName Explain was aware of this distinction, and therefore said of the origin of Hispania:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nthis name apparently comes from the Phoenicians who, when they came to the land noticed the rabbits that were living there. The rabbits reminded the Phoenicians of the hyraxes they have in their homeland and also the Phoenicians would have to sail there, so without knowing any better they thought the rabbit filled land was an island. So they went with the name Hispania, which means Isle of Hyraxes despite the fact it wasn't an island and it wasn't full of hyraxes.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd so in addition to properly explaining how a land of rabbits was named for hyraxes, he also implied that the \"Hi\" in Hispania is cognate with the Hebrew\u0026nbsp; אי - \"island.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn my original post, I discussed the etymology of Gibraltar:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nthe name comes from the Arabic Jebel el Tarik \"the Mountain of Tarik.\" \nJebel derives from the Semitic root גבל - the same as the Hebrew word \nגבול \u003Cem\u003Egvul\u003C\/em\u003E - meaning border.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nIn a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/bible.html\"\u003Elater post\u003C\/a\u003E, I expanded on the word \u003Ci\u003Egvul\u003C\/i\u003E, and showed how it was likely the origin of the name of the town Byblos, which eventually gave us the word \"bible.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn his video, Name Explain presented a theory that I hadn't heard before, that the word gibberish derives from Gibraltar. He quotes from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.wonderopolis.org\/wonder\/what-is-gibberish\"\u003Ethis site\u003C\/a\u003E in the show notes, which writes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nOthers believe it comes from the island of Gibraltar, where residents speak an interesting mix of English, Spanish, Hebrew, Hindi and Arabic. Nonresidents often believe the natives are simply speaking… well… gibberish!\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nAt first glance, that seemed a bit far-fetched, and the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/search?q=gibberish\"\u003Ealternate explanation\u003C\/a\u003E, that it came from the word \"jabber\", seemed more likely. But \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/gibfilm.blogspot.com\/2009\/02\/did-gibberish-originally-describe.html\"\u003Ethis detailed study\u003C\/a\u003E indicates that the Gibraltar explanation might very well be valid.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne word I did not address in my post was the town of Ibiza. Name Explain quoted\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balearic-properties.com\/blog\/2013\/05\/places-to-visit-in-ibiza\/\"\u003E a source\u003C\/a\u003E that said it comes from the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Eyabisa\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning \"dry land\", which is cognate with the Hebrew\u003Ci\u003E yabasha\u003C\/i\u003E יבשה of the same meaning, which in turn comes from the root \u003Ci\u003Eyavesh \u003C\/i\u003Eיבש - \"dry.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe also discusses the origin of the capital, Madrid. Its etymology is unclear, but he does provide \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/theculturetrip.com\/europe\/spain\/articles\/the-story-of-how-madrid-got-its-name\/\"\u003Eone theory\u003C\/a\u003E which gives it an Arabic origin:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nOthers say the Moors named the city in the 8th century. Apparently, the River Manzanares was called ‘\u003Ci\u003Eal-Magri\u003C\/i\u003Et’, which means water source in Arabic. The surrounding area was then called Mayrit, which comes from the Arabic term \u003Ci\u003EMayra\u003C\/i\u003E (meaning water or giver of life), which later changed to \u003Ci\u003EMagerit\u003C\/i\u003E, which means ‘place of water’ in Arabic. The name then evolved to Matrit and then eventually, Madrid. This may be the most likely theory, as the name Matrit is still found as a Spanish gentilic.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThat theory is further discussed in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/forum.wordreference.com\/threads\/madrid.2454228\/\"\u003Ethis forum\u003C\/a\u003E, where one poster says that it may derive from an Arabic word meaning \"water, stream\", which comes from the root \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%89\"\u003Ejara\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"to flow\" (as well as \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%89#Arabic\"\u003Eto run.\u003C\/a\u003E\")\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B5%D6%BC%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein writes\u003C\/a\u003E that the Hebrew word \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/06\/gur.html\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eger \u003C\/i\u003Eגר\u003C\/a\u003E - \"foreigner, stranger\" has the Arabic cognate \u003Ci\u003Ejara - \u003C\/i\u003E\"he went astray from.\" Seems to me that could be the same \u003Ci\u003Ejara\u003C\/i\u003E as \"to run\" or \"to flow\". So if all that is true, then the name Madrid has a Hebrew cognate as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo from one lover of etymology to another, thanks Patrick!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7915871895933706216\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7915871895933706216","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7915871895933706216"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7915871895933706216"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/11\/sepharad-revisited.html","title":"sepharad revisited"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ogrim3yKdmo\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3122838995122323256"},"published":{"$t":"2019-10-28T15:30:00.000+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-10-28T15:30:47.816+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"egel and igul"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Is there any connection between the Hebrew words\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eegel \u003C\/i\u003Eעגל - \"calf (a young cow or other large mammal)\" and \u003Ci\u003Eigul \u003C\/i\u003Eעיגול - \"circle\"?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAccording to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hofesh.org.il\/articles\/philology\/origin_of_languages\/1.html\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E, by linguist \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Uzzi_Ornan\"\u003EUzzi Ornan\u003C\/a\u003E, the connection can be found via cognates in other Semitic languages. In Arabic, the word \u003Ci\u003Eajila\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"he hurried, hastened\" (no connection to the English word \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/agile\"\u003Eagile\u003C\/a\u003E) and Aramaic has \u003Ci\u003Eagala\u003C\/i\u003E עגלא - \"speed\", found in the adjective \u003Ci\u003Eba'agala \u003C\/i\u003Eבעגלא - \"quickly, speedily\" which appears in the Kaddish prayer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOrnan claims that this original meaning gave us the word \u003Ci\u003Eegel\u003C\/i\u003E - since calves are speedy animals (from my experience working in the dairy farm of the kibbutz I once lived on, I have to agree).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn Hebrew an\u003Ci\u003E agala\u003C\/i\u003E עגלה is a \"carriage, wagon\", which travels quickly, and it does so because it has round wheels. The word for round in Hebrew is \u003Ci\u003Eagol\u003C\/i\u003E עגול, and is related to two words in Hebrew that until my research for this post, I frequently confused - \u003Ci\u003Ema'agal \u003C\/i\u003Eמעגל and \u003Ci\u003Eigul \u003C\/i\u003Eעגול. They both refer to \"circle\", but \u003Ci\u003Ema'agal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the circumference of the circle, and \u003Ci\u003Eigul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the area of the entire circle. I suppose a way for me to remember this in the future is that \u003Ci\u003Ema'agal \u003C\/i\u003Ealso means \"circuit\", which is a circular route (like the circumference of the circle), while \u003Ci\u003Eigul\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;has a similar form to \u003Ci\u003Eribua\u003C\/i\u003E ריבוע - an (entire) square. Another related word is \u003Ci\u003Eagil \u003C\/i\u003Eעגיל - \"earring.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn Aramaic, the root עגל expanded to the related root ערגל meaning \"to roll.\" Despite my best efforts, I was not able to determine if this root is the ultimate origin of my once favorite Israeli cookie - the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.osem.co.il\/product\/chocolate-argaliot\/\"\u003EArgaliot\u003C\/a\u003E ערגליות (I never figured out whether the singular was \u003Ci\u003Eargalit \u003C\/i\u003Eערגלית or \u003Ci\u003Eargalia \u003C\/i\u003Eערגליה - but in any case, I never could eat just one.) I did discover that Osem, who manufactures them now, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.osem.co.il\/en\/history\/osem-purchases-argal-bakery-shop-ltd-production-elongated-filled-cookies-argaliot-taking-industrial-activities-brand-name\/\"\u003Ebought the Argal ערגל bakery in 1982\u003C\/a\u003E, who originally made them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhPbz6Xd_lBxA-p-DgKGRv9WXHkSFvyVJdcQZbe547sTYWPs-taywc_Y03UyjZMKYdWIB8hEyaZBX1lMwztikvazW_k1pXlBIrOYU8rQOn-OXIkunGTa29PCfI5aFIACAYKi2Va\/s1600\/argaliot.PNG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"607\" data-original-width=\"739\" height=\"262\" src=\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhPbz6Xd_lBxA-p-DgKGRv9WXHkSFvyVJdcQZbe547sTYWPs-taywc_Y03UyjZMKYdWIB8hEyaZBX1lMwztikvazW_k1pXlBIrOYU8rQOn-OXIkunGTa29PCfI5aFIACAYKi2Va\/s320\/argaliot.PNG\" width=\"320\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut where did that bakery get their name from? Was it from baking \"rolls\"? From \"rolling\" the dough? That question still needs an answer."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3122838995122323256\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3122838995122323256","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3122838995122323256"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3122838995122323256"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/10\/egel-and-igul.html","title":"egel and igul"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEhPbz6Xd_lBxA-p-DgKGRv9WXHkSFvyVJdcQZbe547sTYWPs-taywc_Y03UyjZMKYdWIB8hEyaZBX1lMwztikvazW_k1pXlBIrOYU8rQOn-OXIkunGTa29PCfI5aFIACAYKi2Va\/s72-c\/argaliot.PNG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7792270013856988848"},"published":{"$t":"2019-10-22T16:48:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-10-23T13:55:58.750+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"geshem "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"What's the connection between the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Egeshem\u003C\/i\u003E - גשם - \"rain\" and \u003Ci\u003Egashmi \u003C\/i\u003Eגשמי - \"physical\"?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom my initial research there is none. \u003Ci\u003EGeshem\u003C\/i\u003E is a biblical word for rain, and appears about as frequently in the Bible as its synonym \u003Ci\u003Ematar\u003C\/i\u003E מטר. In Talmudic Hebrew, however, \u003Ci\u003Egeshem \u003C\/i\u003Ebecame the nearly exclusive word for rain, and so it is also today.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EGashmi\u003C\/i\u003E was borrowed into Medieval Hebrew from Arabic, which in turn is cognate with the Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Egeshem\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(or \u003Ci\u003Egishma \u003C\/i\u003Eגשמא) meaning \"body.\" That word is also biblical, appearing a few times in the Aramaic section of the book of Daniel. From \"body\" it came to mean \"substance, matter\", and this also led to the verbs \u003Ci\u003Ehigshim \u003C\/i\u003Eהגשים - \"was carried out\" or \"embodied\" and \u003Ci\u003Ehitgashem\u003C\/i\u003E התגשם - \"was realized, fulfilled.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOnce these verb forms entered Hebrew, it became must less common to use the root גשם to refer to the act of raining (even though there are verbs like that in Biblical Hebrew), but rather the verb form of \u003Ci\u003Ematar\u003C\/i\u003E: \u003Ci\u003Ehimtir\u003C\/i\u003E המטיר -\u0026nbsp; \"to make it rain.\" From this root we also have the words \u003Ci\u003Emitria\u003C\/i\u003E מטריה - \"umbrella\" and \u003Ci\u003Emamtera\u003C\/i\u003E ממטרה - \"sprinkler.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMany sources I found, including \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/hebrew-academy.org.il\/2011\/01\/23\/%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%92%D7%A9%D7%9D-%D7%95%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%97\/\"\u003Ethis one\u003C\/a\u003E from the Academy of the Hebrew Language, said there was no connection between the two homonyms. However, there \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.blueletterbible.org\/lang\/lexicon\/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H1653\u0026amp;t=WLC\"\u003Eare those\u003C\/a\u003E that claim that \u003Ci\u003Ematar\u003C\/i\u003E referred to any kind of rain, whereas \u003Ci\u003Egeshem \u003C\/i\u003Ewas a particularly heavy rain. According to this school of thought, \u003Ci\u003Egeshem \u003C\/i\u003Ecould be related to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/4847281\/Arabic_Etymological_Dictionary\"\u003EArabic \u003Ci\u003Ejasuma\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \"to be bulky, thick\", which would lead to a connection with the Aramaic \u003Ci\u003Egeshem\u003C\/i\u003E - \"body\" as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7792270013856988848\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7792270013856988848","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7792270013856988848"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7792270013856988848"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/10\/geshem.html","title":"geshem "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4623063654331472198"},"published":{"$t":"2019-10-07T14:45:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:35:41.557+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Ki Tavo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"nusach and nesiya"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"What is the origin of the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Enusach\u003C\/i\u003E נוסח?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBefore we delve into the etymology, let's discuss the meaning. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.morfix.co.il\/%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%97\"\u003EMorfix\u003C\/a\u003E offers \"wording, version, style.\" This is true in the general sense, as in the wording of a particular document. More specifically, when discussing Jewish prayer, as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nusach\"\u003EWikipedia entry\u003C\/a\u003E notes, \u003Ci\u003Enusach\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;refers to \"the style of a prayer service,\" signifying \"the entire liturgical tradition of the community, including the musical rendition.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe related word, \u003Ci\u003Enuscha\u003C\/i\u003E נוסחה means \"formula, equation\" and is used primarily in mathematical and scientific contexts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nNow to the origin. The original word, from Aramaic, was actually \u003Ci\u003Enuscha. \u003C\/i\u003EIt doesn't appear in Talmudic Aramaic, but rather first appears in the writings of the Geonim.\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003EKlein has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D6%BB%D7%A1%D6%B0%D7%97%D6%B8%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003Ethe following entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nנֻסְחָה f.n. MH 1 copy. 2 text, version. 3 formula. [From Aram. נֻסְחָא (= copy), which is prob. a loan word from Akka. \u003Ci\u003Enisḫu\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003Enusḫu\u003C\/i\u003E (= excerpt, copy), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Enusḫa\u003C\/i\u003E (= copy), is prob. an Aram. loan word.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;For \u003Ci\u003Enusach\u003C\/i\u003E, he writes that it is a back formation from \u003Ci\u003Enuscha.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe authoritative dictionary of Akkadian, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chicago_Assyrian_Dictionary\"\u003EChicago Assyrian Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E, mentions the root \u003Ci\u003Enishu\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a number of locations. (In \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.aina.org\/cad\/cad_n2.pdf\"\u003Ethis PDF\u003C\/a\u003E, look at pages\u0026nbsp;23, 31, 289, 291.) \u003Ci\u003ENishu \u003C\/i\u003Ederives from an earlier word, \u003Ci\u003Enasahu\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"to remove.\" The CAD provides many different contexts and usages for that sense of \"remove.\" For \u003Ci\u003Enuscha \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"excerpt\", they also offer the meaning \"extract\", which, as in English, has a sense of \"remove\". Copy, excerpt and extract find their modern day senses in the word processing terms of \"cut\/copy\/paste.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhile \u003Ci\u003Enuscha\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;only appears in post-Talmudic literature, a related root can be found in the Bible. This is the root נסח, which while appearing in that form in Devarim 28:63, is more commonly found in spoken Hebrew today in the \u003Ci\u003Ehifil\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;form, where the initial letter nun is dropped. The verb הסיח means \"to remove, to put aside, to deflect\" and appears in as a noun in the phrase \u003Ci\u003Ehesech daat\u003C\/i\u003E היסח דעת - \"distraction\" (literally, \"removal of the mind.\")\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDr. Hayim ben Yosef Tawil, in his book \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1602801207\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1602801207\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;linkId=89142e3feb7be140ac1949a8db2c087a\"\u003EAn Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(page 241), makes an interesting connection between the root נסח and another, much more common root נסע\u0026nbsp; - \"to travel\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nThe Biblical Hebrew verb נסע, a variant of נסח, is attested at least 9 times in reference to pulling, uprooting an object. ... e.g., הסיע גפן\/עץ \"uproot a vine tree\" (Ps 80:9; Job 19:10) ... Accordingly, the semantic development of נסע = נסח is: \"pull off the pegs of the tent \u0026gt; break camp \u0026gt; move off \u0026gt; travel.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom the root נסע, we get the words \u003Ci\u003Emasa\u003C\/i\u003E מסע - \"journey\" and \u003Ci\u003Enesiya\u003C\/i\u003E נסיעה - \"trip.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo we've gone from \u003Ci\u003Enusach \u003C\/i\u003Eto \u003Ci\u003Enesiya. \u003C\/i\u003EWhat a trip it's been!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4623063654331472198\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4623063654331472198","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4623063654331472198"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4623063654331472198"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/10\/nusach-and-nesiya.html","title":"nusach and nesiya"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5641046540904709145"},"published":{"$t":"2019-09-15T23:07:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-09-15T23:07:38.597+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"shalal"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Let's take a look at the word \u003Ci\u003Eshalal\u003C\/i\u003E שָׁלָל. It means \"spoils, booty, plunder\" and according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D6%B8%D7%81%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%9C.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E, derives from the root שלל meaning \"to spoil, to plunder, to deprive\" and has the following origin:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAkka. \u003Ci\u003Eshalālu\u003C\/i\u003E, OSArab. תלל (= to plunder), and Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ethalla\u003C\/i\u003E (= flock of sheep or goats). cp. the related base נשׁל.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nThe root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%9C.1?lang=he\"\u003Eנשל\u003C\/a\u003E, in turn, means \"to slip or drop off; to draw off.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKlein writes that this original root of שלל developed into two more meanings. One is found only once in the Bible:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nשׁלל ᴵᴵ to draw out (sheaves).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; — Qal - שָׁלַל he drew out sheaves (a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Ruth 2:16 in the phrase שֹׁל־תָּשֹׁלוּ, ‘you shall draw out (from the bundles)’. [Arab. \u003Ci\u003Esalla\u003C\/i\u003E (= he pulled out, withdrew). A special sense development of שׁלל ᴵ. cp. the related base שׁלה ᴵᴵ.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;The root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A9%D7%81%D7%9C%D7%94_%E1%B4%B5%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=he\"\u003Eשלה\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to draw out\" - gives us a number of familiar words:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eshilya \u003C\/i\u003Eשליה - \"placenta\" (drawn out of the womb)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eshilhey\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;שלהי - \"the latter part of, the end of\" (literally going away, leaving)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Eshaldag\u003C\/i\u003E שלדג - \"kingfisher\". Klein presents this etymology: \"Coined by H.N. Bialik (1873–1934) as the abbreviation of שׁוֹלֶה דָּגִים, ‘(the bird) that draws out fishes’, from שׁוֹלֶה, part. of שָׁלָה (= he drew out), and דָּג (= fish).\" It is also the name of an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shaldag_Unit\"\u003Eelite unit\u003C\/a\u003E in the Israeli army.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nA third meaning of שלל is the one most frequently found in Modern Hebrew. Klein suggests these meanings: \"to remove; to refuse, to negate, to deny.\" When an army took the spoils, they \"removed\" them from those they defeated. So today when we use the verb \u003Ci\u003Eshalal\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;it generally means someone \"rejected, denounced, ruled out\" or \"negated, refuted, disproved.\" From here we get the related words \u003Ci\u003Eshelila \u003C\/i\u003Eשלילה - \"rejection, invalidation, elimination\" and \u003Ci\u003Eshelili \u003C\/i\u003Eשלילי - \"negative.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAnother form of that verb is \u003Ci\u003Ehishtolel \u003C\/i\u003Eהשתולל. Today it means \"to misbehave, to act unruly\", but it originally meant \"to be deranged\", and Ben Yehuda indicates it therefore meant \"to be lacking sanity.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nOne word that does not seem to fit this pattern is \u003Ci\u003Eshelal \u003C\/i\u003Eשלל - \"abundance\". Klein says that this post-Biblical word (he defines as \"bunch\") actually comes from an unrelated homonym of שלל. This root means \"to stitch loosely, join together loosely, to chain, fetter.\" He provides two possible etymologies:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nProb. denominated from שַׁלְשֶׁלֶת (= chain). However, it is also possible that שׁלל in this sense is a Shaph‘el verb formed from לוּלָאָה (= loop), so that שׁלל ᴵⱽ would properly mean ‘to tie with loops’.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nBased on this meaning of the root, he writes that \u003Ci\u003Eshelal \u003C\/i\u003Ewas originally from the phrase \u003Ci\u003Eshelal shel beitzim\u003C\/i\u003E שלל של ביצים - \"embryonic eggs joined together.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nHowever, Even Shoshan says that \u003Ci\u003Eshelal\u003C\/i\u003E too originates in the meaning of \"spoils\". A victor reviewing his spoils would find a bounty before him, as in the metaphor found in Tehilim 119:162:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003Eשָׂשׂ אָנֹכִי עַל־אִמְרָתֶךָ כְּמוֹצֵא שָׁלָל רָב׃\u003Cbr \/\u003E I rejoice over Your word as one who finds great spoil.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAn example of this sense development is found in the Song of Devorah (Shoftim 5:30):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003Eהֲלֹא יִמְצְאוּ יְחַלְּקוּ שָׁלָל רַחַם רַחֲמָתַיִם לְרֹאשׁ גֶּבֶר שְׁלַל צְבָעִים לְסִיסְרָא שְׁלַל צְבָעִים רִקְמָה צֶבַע רִקְמָתַיִם לְצַוְּארֵי שָׁלָל׃\u003Cbr \/\u003E“They must be dividing the spoil they have found: A damsel or two for each man, Spoil of dyed cloths for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered cloths, A couple of embroidered cloths Round every neck as spoil.”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EShelal tzevaim\u003C\/i\u003E - \"a spoil of color(ed cloths)\" took on the sense of \"an abundance (or variety) of colors.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo now we can see how one root developed into both very negative and very positive connotations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5641046540904709145\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5641046540904709145","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5641046540904709145"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5641046540904709145"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/09\/shalal.html","title":"shalal"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2942472483965324134"},"published":{"$t":"2019-09-02T22:12:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-09-03T07:33:41.969+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ichpat"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Hebrew verb \u003Ci\u003Eichpat\u003C\/i\u003E איכפת is strange. (It is sometimes pronounced in Modern Hebrew as \u003Ci\u003Eechpat, \u003C\/i\u003Eperhaps because it is more commonly written as אכפת - without a \u003Ci\u003Eyod -\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and therefore looks like another similarly structured word אפשר, pronounced \u003Ci\u003Eefshar\u003C\/i\u003E. To hear the word in Hebrew, along with many examples of current usage, listen to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/tlv1-radio-2\/streetwise-hebrew\/e\/53581458\"\u003Ethis episode\u003C\/a\u003E of the great podcast Streetwise Hebrew.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhile commonly translated as \"to care\", I think a better translation would be \"to matter\" or \"to concern\", since it is always followed by the preposition \"to\" as in \u003Ci\u003Elo ichpat li\u003C\/i\u003E or \u003Ci\u003Ema ichpat lecha\u003C\/i\u003E, which mean \"[it] doesn't matter to me\" and \"what [does it] concern you\". It is the root of the word \u003Ci\u003Eichpatiut\u003C\/i\u003E - איכפתיות - \"empathy\" (discussed at length\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.elephant.org.il\/translate\/translatable-but-debatable-ichpatiut\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhat is the etymology of the word?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt first appears in post-biblical Hebrew, and Even-Shoshan notes that it was borrowed from Aramaic (for example in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Targum_of_I_Chronicles.21.13?lang=bi\"\u003ETargum to Divrei Yamim I 21:13\u003C\/a\u003E), where it is a form of the (related) Hebrew roots אכף or \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/10\/kaf.html\"\u003Eכפה\u003C\/a\u003E, meaning \"force, compel\".\u0026nbsp; This is also a theory presented by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%90%D6%B4%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%A4%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%AA?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nאִכְפַּת intr. v. PBH to pressure, to care, concern. [Of uncertain etymology. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Perles\"\u003EPerles\u003C\/a\u003E connects it with Syr. אֱכַף (= he had regard to, was solicitous, took care of). See אכף ᴵ.]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nHis entry for אכף is as follows:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nאכף ᴵ to press force.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; — Qal - אָכַף he pressed, urged (in the Bible, a hapax legomenon occurring Pr. 16:26). [JAram. אֲכַף, Syr. אֱכַף (= he pressed, pressed hard, urged), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eukkupu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to urge).]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn Modern Hebrew אכף means \"to enforce\",\u0026nbsp; and \u003Ci\u003Eakifa\u003C\/i\u003E אכיפה means \"enforcement.\" Klein suggests that \u003Ci\u003Eukaf\u003C\/i\u003E אוכף - \"saddle\", also may derive from this root. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%90%D6%B4%D7%9B%D6%B0%D7%A4%D6%B7%D6%BC%D7%AA?lang=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E makes the same connection, and offers a common meaning - \"burden\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA different theory connecting \u003Ci\u003Eichpat\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;and \u003Ci\u003Eukaf\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is presented by Horowitz (p. 90). He writes that\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nthe basic thought here is \"resting upon.\" The saddle rests upon the horse. \u003Ci\u003EMa ichpat li\u003C\/i\u003E מה איכפת לי really means how does this rest upon me, and figuratively, of course, how does this concern me.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis is similar to the position of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/beta.hebrewbooks.org\/reader\/reader.aspx?sfid=48229#p=323\u0026amp;fitMode=fitwidth\u0026amp;hlts=\u0026amp;ocr=%u05D0%u05DB%u05E4%u05EA\"\u003EArukh\u003C\/a\u003E, who says the root means \"to bind\" (so possibly deriving from the root \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D7%A4%D7%AA?lang=bi\"\u003Eכפת\u003C\/a\u003E - \"to bind\"), and in the same way a saddle is bound to a horse, this \"thing\" is now connected to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn the footnotes of the Ben Yehuda dictionary, all of these suggestions are discussed, and in the end, none appear convincing. But \u003Ci\u003Ema ichpat li\u003C\/i\u003E? It was fun looking into them!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2942472483965324134\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2942472483965324134","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2942472483965324134"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2942472483965324134"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/09\/ichpat.html","title":"ichpat"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6750502396966899467"},"published":{"$t":"2019-08-25T15:27:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-08-26T09:54:56.126+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"sababa and machloket"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nI found a couple of interesting etymologies related to words that we've discussed before, so I thought I'd share them with you now.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/08\/tzvi.html\"\u003EBack in 2006\u003C\/a\u003E, we talked about the word \u003Ci\u003Etzvi\u003C\/i\u003E צבי. I wrote that Klein:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nconnects it to the root צבה - meaning \"to wish, desire\". This verb is \nfound in Aramaic Daniel 6:18, in the Aramaic translations to Biblical \nHebrew words such as חשק, חפץ and רצון (all meaning will or desire), and\n in the Talmud as well (Yoma 86b, 87a). Therefore a translation of \u003Ci\u003EEretz HaTzvi\u003C\/i\u003E could be \"a desirable land\", which would pair up well with the phrase ארץ חמדה - \u003Ci\u003EEretz Hemda\u003C\/i\u003E, which means the same thing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFrom this root we also get the Hebrew word צביון \u003Ci\u003Etzivyon\u003C\/i\u003E, which originally meant \"will or desire\", later became \"beauty\", and in Modern Hebrew means \"character, nature\".\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWell, this apparently is also the root of the Hebrew slang word \u003Ci\u003Esababa \u003C\/i\u003Eסבבה - meaning \"cool\".\u0026nbsp; As \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/word-of-the-day-sababa-1.5259870\"\u003EShoshana Kordova writes\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003ESababa \u003C\/i\u003Eis one of several Hebrew slang words meaning “great” or “cool” and can express enthusiasm, satisfaction or assent (“sure,” “no problem”).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n“How was your presentation? Did everything go as planned?” one colleague might ask another. “Oh yeah,” the response might be. “It all went \u003Ci\u003Esababa\u003C\/i\u003E, no hitches.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003ESababa \u003C\/i\u003Ecomes from the Arabic word \u003Ci\u003Etzababa\u003C\/i\u003E, which means “great” or “excellent” in spoken Arabic, though it is also a more formal Arabic word meaning “yearning” or “strong love.”\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo this meaning of \"yearning, strong love\" in Arabic for \u003Ci\u003Etzababa \u003C\/i\u003Eis cognate with the Hebrew צבה, also meaning \"desire.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/02\/chelek-and-chaklaut.html\"\u003EIn 2017\u003C\/a\u003E, I discussed the root חלק, meaning to divide. It is the root of the word \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Eמחלוקת, meaning \"division, dispute, disagreement.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis word appears in a well-known mishna (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Pirkei_Avot.5.17?lang=bi\"\u003EAvot 5:17\u003C\/a\u003E) -\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nכָּל מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, \nסוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֵין סוֹפָהּ \nלְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ \nמַחֲלֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת\n קֹרַח וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ:\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\nEvery \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Ethat is for the sake of \nHeaven, will in the end endure; But one that is not for the sake of \nHeaven, will not endure. Which is the \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Ethat is for the sake \nof Heaven? Such was the \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Eof Hillel and Shammai. And which is \nthe \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Ethat is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the \n\u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Eof Korah and all his congregation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nThe word \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Ein this English translation originally appeared as \"dispute\" and \"controversy.\" However, Safrai, in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/herzogpress.herzog.ac.il\/book_page.asp?id=186\"\u003Ehis commentary\u003C\/a\u003E, says that this understanding is difficult. Disputes \"for the sake of heaven\" should be easy to resolve by good arguments, whereas disputes not for the sake of heaven, where personal and external factors are involved, will not be settled by claims of logic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo Safrai, quoting \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ezra_Zion_Melamed\"\u003EMelamed\u003C\/a\u003E, writes that the word \u003Ci\u003Emachloket \u003C\/i\u003Ehere does not mean \"dispute\", but rather \"division\", i.e. the different groups (on either side of the debate). This was the meaning in Biblical Hebrew (it appears frequently in Divrei Hayamim), and is parallel to the word \u003Ci\u003Emiflaga \u003C\/i\u003Eמפלגה - also meaning division (the root פלג means divide as well), and is the word for \"political party\" in Modern Hebrew. Therefore, Safrai concludes, that groups that are organized for a positive purpose (\"for the sake of heaven\") will endure.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6750502396966899467\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6750502396966899467","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6750502396966899467"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6750502396966899467"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/08\/sababa-and-machloket.html","title":"sababa and machloket"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1732560096884574034"},"published":{"$t":"2019-08-18T19:53:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-08-18T19:53:51.535+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"tzofeh and tzipui"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Hebrew root צפה has two different meanings.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne means \"to look, observe, keep watch, expect\", and gives us such words as:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etzafui\u003C\/i\u003E צפוי - \"foreseen\"\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Etzofeh\u003C\/i\u003E צופה - \"scout\"\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Emitzpeh\u003C\/i\u003E מצפה - \"lookout, observatory\"\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nThe other meaning of צפה is \"to coat, to cover, to overlay.\" \u003Ci\u003ETzipui \u003C\/i\u003Eציפוי means \"covering, coating, glaze.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nIs there any connection between the two meanings?\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A6%D6%B4%D7%A4%D6%B8%D6%BC%D7%94?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E doesn't indicate any. He provides two distinct etymologies. For the meaning \"to look\", he writes:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nJAram. צְפֵי, אִצְטֽפֵי (= he looked out), Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Etasafawa\u003C\/i\u003E (= he hoped), New Punic צפא (= seer). cp. also Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eṣubbu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to look at).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nAnd for the meaning \"to cover\", he simply notes:\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nJAram. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eצִפָּא\u003C\/span\u003E (= laying over, covering).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nNot too much to go on there, but certainly no connection is offered. To find some possible theories, we're going to need to go to older dictionaries. Since linguistics was not as developed when they were written, these suggestions are much more speculative. But since there is nothing even in Klein's theory that precludes a connection (like the two roots having clearly distinct origins), it is interesting to read their theories.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nSteinberg, in his Milon HaTanach, seems to indicate that the original meaning of the root was \"to cover\", and the secondary meaning, \"to observe\", came from the sense \"to put one's eye on\". If this is the case, perhaps it follows a similar development as the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cover\"\u003Ecover\u003C\/a\u003E\", which earlier meant \"to put something over something else\" and later, in the field of journalism, came to mean \"to investigate.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tyndalearchive.com\/TABS\/Gesenius\/\"\u003EGesenius\u003C\/a\u003E says the root means \"to shine, to be bright\", based on an Arabic cognate. From this, he writes, the meaning \"to look out, to view\" properly means \"to enlighten with the eyes.\" And he claims that the original meaning of \"to cover\" was \"to overlay with gold or silver\", i.e. to make splendid. (Notably, the BDB, which is built on Gesenius, does not mention this theory.)\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Jastrow%2C_%D7%A6%D6%B4%D7%A4%D6%B0%D7%93%D6%BC%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A0%D6%B8%D7%90?lang=bi\u0026amp;p2=Jastrow%2C_%D7%A6%D7%A4%D7%99.1\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003EJastrow\u003C\/a\u003E has a similar theory. He also says the original meaning was \"to shine.\" While he doesn't explain the connection between \"to shine\" and \"to look\" (I assume it has something to do with light), like Gesenius, he says that \"to cover\" originally meant \"to cover with shining plate.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nFinally, Tur Sinai, in a note on Ben Yehuda's entry for the meaning of \"to overlay\" writes that perhaps this root doesn't mean \"to cover\" at all, but rather to purify and to improve - \"to ennoble\" in his words. He then says that this would make the root cognate with an Arabic root צפי meaning \"to purify\", which is related to another Arabic root צפא, meaning \"was pure and clear.\" If this is the case, Tur Sinai notes, it could be connected to the other Hebrew root, meaning \"to see\" - which would properly mean \"to see clearly.\" In any case, he summarizes, \u003Ci\u003Etzipui \u003C\/i\u003Ein Biblical Hebrew never means to simply cover, but to cover with some better material.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nSo did I cover everything?\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1732560096884574034\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1732560096884574034","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1732560096884574034"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1732560096884574034"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/08\/tzofeh-and-tzipui.html","title":"tzofeh and tzipui"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3375953969474666428"},"published":{"$t":"2019-08-12T19:46:00.004+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-08-12T19:48:05.785+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"badeken"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nJust before the main part of the Jewish wedding ceremony under the \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chuppah\"\u003Echuppah\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, the groom approaches the bride, and covers her face with a veil. This ceremony is known as the \"\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Badeken\"\u003Ebadeken\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E.\"\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn the past, when I thought about the etymology of the word, I assumed it derived from the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/10\/bidur.html\"\u003Ebadak\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E בדק - \"to examine.\" My assumption was based on an association with the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Genesis.29?lang=bi\u0026amp;aliyot=0\"\u003Estory of the wedding of the patriarch Yaakov\u003C\/a\u003E. He thought he was marrying Rachel, but was deceived, and ended up marrying her sister Leah. Since the \u003Ci\u003Ebadeken \u003C\/i\u003Eceremony is the last chance for the groom to \"inspect\" the bride before the \u003Ci\u003Echuppah \u003C\/i\u003E(and in many arranged weddings in earlier times, perhaps the first time he met her at all), I figured this was his opportunity for a \u003Ci\u003Ebedika \u003C\/i\u003Eבדיקה - \"inspection\", hence \u003Ci\u003Ebadeken.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\nBut no. This \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D7%91%D7%90%D6%B7%D7%93%D7%A2%D7%A7%D7%A0%D7%A1\"\u003EYiddish word\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;באַדעקן,\u0026nbsp; actually derives from the German \u003Ci\u003Ebedecken\u003C\/i\u003E, meaning \"to cover\" (in this case with a veil). It has an \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/bedecken\"\u003EIndo-European etymology\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nFrom Old High German *\u003Ci\u003Ebidecchen\u003C\/i\u003E, from Proto-Germanic *\u003Ci\u003Ebiþakjaną\u003C\/i\u003E, equivalent to \u003Ci\u003Ebe\u003C\/i\u003E- +‎ \u003Ci\u003Edecken\u003C\/i\u003E. Cognate with Dutch \u003Ci\u003Ebedekken\u003C\/i\u003E, English bethatch, Swedish \u003Ci\u003Ebetäcka\u003C\/i\u003E.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nI had never heard of the English example \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/bethatch\"\u003Ebethatch\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(and neither has my spell checker), but of course it is related to \"thatch\", which is the covering (i.e. roof) of a house. The Online Etymology Dictionary provides the following entries for thatch:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\nthatch (v.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nlate 14c., \u003Ci\u003Ethecchen\u003C\/i\u003E, from Old English \u003Ci\u003Eþeccan \u003C\/i\u003E\"to cover, cover over, conceal,\" in late Old English specifically \"cover the roof of a house,\" related to \u003Ci\u003Eþæc \u003C\/i\u003E\"roof, thatching material,\" from Proto-Germanic *\u003Ci\u003Ethakjan \u003C\/i\u003E(source also of Old Saxon \u003Ci\u003Ethekkian\u003C\/i\u003E, Old Norse \u003Ci\u003Eþekja\u003C\/i\u003E, Old Frisian \u003Ci\u003Ethekka\u003C\/i\u003E, Middle Dutch \u003Ci\u003Edecken\u003C\/i\u003E, Dutch\u003Ci\u003E dekken\u003C\/i\u003E, Old High German \u003Ci\u003Edecchen\u003C\/i\u003E, German \u003Ci\u003Edecken \u003C\/i\u003E\"to cover\"), from PIE root *\u003Ci\u003E(s)teg\u003C\/i\u003E- \"to cover.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\nthatch (n.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOld English \u003Ci\u003Eþæc \u003C\/i\u003E\"roof, thatch, cover of a building,\" from Proto-Germanic *\u003Ci\u003Ethakam \u003C\/i\u003E(source also of Old Norse \u003Ci\u003Eþak\u003C\/i\u003E, Old Frisian \u003Ci\u003Ethek\u003C\/i\u003E, Swedish \u003Ci\u003Etak\u003C\/i\u003E, Danish \u003Ci\u003Etag\u003C\/i\u003E, Middle Dutch, Dutch \u003Ci\u003Edak \u003C\/i\u003E\"roof,\" Old High German \u003Ci\u003Edah \u003C\/i\u003E\"covering, cover,\" German \u003Ci\u003EDach \u003C\/i\u003E\"roof\"), from PIE root *\u003Ci\u003E(s)teg\u003C\/i\u003E- \"to cover.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nWe've seen *\u003Ci\u003E(s)teg\u003C\/i\u003E before - it's ultimately the root of the Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2011\/11\/tag.html\"\u003Etag\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eתג - \"crown\".\u0026nbsp; And one more English cognate is the word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/deck\"\u003Edeck\u003C\/a\u003E\". The noun refers to the covering of a boat, and the verb means to \"adorn, array or clothe with something ornamental (as in deck the halls).\" Which is pretty much what the \u003Ci\u003Ebadeken \u003C\/i\u003Eceremony is - and an easy way to remember the proper etymology."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3375953969474666428\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3375953969474666428","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3375953969474666428"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3375953969474666428"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/08\/badeken.html","title":"badeken"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5310449990606829434"},"published":{"$t":"2019-08-04T19:51:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-08-04T19:51:31.263+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"kesef and kisufim"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Hebrew word \u003Ci\u003Ekesef \u003C\/i\u003Eכסף - \"silver\" or \"money\" and \u003Ci\u003Ekisufim \u003C\/i\u003Eכיסופים - \"longing\", share the same root. What is the connection between the the two?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAccording to most scholars, both words derive from an earlier root meaning \"white\" or \"pale\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFor example, Klein, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9B%D7%A1%D7%A3_%E1%B4%B5.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003Ehis entry\u003C\/a\u003E for the verb כסף - \"to long for\", writes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAram. כְּסַף (was pale, was white; whence ‘was white for shame’, ‘was ashamed’), Arab. \u003Ci\u003Ekasapha \u003C\/i\u003E(= was colorless, was obscured, was eclipsed — said of the sun or the moon).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAs Stahl writes, both shame and yearning cause a person to become pale.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd Klein continues in his entry for \u003Ci\u003Ekesef\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/i\u003E- \"silver\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nRelated to Phoen. כסף, BAram. and Aram. כְּסַף, כַּסֽפָּא, Syr. כֻּסְפָּא, Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Eksp\u003C\/i\u003E, Akka. \u003Ci\u003Ekaspu\u003C\/i\u003E. These words prob. derive from כסף and lit. mean ‘the pale metal’.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nIn his concordance, Even Shoshan lists three meanings for \u003Ci\u003Ekesef\u003C\/i\u003E, seemingly in the order the senses developed:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n1) the metal silver, which is the most frequent use of \u003Ci\u003Ekesef\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the Bible\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n2) an abbreviation of \u003Ci\u003Eshekel kesef\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/i\u003Eשקל כסף - \"a weight of silver\", which represents a particular value of silver, based on a standard weight\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n3) price, which only appears three times in the Bible. This sense is not connected to silver at all and developed into the common meaning today, \"money.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne other word that may derive from this early meaning \"white\" is Caspian, as in the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Caspian_Sea\"\u003ECaspian Sea\u003C\/a\u003E. The Online Etymology Dictionary has \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/caspian\"\u003Ethis entry\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nCaspian (adj.)\u0026nbsp; of or pertaining to the great inland sea of central Asia, 1580s, from Latin \u003Ci\u003ECaspius\u003C\/i\u003E, from Greek \u003Ci\u003EKaspios\u003C\/i\u003E, named for native people who lived on its shores (but who were said to be originally from the Caucasus), Latin \u003Ci\u003ECaspii\u003C\/i\u003E, from a native self-designation, perhaps literally \"white.\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/caspianrepublic.blogspot.com\/2015\/05\/ancient-caspian-cross-and-caspians.html?m=1\"\u003EThis site\u003C\/a\u003E theorizes that the Semitic word may have come from the Sumerians, and from Mesopotamia, the word spread to the Caucasus."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5310449990606829434\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5310449990606829434","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5310449990606829434"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5310449990606829434"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/08\/kesef-and-kisufim.html","title":"kesef and kisufim"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7820556569584977609"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-28T17:40:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-07-28T17:40:54.930+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Buttigieg"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Continuing our tour of the Mediterranean, this time we'll look at the name\u0026nbsp;Buttigieg - most famous today as the surname of the mayor of South Bend, Indiana,\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pete_Buttigieg\"\u003E Pete Buttigieg\u003C\/a\u003E, who is currently running for President of the United States.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nButtigieg is certainly an unusual last name - difficult to spell and to intuit the pronunciation (\u003Ci\u003Eboot-edge-edge\u003C\/i\u003E). Pete's father, Joseph, was born in Malta, and their surname is Maltese.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maltese_language\"\u003EMaltese\u003C\/a\u003E is a Semitic language (descending from a variety of Arabic), and we've \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/11\/malta.html\"\u003Enoted before\u003C\/a\u003E that the name Malta itself is likely of Phoenician origin, and cognate to the Hebrew root מלט \u003Ci\u003Emalat \u003C\/i\u003E- \"to escape.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo I thought it would be interesting to see if \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Buttigieg\"\u003EButtigieg\u003C\/a\u003E has any cognates familiar to Hebrew speakers. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/183114\/Vestiges_of_Arabic_Nomencalture_in_Maltese_Surnames\"\u003EThe name derives\u003C\/a\u003E from the Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003EAbū d-dajāj. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAbu \u003C\/i\u003Eliterally means father, and \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%D8%AF%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%A9\"\u003Edajaj\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/i\u003Emeans chickens (or poultry).\u0026nbsp; Together, the name referred to a dealer in poultry.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003EDajaj \u003C\/i\u003Eappears also in the full name of the star \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Deneb\"\u003EDeneb\u003C\/a\u003E - which was \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Deneb\"\u003Eoriginally known\u003C\/a\u003E as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eḏanab ad-dajāja\u003C\/i\u003E, “the hen's tail”. Deneb is used frequently \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Deneb_in_fiction\"\u003Ein fiction\u003C\/a\u003E, including Star Trek. (Mayor Pete is a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.indianapolismonthly.com\/longform\/pete-buttigieg-feature\"\u003Efan of Star Trek\u003C\/a\u003E, and is quite a \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.marieclaire.com\/politics\/a27004186\/pete-buttigieg-languages\/\"\u003Elinguaphile\u003C\/a\u003E. I wonder if he's aware of the connection to his name.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nReturning to Buttigieg\/\u003Ci\u003EAbū d-dajāj,\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Eabu \u003C\/i\u003Eis certainly cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Eav \u003C\/i\u003Eאב - \"father.\" But what about \u003Ci\u003Edajaj\u003C\/i\u003E? Any Hebrew relatives?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI'll start out by saying that I was not able to find any clear connection between \u003Ci\u003Edajaj \u003C\/i\u003Eand any Hebrew (or Aramaic) word that I know (outside of an Aramaic cognate in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=Rr87DwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA259\u0026amp;lpg=PA259\u0026amp;dq=arabic+dagag+chicken+etymology\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=-jhh_kdudl\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U0TRnNqovJrfvKk6DaW39UzU_Mdqg\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiBzcqDqN_hAhWKZ1AKHT-IADwQ6AEwB3oECAgQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=arabic%20dagag%20chicken%20etymology\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethis book\u003C\/a\u003E, but I could not find any other source that mentions such a word). If any of you readers can help, I welcome your input.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;While I could not find any Hebrew cognates, there are cognates in other Semitic languages, including \u003Ci\u003Edagag \u003C\/i\u003Ein Ge'ez, also meaning \"domestic fowls\". In \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=WqkbGRnoSncC\u0026amp;pg=PA126\u0026amp;lpg=PA126\u0026amp;dq=dgdg+semitic\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=UcuY8q0g-H\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U1dkwLa5oAV0MPAicfwutPly_TtZg\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjfzsPqpN_hAhWHJVAKHW1YB14Q6AEwBHoECAYQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=dgdg%20semitic\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethis dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E of Ge'ez, they write that\u0026nbsp;the word derives \"from an onomatopoetic \u003Ci\u003Edgdg\u003C\/i\u003E\" and compares to to a word in Sahri (another Semitic language), \u003Ci\u003Eedegdeg \u003C\/i\u003E- \"make a tapping noise.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIf \u003Ci\u003Edajaj\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is of onomatopoetic etymology - the pecking of the chickens - then the search for its origin ends there. But I'm not yet convinced.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=aPu3BfGZFZwC\u0026amp;pg=RA1-PA162\u0026amp;lpg=RA1-PA162\u0026amp;dq=%22d-g-d-g%22+(arabic+OR+hebrew+OR+aramaic+OR+akkadian+OR+semitic)\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=ngmzVPykD8\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U3nKiEivMmvzWoAJ79_5aaZUb0aww\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiVrevRitDjAhV0s3EKHUD9CcYQ6AEwA3oECAYQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=%22d-g-d-g%22%20(arabic%20OR%20hebrew%20OR%20aramaic%20OR%20akkadian%20OR%20semitic)\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EThis dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E of Iraqi Arabic says that \u003Ci\u003Edagdag\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"to bang, to pound\", and \u003Ci\u003Edagg\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;means \"to grind, to crush\". And \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/starling.rinet.ru\/cgi-bin\/response.cgi?single=1\u0026amp;basename=%2fdata%2fsemham%2fsemet\u0026amp;text_number=+304\u0026amp;root=config\"\u003Ethis database of Semitic roots\u003C\/a\u003E says that many related languages have similar roots meaning \"trample down\", \"press, squeeze\", or\u0026nbsp; \"tap\". Perhaps ultimately all of those derive from an onomatopoetic ancestor, but I think that might leave room for some connection to Hebrew. If we consider the theory that some of the most ancient three consonant Semitic roots are based in earlier roots of two consonants (as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/10\/pargit.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E), then perhaps there was a two letter root \u003Ci\u003E*dg\u003C\/i\u003E that meant \"to beat, to pound.\" This would fit an onomatopoetic origin as well, since the sound of \u003Ci\u003E*dg\u003C\/i\u003E is similar to tapping or knocking.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd if that's the case - and I admit I'm speculating here - there are some Hebrew words with related meanings that begin with \u003Ci\u003Edg\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edagesh \u003C\/i\u003Eדגש\u0026nbsp; - as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/dagesh.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, originally meant \"to pierce\"\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edigdeg \u003C\/i\u003Eדגדג - \"to tickle\", which \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/benyehuda.org\/by\/hazaot_xidushey_milim.html\"\u003EBen Yehuda\u003C\/a\u003E coined\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/fayllar.org\/arabic-dictionary.html?page=5\"\u003Efrom the Arabic\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Edaghdagha \u003C\/i\u003E(a distinct spelling from \u003Ci\u003Edajaj\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd if we note the similarity between \"g\" and \"k\", we find these as well:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edakak \u003C\/i\u003Eדקק - \"to crush, pulverize\"\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ci\u003Edakar \u003C\/i\u003Eדקר - \"to pierce, stab\"\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\nI'm not sure what I think of these options. Ultimately, they're just stabs in the dark...\u003C\/div\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7820556569584977609\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7820556569584977609","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7820556569584977609"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7820556569584977609"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/buttigieg.html","title":"Buttigieg"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-863818238693058130"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-22T09:38:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:39:06.757+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Lech Lecha"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"mayonnaise"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"After discussing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/copper-cyprus-cypress-and-gopher.html\"\u003ECyprus\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/rhodes.html\"\u003ERhodes\u003C\/a\u003E, this time we'll look at another Mediterranean island in our discussion of \"mayonnaise.\" (And no, I'm not looking into the origin of Thousand Island dressing.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Online Etymology Dictionary provides this possible\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/mayonnaise\"\u003Eetymology\u003C\/a\u003E for mayonnaise:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n1815, from French sauce mayonnaise (1806), said by French sources to be corrupted from \u003Ci\u003Emahonnaise \u003C\/i\u003Eand to have been named in recognition of \u003Ci\u003EMahon\u003C\/i\u003E, seaport capital of island of Minorca, captured by France in 1756 after the defeat of the British defending fleet in the Seven Years' War\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n(For a more detailed discussion about this and other theories about the origin, see \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bonappetit.com\/test-kitchen\/ingredients\/article\/on-the-etymology-of-the-word-mayonnaise\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut of course, we need to go a little deeper. Where did the city of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mah%C3%B3n\"\u003EMahón\u003C\/a\u003E get its name?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis goes all the way back to the brother of the famous general of Carthage, Hannibal. According to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=pup44wMCoeoC\u0026amp;pg=PA254\u0026amp;lpg=PA254\u0026amp;dq=mahon+mago\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=pAaz_oPiEv\u0026amp;sig=ACfU3U2RpuOwNNQ37CtfYa-RHpVQbNz2mA\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwj62bTt1MfjAhUNa8AKHQBGD3oQ6AEwCnoECAcQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=mahon%20mago\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Ethis book\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nHis youngest brother \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mago_Barca\"\u003EMago \u003C\/a\u003E... possessed himself of the island now called Minorca, where Port Mahon (Mago's Harbour) still preserves the memory of his visit.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIf you're still asking why is all of this being discussed here, we need to remember (as \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/03\/sefarad.html\"\u003Ewe've discussed before\u003C\/a\u003E) that Carthage was originally a Phoenician colony, and so they also spoke a Semitic language.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo could this Mago have a Hebrew cognate? \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.livius.org\/articles\/person\/mago-barca\/\"\u003EThis article\u003C\/a\u003E about Mago Barca says that Mago is from Phoenician \u003Ci\u003Emgn, \u003C\/i\u003Emeaning \"godsent\". This root already seems similar to the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2007\/02\/genie.html\"\u003Emagen \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Eמגן - but in Hebrew it means \"shield\". Could \"godsent\" somehow be related to \"shield\" or \"protect\"?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=j364D6HM_scC\u0026amp;pg=PA339\u0026amp;lpg=PA339\u0026amp;dq=mgn+phoenician\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=Dh42LZTZuN\u0026amp;sig=lw6BJsJFdvRrRn5sjBbVjskCBgo\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwi2obzUl7bfAhWIUlAKHSv3DBo4ChDoATAHegQIAhAB#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=mgn%20phoenician\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003EMany\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=cKy9CwAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA6\u0026amp;lpg=PA6\u0026amp;dq=magon+magan+benefactor\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=SAtkUFL4OC\u0026amp;sig=6TBaMngD9SN-gj4B-6PaAalyOi0\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPu4a6mLbfAhVIbFAKHTSCC44Q6AEwBnoECAIQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=magon%20magan%20benefactor\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Esources \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=1Jg3AAAAIAAJ\u0026amp;pg=PA122\u0026amp;lpg=PA122\u0026amp;dq=magon+magan+benefactor+dahood\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=KGiVbN2FTx\u0026amp;sig=wKNidgcK_zwoLgQPpVdR9mGQEBE\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwjXy7vamLbfAhVBUlAKHdOGBckQ6AEwB3oECAIQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=magon%20magan%20benefactor%20dahood\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Eclaim\u003C\/a\u003E that a better translation for \"godsent\" would be \"benefactor\" - one who gives or helps others. Perhaps surprisingly,\u0026nbsp;there are two different roots (having the same spelling) for מגן. One\u0026nbsp; means \"to shield, protect\" and, as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%9E%D6%B8%D7%92%D6%B5%D7%9F?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;writes, derives from the noun \u003Ci\u003Emagen\u003C\/i\u003E, which in turn comes from the root גנן - \"to cover, protect.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nRegarding the other מגן, he says it means \"to deliver up, deliver\" and provides this etymology:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nPhoen. מגן (= he gave), Aram.-Syr. מַגָּן, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Emajānan \u003C\/i\u003E(= as a gift, gratis), Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Emgn \u003C\/i\u003E(= to beseech).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Genesis.14.20?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=Ibn%20Ezra\u0026amp;lang2=bi\"\u003EIbn Ezra, on Bereshit 14:20\u003C\/a\u003E, points out that in this root the letter \u003Ci\u003Emem \u003C\/i\u003Eis radical (part of the root), which is not the case of \u003Ci\u003Emagen \u003C\/i\u003Eas shield, where the root is גנן and the \u003Ci\u003Emem\u003C\/i\u003E serves as a prefix. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn Biblical Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Emagen \u003C\/i\u003Eas shield is far more common, but there are three verses where the root מגן means \"to give\" or \"to deliver\" - Bereshit 14:20, Hoshea 11:8 and Mishlei 4:9. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Psalms-1-50-Anchor-Bible-Commentaries\/dp\/030013956X#reader_030013956X\"\u003ESome say\u003C\/a\u003E that \u003Ci\u003Emagen \u003C\/i\u003Ein Bereshit 15:1 has the meaning of suzerain or benefactor as well, and not shield as commonly translated.) The root with that meaning appears much more frequently in Talmudic literature.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/863818238693058130\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=863818238693058130","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/863818238693058130"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/863818238693058130"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/mayonnaise.html","title":"mayonnaise"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-2297384483418104351"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-15T22:13:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:39:53.496+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Rhodes"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Last time we talked about the Mediterranean island of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/copper-cyprus-cypress-and-gopher.html\"\u003ECyprus\u003C\/a\u003E. This time, we'll discuss a neighboring island: \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rhodes\"\u003ERhodes\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nRhodes is likely the source of the biblical sea people, sons of Yavan (Greece) known as the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dodanim\"\u003ERodanim \u003C\/a\u003Eרודנים, as mentioned in Divrei Hayamim I 1:7. (The parallel text in Bereshit 10:4 lists them as the Dodanim דודנים, but various ancient translations translate that verse as Rodanim.)\u0026nbsp; And what is the origin of the name Rhodes?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere are a few proposed etymologies, all of which may have some connection to Hebrew.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/rhodes\"\u003EOnline Etymology Dictionary\u003C\/a\u003E presents three theories. The first two claim that it derives from:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nGreek \u003Ci\u003ERhodos\u003C\/i\u003E, perhaps from \u003Ci\u003Erhodon \u003C\/i\u003E\"rose,\" or \u003Ci\u003Erhoia \u003C\/i\u003E\"pomegranate\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003ERhodon \u003C\/i\u003Eas rose is cognate with the Hebrew \u003Ci\u003Evered\u003C\/i\u003E ורד as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2009\/03\/shoshana.html\"\u003Eearlier\u003C\/a\u003E, quoting Klein:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAramaic ורדא, borrowed from Iranian *\u003Ci\u003Ewrda\u003C\/i\u003E, whence Greek \u003Ci\u003Erodon\u003C\/i\u003E, whence Latin \u003Ci\u003Erosa \u003C\/i\u003E(=rose)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/148339?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents\"\u003EThis article\u003C\/a\u003E mentions a suggestion that \u003Ci\u003Erhoia \u003C\/i\u003Ederives from the Hebrew word for pomegranate, \u003Ci\u003Erimmon \u003C\/i\u003Eרימון.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo both of these have a Hebrew connection. In the first one, the Hebrew and Greek have a common ancestor, and in the second the Greek may derive from the Hebrew.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever the Online Etymology Dictionary goes on to make an additional suggestion:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nbut \"more likely\" [Room, Adrian, \u003Ci\u003EPlace Names of the World\u003C\/i\u003E] from a pre-Greek name, from Phoenician \u003Ci\u003Eerod \u003C\/i\u003E\"snake,\" for the serpents which were said to have anciently infested the island.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nPhoenician is a Semitic language, very close to Hebrew, however I could not find a Hebrew (or Aramaic) cognate to \u003Ci\u003Eerod \u003C\/i\u003Eas snake. (Other spellings include \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/%E1%BF%AC%CF%8C%CE%B4%CE%BF%CF%82#Etymology\"\u003Ehrʿd\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=prDLCQAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PT130\u0026amp;dq=rhodes+etymology++snake\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwiSpZH3y_HeAhWSDOwKHaMWDAsQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003Erhad\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=prDLCQAAQBAJ\u0026amp;pg=PT130\u0026amp;dq=rhodes+etymology++snake\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=0ahUKEwiSpZH3y_HeAhWSDOwKHaMWDAsQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage\u0026amp;q\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/starling.rinet.ru\/cgi-bin\/response.cgi?single=1\u0026amp;basename=%2fdata%2fsemham%2fsemet\u0026amp;text_number=2671\u0026amp;root=config\"\u003E*ʔar(a)w-\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E ).\u0026nbsp; Perhaps one of you can?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E*** Update ***\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"color: red;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\nTwo helpful readers found what might very well be a Hebrew cognate for the Phoenician \u003Ci\u003Eerod\u003C\/i\u003E. This is the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%93_(%D7%97%D7%96%22%D7%9C)\"\u003Epost-biblical ערוד\u003C\/a\u003E (alternatively vocalized as \u003Ci\u003Earod\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;or \u003Ci\u003Earvad\/arwad\u003C\/i\u003E). It appears in Talmudic literature as a snake (or another reptile) as in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Berakhot.33a?lang=bi\"\u003EBerachot 33a\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Chullin.127a?lang=bi\"\u003EChullin 127a\u003C\/a\u003E). This \u003Ci\u003Earod\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;should not be confused with the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.toraland.org.il\/%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%97-%D7%95%D7%94%D7%97%D7%99-%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%9D\/%D7%96%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%99-%D7%91%D7%A2%D7%9C%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D\/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%93.aspx\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Earod \u003C\/i\u003Eof biblical Hebrew\u003C\/a\u003E (Iyov 39:5), which is an African wild donkey. I haven't found any significant research about the etymology of \u003Ci\u003Earvad\/arod\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;meaning snake, but it's certainly possible that it is related to the Semitic cognates I mentioned earlier. Great job!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/2297384483418104351\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=2297384483418104351","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2297384483418104351"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/2297384483418104351"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/rhodes.html","title":"Rhodes"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5299312167049830594"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-07T19:51:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:40:20.014+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Noach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"copper, Cyprus, cypress and gopher"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Sometimes it feels like tracking the etymologies of words is like a centuries long game of telephone. Let me show you what I mean.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHere's the Online Etymology Dictionary for the word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/copper\"\u003Ecopper\u003C\/a\u003E\":\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nlate Old English \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecoper\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Proto-Germanic \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E*\u003Ci\u003Ekupar\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(source also of Middle Dutch \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekoper\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old Norse \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekoparr\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old High German \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekupfar\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), from Late Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecuprum\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, contraction of Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECyprium \u003C\/i\u003E(\u003Ci\u003Eaes\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E \"Cyprian (metal),\" after Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EKyprios\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"Cyprus\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo copper comes from Cyprus (both linguistically and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mining_industry_of_Cyprus\"\u003Ephysically\u003C\/a\u003E). Where does the name \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cyprus\"\u003ECyprus\u003C\/a\u003E come from?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nlarge eastern Mediterranean island, late 14c., \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECipre\u003C\/i\u003E, \u003Ci\u003ECipres\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Latinized form of Greek \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EKypros\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\"land of cypress trees\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nCyprus\/cypress. Fair enough. So what is the etymology of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/cypress?ref=etymonline_crossreference\"\u003Ecypress\u003C\/a\u003E? Here we get to a Hebrew connection:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nfrom Old French \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003Ecipres\u003C\/span\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E(12c., Modern French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecyprès\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), from Late Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecypressus\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ecupressus\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ekyparissos\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, probably from an unknown pre-Greek Mediterranean language. Perhaps it is related to Hebrew \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003Egopher\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, name of the tree whose wood was used to make the ark (Genesis vi.14).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHere we probably have arrived at almost the end of the line. Klein doesn't have much to offer as to the origin of \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%92%D6%B9%D6%BC%D6%BD%D7%A4%D6%B6%D7%A8.1?lang=bi\u0026amp;with=all\u0026amp;lang2=en\"\u003Egofer \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Eגפר:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nm.n.    ‘gopher’ (a kind of wood of which Noah’s ark was made).  [Of unknown origin. Perhaps related to Akka. \u003Ci\u003Egiparu.\u003C\/i\u003E]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSarna, in his JPS commentary on the one appearance of \u003Ci\u003Egofer \u003C\/i\u003E(Bereshit 6:14), writes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nMany modern scholars prefer the cypress both because of a similarity in sound to the Hebrew and because it was widely used in shipbuilding in ancient times, due to its resistance to rot.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/6808-gopher-wood\"\u003EGiparu \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Emeant a kind of reed in Akkadian. It's unclear to me how a word for a reed became the word for a tree - unless both were used to build boats (compare the ark of Noah to the ark of baby Moses.) But I guess that's the nature of telephone - the further you go along, the harder it is to figure out what the original message was..."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5299312167049830594\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5299312167049830594","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5299312167049830594"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5299312167049830594"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/copper-cyprus-cypress-and-gopher.html","title":"copper, Cyprus, cypress and gopher"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-981923797076314252"},"published":{"$t":"2019-07-01T21:16:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-07-01T21:16:03.367+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"mekhir and mechira"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Last time we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/06\/chalav-and-chelev.html\"\u003Etwo homographs\u003C\/a\u003E - words written the same, with different pronunciations. Now I'd like to talk about two roots that are homophones - same pronunciation, but different spelling: \u003Ci\u003Emekhir \u003C\/i\u003Eמחיר and \u003Ci\u003Emechira \u003C\/i\u003Eמכירה.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nActually, they only appear to have the same pronunciation to those speaking Hebrew influenced by the Ashkenazic tradition, where the letters \u003Ci\u003Ekhet \u003C\/i\u003E(ח) and \u003Ci\u003Echaf \u003C\/i\u003E(כ) sound the same. In the Sefardic and Yemenite pronunciations, the two letters have distinct sounds. However, since the words have similar meanings - \u003Ci\u003Emekhir \u003C\/i\u003Eis \"price\" and \u003Ci\u003Emechira \u003C\/i\u003Eis \"sale\" - to many Hebrew speakers a common etymology might seem possible. However, as in our previous discussion, the two roots aren't connected.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary?lang=bi\"\u003EKlein\u003C\/a\u003E (and others) note that both have cognates in Akkadian.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis is what he writes about מכר - \"to sell\" (the root of the word \u003Ci\u003Emechira\u003C\/i\u003E)\u003Ci\u003E:\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nAram.-Syr. מֽכַר (= he married; properly: bought as a wife), Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Emkr\u003C\/i\u003E (= tradesman), Akka. \u003Ci\u003Emakkūru, namkūru\u003C\/i\u003E (= possession), \u003Ci\u003Etamkaru\u003C\/i\u003E (= tradesman)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe adds that the\u0026nbsp; Akkadian \u003Ci\u003Etamkaru\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the source of \u003Ci\u003Etagar \u003C\/i\u003Eתגר - a post-biblical word for merchant or trader:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nTogether with Aram. תַּגָּר, תַּגָּרָא, Syr. תַּגָּרָא, תַּאגָּרָא, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Etājir\u003C\/i\u003E (of s.m.), borrowed from Akka. \u003Ci\u003Etamgāru, tamkāru\u003C\/i\u003E (of s.m.), which itself is traceable to מכר (= to sell)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nAnd here is his entry for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emekhir\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cstrong dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eמְחִיר\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;m.n. price, hire. [Prob. a loan word from Akka.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emaḫīru\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(= purchase price), which derives from\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emaḥām\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;(= to receive, get, buy).]\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe writes that it is related to the word\u0026nbsp;\u003Ci\u003Emohar\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eמוהר - \"dowry.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nStahl (in his Arabic Etymological Dictionary) suggests that this Akkadian root is also the source of the Hebrew root מור - \"to change\", which gives us the words \u003Ci\u003Ehamara\u003C\/i\u003E המרה - \"exchange\" and \u003Ci\u003Etemura \u003C\/i\u003Eתמורה - \"substitution\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/981923797076314252\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=981923797076314252","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/981923797076314252"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/981923797076314252"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/07\/mekhir-and-mechira.html","title":"mekhir and mechira"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-1209540734289435756"},"published":{"$t":"2019-06-23T17:39:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2019-06-29T21:33:12.748+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"chalav and chelev"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I was recently asked if there was any connection between the homographs \u003Ci\u003Echalav\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003Eחָלָב - \"milk\" and \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Chelev\"\u003Echelev\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003Eחֵלֶב - \"fat\" (particularly suet, the fat forbidden to eat according to Jewish law).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMy first instinct was to answer that of course they are related. Both words are of biblical origin, and\u0026nbsp; milk has a high fat content (particularly as was consumed in ancient times). And, I thought, a parallel could be made with \u003Ci\u003Eshuman \u003C\/i\u003Eשומן - \"fat\" (the kind permitted to eat) and \u003Ci\u003Eshamenet \u003C\/i\u003Eשמנת - \"cream\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut if there's one thing years of writing on Balashon has taught me, is that my first instinct is often wrong. And it certainly was this time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSometime when I look at etymologies of Hebrew words, I'm comfortable looking at pre-modern sources. The problem with doing that in cases like this, is that the temptation to connect such similar words is great, and without the assistance of modern linguistics, it was nearly impossible for earlier scholars to get to the real origins of the words.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo in this case, I went straight to Klein (made much easier by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary?lang=bi\"\u003ESefaria's digitized edition of his book\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHere is his entry for \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein_Dictionary?lang=bi\"\u003Echalav\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cb dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eחָלָב\u003C\/b\u003E m.n.    milk.  [Related to Aram. \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, חָלָב 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%97%D6%B8%D7%9C%D6%B8%D7%91.1\"\u003Eחֲלַב\u003C\/a\u003E, Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eחַלְבָּא\u003C\/span\u003E, Ugar. \u003Ci\u003Eḥlb\u003C\/i\u003E, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eḥalab, ḥalib\u003C\/i\u003E, Ethiop. \u003Ci\u003Eḥalīb\u003C\/i\u003E (= milk). Akka. \u003Ci\u003Eḥalābu\u003C\/i\u003E (= to milk).]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd here is his entry for \u003Ci\u003Echelev\u003C\/i\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"he\" lang=\"he\"\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\n\u003Cb dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eחֵֽלֶב\u003C\/b\u003E m.n.    fat, grease.  [Related to Phoen. \u003Ca class=\"refLink\" data-ref=\"Klein Dictionary, חלב 1\" dir=\"rtl\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Klein%20Dictionary,_%D7%97%D7%9C%D7%91.1\"\u003Eחלב\u003C\/a\u003E, Syr. \u003Cspan dir=\"rtl\"\u003Eחֶלְבָּא\u003C\/span\u003E, Arab. \u003Ci\u003Eḥilb\u003C\/i\u003E (= midriff). The orig. meaning of these words was perhaps ‘fat of the midriff’.) ]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nThe two aren't related, and I couldn't find any modern source that did connect the two.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\" lang=\"en\"\u003E\nBut it turns out I wasn't only wrong about that. I thought that \u003Ci\u003Eshuman \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eshamenet \u003C\/i\u003Ewere also biblical words. Nope. \u003Ci\u003EShuman\u003C\/i\u003E was introduced during the Talmudic period (and is related to the biblical word for oil, \u003Ci\u003Eshemen \u003C\/i\u003Eשמן). \u003Ci\u003EShamenet \u003C\/i\u003Eis actually very modern word, only being coined in 1933. It replaced Ben Yehuda's word for cream - \u003Ci\u003Ezivda \u003C\/i\u003Eזבדה (based on the Arabic \u003Ci\u003Ezubda \u003C\/i\u003E- \"butter, cream\".) Ben Yehuda writes that he chose that word, because the biblical word for cream - \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/05\/chemah.html\"\u003Echemah\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E חמאה - had become in his time used for the product of churning cream - i.e. butter - a new word was needed for cream.\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd while \u003Ci\u003Eshamenet \u003C\/i\u003Eis certainly based on the root שמן (connecting it to \u003Ci\u003Eshemen \u003C\/i\u003Eand \u003Ci\u003Eshuman\u003C\/i\u003E), that wasn't why it was chosen. Rather, there was already a common Yiddish word - \u003Ci\u003Eshmant \u003C\/i\u003E- meaning \"cream\". And \u003Ci\u003Eshmant \u003C\/i\u003Edoesn't have any Hebrew cognates at all. It's directly related to the German \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Schmand\"\u003Eschmand\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E (and therefore likely a distant cousin of the English word \"smooth\".)"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/1209540734289435756\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=1209540734289435756","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1209540734289435756"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/1209540734289435756"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2019\/06\/chalav-and-chelev.html","title":"chalav and chelev"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6818257579596435673"},"published":{"$t":"2018-11-08T15:44:00.002+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:41:39.944+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Noach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Bavel"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In Bereshit 11, the Torah provides an etymology for the name of the city of\u0026nbsp;בבל Bavel (Babylon in English, the capital of Babylonia). It is found at the conclusion of the famous \"Tower of Babel\" (\u003Cem\u003EMigdal Bavel\u003C\/em\u003E) story. The people on earth all spoke the same language and began to build a city and a tower to prevent their being scattered. To prevent this scheme from succeeding, God causes them to speak different languages so they could not communicate with each other:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Genesis 11:7\" class=\"segment highlight\" data-ref=\"Genesis 11:7\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\nהָבָה נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה שָׁם שְׂפָתָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ אִישׁ שְׂפַת רֵעֵהוּ׃ \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\"\u003E\n\"Let us, then, go down and confound their speech there, so that they shall not understand one another’s speech.” \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"clearFix\"\u003E\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv aria-controls=\"panel-1\" aria-label=\"Click to see links to Genesis 11:8\" class=\"segment highlight\" data-ref=\"Genesis 11:8\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\nוַיָּפֶץ\u0026nbsp;ה' אֹתָם מִשָּׁם עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּחְדְּלוּ לִבְנֹת הָעִיר׃ \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\"\u003E\nThus the LORD scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"he\" style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\nעַל־כֵּן\n קָרָא שְׁמָהּ בָּבֶל כִּי־שָׁם בָּלַל\u0026nbsp;ה' שְׂפַת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ \nוּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם\u0026nbsp;ה' עַל־פְּנֵי כָּל־הָאָרֶץ׃\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"en\"\u003E\nThat is why it was called Babel,\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E because there the LORD confounded\u003Ci\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E the speech of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth. \u003C\/div\u003E\n(Bereshit 11:7-9, JPS translation)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nIt is generally accepted that this story, and particularly the etymology, is a polemic against Babylon. The Babylonians viewed their city, and their ziggurat temples (which the story of the Tower reflects) as the gateway to the gods, and that is reflected in \u003Cem\u003Etheir\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;etymology for their city's name. As the Online Etymology Dictionary entry for Babel \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/Babel#etymonline_v_163\"\u003Ewrites\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nfrom Hebrew \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBabhel\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (Genesis xi), from Akkadian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebab-ilu\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"Gate of God\" (from \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebab\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"gate\" + \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eilu\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"god\"). The name is a translation of Sumerian \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003EKa-dingir\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Akkadian \u003Cem\u003Ebab\u003C\/em\u003E is cognate with the Aramaic \u003Cem\u003Ebava\u003C\/em\u003E בבא (which we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2015\/02\/bubbe.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E) and the Arabic \u003Cem\u003Ebab\u003C\/em\u003E, both meaning gate or gateway.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, despite the theory above that \u003Cem\u003Ebab-ilu\u003C\/em\u003E is a translation from the Sumerian, others believe that this is also a folk etymology. Sarna writes in \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0805202536\/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;tag=balashonhebre-20\u0026amp;creative=9325\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0805202536\u0026amp;linkId=c8c93bf55f4144401e64390d5f0a386d\"\u003EUnderstanding Genesis\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E (p. 69):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nBabylon, Hebrew \u003Cem\u003EBabel\u003C\/em\u003E, was pronounced \u003Cem\u003EBabilim\u003C\/em\u003E by the Mesopotamians. The name is apparently non-Semitic in origin and may even be pre-Sumerian. But the Semitic inhabitants, by popular etymology, explained it as two separate Akkadian words, \u003Cem\u003Ebab-ilim\u003C\/em\u003E, meaning \"the gate of the god.\" This interpretation refers to the role of the city as the great religious center. It also has mystical overtones connected with the concept of \"the navel of the earth,\" the point at which heaven and earth meet. The Hebrew author, by his uncomplimentary word-play substituting \u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E for Babel has replaced the \"gate of the god\" by \"a confusion of speech,\" and satirized thereby the pagan religious beliefs.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo we therefore have two folk-etymologies: one positive and one negative. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut there is one problem with the Biblical one. The root\u003Cem\u003E balal\u003C\/em\u003E בלל, as we discussed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2010\/04\/tavlin.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, means \"to mix\" - that is to mix different things together in one new mixture, as in the Biblical \u003Cem\u003Ebelil\u003C\/em\u003E בליל or the Post-Biblical \u003Cem\u003Ebelila\u003C\/em\u003E בלילה, meaning \"mixture\" or more specifically today, \"batter.\"\u0026nbsp;Yet, as Prof. Yonatan Grossman points out in his article, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Jonathan_Grossman2\/publication\/319418735_The_Double_Etymology_of_Babel_in_Genesis_11\/links\/5b7e62b0299bf1d5a71e55b8\/The-Double-Etymology-of-Babel-in-Genesis-11.pdf?origin=publication_detail\"\u003EThe Double Etymology of Babel in Genesis 11\u003C\/a\u003E\" this is a difficult use of \u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;After providing more examples of biblical words where \u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E means mixing distinct entities, he writes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nIf this is the case, it is strange to find this verb used to characterize a city in the sense of »scatter«: rather than blended or mixed, the people of the city are geographically scattered in every direction, and culturally-linguistically separated by language. Here, the verb לבלול\u0026nbsp; [\u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E]\u0026nbsp;seems to function in an antithetical sense to its usual meaning, a sense which is also antithetical to the objective of the story: at the beginning, its people were fully integrated together, but by its end, the uniform mixture has been scattered and separated.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe adds that this problem is \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nis evident in biblical dictionaries that use two separate entries for the definition of the verb בל\"ל : one referring to the sense of mixture, which appears throughout the Bible, and the second, which refers only to the Tower of Babel narrative: »there is a divine call for the mixing (›confuse‹ and ›confused‹) of the languages.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo why then does the Torah provide an etymology that doesn't seem to fit the story?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAccording to Grossman, this requires additional knowledge of Babylonian history. He notes that \"according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/En%C3%BBma_Eli%C5%A1\"\u003EEnûma Eliš\u003C\/a\u003E, Babylon was founded to serve as a gathering place for the gods\" and that \"Babylon and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Esagila\"\u003EEsagila\u003C\/a\u003E are presented as the place where all the gods assemble, reside, and receive offerings.\" And so the root \u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E serves as a second polemic:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nWhile the Babylonians hold that their city and temple represent the place where the gods gather – where the 300 gods of the heavenly pantheon convene with the 600 gods of the underworld – the biblical narrator counters that Babylon was not a place of divine assembly but a place of human dispersion. The name is not based on a stirring motion that brings things together, but a frantic, chaotic stirring motion that drives them apart.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe essay goes into much more detail about these issues - I highly recommend reading the entire thing to fully understand the meaning behind this short but significant biblical story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhat was surprising to me was that until I read Grossman's theory, I had never heard anyone mention the problem with \u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E in this context before. I assume that is because the Hebrew root בלבל \u003Cem\u003Ebilbel\u003C\/em\u003E, which Klein says is related to \u003Cem\u003Ebalal\u003C\/em\u003E, does mean to confuse. For example, in this Mishnaic passage:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003E\nוְכִי עַמּוֹנִים וּמוֹאָבִים בִּמְקוֹמָן הֵן. כְּבָר עָלָה סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וּבִלְבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\"And are the Ammonites or Moavites still [dwelling] in their own place? Sancheriv, king of Assyria, already arose and confused [the lineage of] all the nations.\" (Yadayim 4:4)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis refers to the Assyrian king, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sennacherib\"\u003ESancheriv\u003C\/a\u003E, who after conquering a nation would resettle its inhabitants in other regions of his empire. And although Assyria was a Mesopotamian kingdom like Babylonia, his story is the opposite of the story of the Tower. In the Tower story, God took people speaking the same language and caused them to speak many different languages so they wouldn't be able to cooperate, Sancheriv took people of different linguistic backgrounds and mixed them together to assimilate under one unified identity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOh, and one last thing, since if I don't write about, I'm sure to be asked. Is there any connection between the English word \"babble\" and the Hebrew words that we've discussed so far?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Online Etymology Dictionary says that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/babble\"\u003Ebabble\u003C\/a\u003E does not have Semitic roots:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nmid-13c., \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebabeln\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"to prattle, \nutter words indistinctly, talk like a baby,\" akin to other Western \nEuropean words for stammering and prattling (Swedish \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebabbla\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebabillier\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E,\n etc.) attested from the same era (some of which probably were borrowed \nfrom others), all probably ultimately imitative of baby-talk (compare \nLatin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebabulus\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"babbler,\" Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ebarbaros\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \"non-Greek-speaking\"). \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHowever, the same entry does go on to quote the OED as saying that \"No direct connection with \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003EBabel\u003C\/span\u003E can be traced; though association with that may have affected the senses.\" So origin, no - but influence, possibly."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6818257579596435673\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6818257579596435673","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6818257579596435673"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6818257579596435673"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2018\/11\/bavel.html","title":"Bavel"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5781320629458460352"},"published":{"$t":"2018-10-28T20:36:00.003+02:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-10-28T20:36:58.748+02:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"behemoth and behema"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There is no question that the English word \"behemoth\",\u0026nbsp;referring to a huge creature,\u0026nbsp;comes from the Hebrew word \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E בהמות.\u0026nbsp;But where does the word \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E come from?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIt only appears once in the Bible, in Iyov 40:15\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nהִנֵּה־נָא בְהֵמוֹת אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי עִמָּךְ חָצִיר כַּבָּקָר יֹאכֵל׃\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nTake now behemoth, whom I made as I did you; He eats grass, like the cattle.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis is the opening verse of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org.il\/Job.40.15?lang=bi\"\u003Ea section\u003C\/a\u003E describing this mighty beast (continuing until 40:24). At first glance, it might seem that \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E is the plural of \u003Cem\u003Ebehema\u003C\/em\u003E בהמה - \"animal, beast.\" And in fact, \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E as the plural of \u003Cem\u003Ebehema\u003C\/em\u003E appears in 14 other biblical verses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe problem is that in this case, in Iyov, the word refers to a single animal, very likely the hippopotamus, not a collective of animals.\u0026nbsp;So what's happening here?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere are two theories. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne is that \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E does derive from \u003Cem\u003Ebehema\u003C\/em\u003E, in what Klein calls \"plural extensivus\" . This is a phenomenon in many languages, including Hebrew, where to indicate an extension or increase in size or scope, a plural is used when referring to a singular object. We discussed a similar phenomenon \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2011\/04\/baal-and-adon.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E (referring to the names of God), and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/09\/kapara.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E explaining why Yom Kippurim is in the plural. According to Fox (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.bsw.org\/biblica\/vol-93-2012\/behemoth-and-leviathan\/497\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E),\u0026nbsp; a good translation would be something like \"super-beast.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;This is also the position of Kaddari, who doubts that the \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E refers to a hippopotamus due to the mention of a\u0026nbsp;large tail (like a cedar)\u0026nbsp;in Iyov 40:17.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe other theory is that despite the obvious similarities between the words, \u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Ebehema\u003C\/em\u003E are not cognate. This is mentioned in the Online Etymology Dictionary entry for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/behemoth\"\u003Ebehemoth\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nlate 14c., huge biblical beast (Job xl.15), from Latin \u003Cem\u003Ebehemoth\u003C\/em\u003E, from Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Eb'hemoth\u003C\/em\u003E, usually taken as plural of intensity of \u003Cem\u003Eb'hemah\u003C\/em\u003E \"beast.\" But the Hebrew word is perhaps a folk etymology of Egyptian \u003Cem\u003Epehemau\u003C\/em\u003E, literally \"water-ox,\" the name for the hippopotamus.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis is also the position of Steinberg in his \"Milon HaTanach\",\u0026nbsp;BDB,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;Tur-Sinai in Ben Yehuda's dictionary, who finds support in the commentaries of Ibn Ezra and Ralbag.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut Klein writes that \"the assumed connection of Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Ebehemoth\u003C\/em\u003E with Egyptian \u003Cem\u003Ep-ehe-mau\u003C\/em\u003E, 'ox of the water', was justly rejected by W. Max Muller.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd yet, Slifkin, in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=_1fdxxS26RYC\u0026amp;pg=PA181\u0026amp;lpg=PA181\u0026amp;dq=slifkin+behemoth\u0026amp;source=bl\u0026amp;ots=it6fpVJve_\u0026amp;sig=KTE40hLhjiMXFPLnFw46oz2_MeI\u0026amp;hl=en\u0026amp;sa=X\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPrdjwip3eAhUYM8AKHbRvAjMQ6AEwBnoECAMQAQ#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=slifkin%20behemoth\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003ESacred Monsters\u003C\/a\u003E, writes that \"it seems overwhelmingly likely that the account of the behemoth in the book of Job refers to the hippopotamus\" (p. 185)\u0026nbsp;and in response to those like Kaddari who have a problem with the mention of the tail, writes that \"that it stiffens its tail, which is only likened to a cedar in terms of its stiffness, but not in its overall dimensions. The hippo's tail is less than a foot long, but it is broad and stiff\" (p. 187).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo who's right? I know it's cliché, and I sound like the rabbi in that old joke, but I think they're likely both right on some level. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.studylight.org\/lexicons\/hebrew\/929.html\"\u003EGesenius wrote\u003C\/a\u003E that \"it is probable that the form בְּהֵמוֹת [\u003Cem\u003Ebehemot\u003C\/em\u003E] really conceals an Egyptian word, signifying the hippopotamus, but so inflected as to appear Phœnicio-Shemitic.\" In other words, when the speakers of Hebrew first encountered a huge animal called \u003Cem\u003Epehamau\u003C\/em\u003E, and thought\u0026nbsp;it sounded very similar to their existing word \u003Cem\u003Ebehema\u003C\/em\u003E - they connected the two. This happens all the time when languages meet. (We saw a similar case in our discussion of \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/11\/hodu.html\"\u003Ehodu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E.)\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo while perhaps if we had a time machine we could find a more precise explanation of the development of the word, but until one is invented, I think both explanations are legitimate.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5781320629458460352\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5781320629458460352","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5781320629458460352"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5781320629458460352"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2018\/10\/behemoth-and-behema.html","title":"behemoth and behema"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-6131470612714790084"},"published":{"$t":"2018-10-21T22:59:00.000+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-10-21T22:59:10.777+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"elephant"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A podcast I enjoy, The History of English Podcast, had an episode a while back called \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/historyofenglishpodcast.com\/2017\/03\/29\/episode-92-the-lion-kings\/\"\u003EThe Lion Kings\u003C\/a\u003E\" where the host discussed the etymologies of animals that were exotic to medieval England. One of them was the elephant, which is discussed in minutes 31-36 of that episode.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe host presented a theory that I had always kind of assumed, but never saw written down anywhere. That theory says that the word ultimately derives from the Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Eelef\u003C\/em\u003E אלף - \"ox\" (which I discussed in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/alef.html\"\u003Emy post on the letter \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/06\/alef.html\"\u003Ealef\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E) - or from some Semitic cognate. They are both big mammals, so I assumed that it would be easy for the word to transfer from one to another. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut again, I never saw it anywhere before listening to the podcast. The theories that I had always seen were closer to the one proposed by Klein, in both his Hebrew and English etymological dictionaries, which I'll share with you now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFirst of all, it's generally agreed that the English word \"elephant\" derives from the Greek, as described \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/elephant\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nc. 1300, \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eolyfaunt\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Old French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eolifant\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (12c., Modern French \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eéléphant\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E), from Latin \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eelephantus\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E, from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eelephas\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E (genitive \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eelephantos\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E) \"elephant; ivory\"\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKlein breaks down \u003Cem\u003Eelephas\u003C\/em\u003E into two parts. Regarding the first part, \"\u003Cem\u003Eel\u003C\/em\u003E\" he writes that it:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nappears also in Hamitic \u003Cem\u003Eelu\u003C\/em\u003E, 'elephant', whence probably Persian \u003Cem\u003Ep-il\u003C\/em\u003E, Arabic \u003Cem\u003Eph-il\u003C\/em\u003E, Mishnaic Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Ep-il\u003C\/em\u003E of same meaning.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn his entry for the Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Epil\u003C\/em\u003E פיל, he adds the Akkadian cognates \u003Cem\u003Epiru\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Epilu\u003C\/em\u003E, and says that \u003Cem\u003Eelu \u003C\/em\u003Ebecame \u003Cem\u003Epilu \u003C\/em\u003Edue to the Egyptian article \"p-\" (which according to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/google.cat\/books?id=1IqlyuBX0scC\u0026amp;pg=PA407\u0026amp;dq=editions:HARVARDHN6AXL\u0026amp;lr=\u0026amp;output=html_text\u0026amp;source=gbs_toc_r\u0026amp;cad=4\"\u003Ethis article\u003C\/a\u003E means \"the\".)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKlein writes that the second component, \u003Cem\u003Eephas\u003C\/em\u003E, is an Egyptian loan word. He adds that it is related to the Middle Egyptian word \u003Cem\u003Eyb\u003C\/em\u003E, \"elephant\", from where the name \u003Cem\u003EYebu\u003C\/em\u003E (the original name of the Egyptian island \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elephantine\"\u003EElephantine\u003C\/a\u003E) derives. This name appears in the Hebrew word for ivory, \u003Cem\u003Eshenhav\u003C\/em\u003E שנהב, a Biblical word that appears only twice in the Bible (Melachim I 10:22 and Divrei Hayamim II 9:21), both times in the plural as \u003Cem\u003Eshenhavim\u003C\/em\u003E שנהבים. \u003Cem\u003EShenhav\u003C\/em\u003E, Klein writes, is:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\ncompounded of \u003Cem\u003Eshen\u003C\/em\u003E שן (=tooth) and \u003Cem\u003Ehav\u003C\/em\u003E הב, also \u003Cem\u003Eyev\u003C\/em\u003E יב (=elephant)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe then adds that\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nFrom Egyptian \u003Cem\u003Eab\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003Eabu\u003C\/em\u003E derives also Latin \u003Cem\u003Eebur\u003C\/em\u003E (=ivory), probably through the medium of the Phoenicians. From Latin \u003Cem\u003Eebur\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003Eeboris\u003C\/em\u003E comes the adjective \u003Cem\u003Eeboreus\u003C\/em\u003E (=of ivory) whence French \u003Cem\u003Eivurie\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003Eivorie\u003C\/em\u003E, whence English \u003Cem\u003Eivorie\u003C\/em\u003E, ivory.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAll this seems pretty convincing to me, but the part I don't get is that both components, the \"\u003Cem\u003Eel\u003C\/em\u003E\" and the \"\u003Cem\u003Eephas\u003C\/em\u003E\", mean \"elephant.\" Why would the word have two parts with the same meaning? I know there are no rules about how words must develop, and you can find that phenomenon in the English word \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/likely#Etymology_1\"\u003Elikely\u003C\/a\u003E\" (which literally means \"like-like\") and the Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Eafilu\u003C\/em\u003E אפילו -\"even if\"\u0026nbsp;(which can actually be broken down to something like \"if-if-if\".) But still it feels strange to me.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nEven stranger is a related etymology that Klein provides. He writes that the word \"element\" ultimately is cognate with \"elephant\". In his entry for \"element\" he writes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nOf the many etymologies suggested, the most probable is that which derives the word \u003Cem\u003Eelementum\u003C\/em\u003E from *\u003Cem\u003Eelepantum\u003C\/em\u003E, 'ivory letter', an ancient Latin loan word from Greek \u003Cspan class=\"foreign notranslate\"\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eelephantos, \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eelephas \u003C\/em\u003E('elephant;ivory'.) The change of *\u003Cem\u003Eelepantum\u003C\/em\u003E to \u003Cem\u003Eelementum\u003C\/em\u003E is probably due to Etruscan influence.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe \"ivory letters\" that Klein mentions, according to\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.il\/books?id=VWGN6e5Rzf8C\u0026amp;lpg=PA73\u0026amp;ots=OfXYKKujSt\u0026amp;dq=elementum%20elepantum\u0026amp;pg=PA73#v=onepage\u0026amp;q=elementum%20elepantum\u0026amp;f=false\"\u003E this book\u003C\/a\u003E, refers to the letters of the alphabet inscribed in ivory. That's an etymological connection I didn't see coming!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/6131470612714790084\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=6131470612714790084","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6131470612714790084"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/6131470612714790084"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2018\/10\/elephant.html","title":"elephant"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-173597051028032953"},"published":{"$t":"2018-10-13T21:18:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-10-13T21:18:52.228+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"skeleton and sheled"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I just read something interesting in Klein's entry for the Hebrew word \u003Cem\u003Esheled\u003C\/em\u003E שלד:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPBH [Post-Biblical Hebrew] skeleton.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nSyriac שלדא (=skeleton), from Akkadian \u003Cem\u003Eshalamtu\u003C\/em\u003E (properly meaning 'the whole' corpse), from \u003Cem\u003Eshalamu\u003C\/em\u003E (=to be complete), which is related to Hebrew שלם (=was complete). Greek \u003Cem\u003Eskeleton\u003C\/em\u003E (=skeleton) is a Syriac loan word. The explanation of Greek \u003Cem\u003Eskeleton\u003C\/em\u003E as used elliptically for \u003Cem\u003Eskeleton soma\u003C\/em\u003E (=dried up body) as if skeleton were the neutral verbal adjective of \u003Cem\u003Eskellein\u003C\/em\u003E (=to dry up) is folk etymology.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn his CEDEL entry for \"skeleton\", Klein mentions another Akkadian cognate - \u003Cem\u003Eshalamdu\u003C\/em\u003E, and says his source is W. Muss-Arnolt in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ia601700.us.archive.org\/14\/items\/jstor-2935792\/2935792.pdf\"\u003ETransactions of the American Philological Association, Vol. XXIII, p. 148\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhile the theory connecting skeleton to the\u0026nbsp;Greek word meaning dried up \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/word\/skeleton\"\u003Eis still popular\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;if Klein's theory is accurate, then it would be possible to connect \"skeleton\" with both \u003Cem\u003Esheled \u003C\/em\u003Eand the\u0026nbsp;words deriving from the root שלם, like \u003Cem\u003Eshalom\u003C\/em\u003E שלום - \"peace\" and \u003Cem\u003Eshalem\u003C\/em\u003E שלם - \"complete.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHorowitz (p. 261)\u0026nbsp;explains how the transformation between those two Hebrew roots:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nStrangely, this word [\u003Cem\u003Esheled\u003C\/em\u003E] comes from the root שלם, whole, complete. The word in Assyrian is שלמתו [\u003Cem\u003Eshalamtu\u003C\/em\u003E], meaning \"the whole body.\" In passing through Aramaic the מ [\u003Cem\u003Emem\u003C\/em\u003E] dropped out and ת [\u003Cem\u003Etav\u003C\/em\u003E] hardened to a ד [\u003Cem\u003Edalet\u003C\/em\u003E].\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs my previous post mentioned, I'm still occupied with the projects I've been working on, but I'm going to try to put up smaller posts like this one (which require less research). I hope you still find them interesting!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/173597051028032953\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=173597051028032953","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/173597051028032953"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/173597051028032953"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2018\/10\/skeleton-and-sheled.html","title":"skeleton and sheled"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-7569483582965836085"},"published":{"$t":"2018-06-03T12:45:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2018-06-03T12:45:54.031+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Balashon is on hiatus"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"As you may have noticed, I haven't written any posts in Balashon in over a year. While I have not abandoned Balashon, I have put my activity on hold for now, as\u0026nbsp;I am working on a different project. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI hope to finish the project in the next few months, and when it's completed I will let Balashon readers know about it, and hopefully start writing (and responding to Balashon emails) again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThanks for checking in!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/7569483582965836085\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=7569483582965836085","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7569483582965836085"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/7569483582965836085"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2018\/06\/balashon-is-on-hiatus.html","title":"Balashon is on hiatus"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-4969166952427469485"},"published":{"$t":"2017-04-13T10:36:00.001+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-04-13T10:36:45.608+03:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pesach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"charoset"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I've planned on writing a post about \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charoset\"\u003Echaroset\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E חרוסת since 2006. But every time I started, the etymology offered by Klein seemed so obvious and convincing that I didn't think I had anything to write about:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\nחרסת -\u0026nbsp;'\u003Cem\u003Eharoseth\u003C\/em\u003E' - a condiment made of fruits and\u0026nbsp;spices with wine and sugar, used to sweeten the bitter herbs eaten on Passover night. [Probably formed from חרס \u003Cem\u003Echeres\u003C\/em\u003E (=clay), in allusion to its claylike color.]\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n(As I pointed out \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/05\/cheresh.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, in Biblical Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Echeres\u003C\/em\u003E was spelt with a \u003Cem\u003Esin\u003C\/em\u003E חרש, not with the \u003Cem\u003Esamech\u003C\/em\u003E found in later Hebrew).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut this year, I thought I would try again. I took at look at the Ben Yehuda dictionary, and the footnote comments that the \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E is a word found only in Hebrew and the\u0026nbsp;etymology is unclear. It goes on to mention,\u0026nbsp;like Klein, that it is similar in appearance to\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Echeres\u003C\/em\u003E, and quotes the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nathan_ben_Jehiel\"\u003EArukh\u003C\/a\u003E, who brings the passage from the Talmud (Pesachim 116a) where the Rabbi Yochanan says that the \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E should be like the mortar (made of mud) that the Israelites used to make the bricks in Egypt. The Ben Yehuda footnote says, however, that this is \"only a \u003Cem\u003Edrash\u003C\/em\u003E\". (The drash seems to be first found in the medieval works \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ketershemtob.com\/harosetetymology.html\"\u003ERokeach and Mordechai who quote a version of the\u0026nbsp;Jerusalem Talmud\u0026nbsp;that is not in our printed editions\u003C\/a\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis got me thinking - just a drash? Then what is the real story behind \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA 19th century commentary on the Aruch, the Aruch Hashalem by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alexander_Kohut\"\u003EAlexander Kohut\u003C\/a\u003E, gives the first clue. Kohut writes that it appears that the Aruch\u0026nbsp;is making a connection between \u003Cem\u003Echeres\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E (which is not explicitly made in the earlier dictionary), but he thinks it is more likely related to\u0026nbsp;\"a mix of chopped meat with flour and the like\" which was borrowed by the rabbis to \"a sauce that has wine or vinegar, mixed with flour\", and only on Pesach was flour not added. This has support from a different passage in Pesachim (the Mishna 2:3, or 40b in the Talmud), which forbids adding flour to \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E because the vinegar in the \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E would cause the flour to become leaven. (This \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E was not used to dilute the effects of the \u003Cem\u003Emaror\u003C\/em\u003E as on Seder night, but rather as a rather sour sauce for meat during the whole year. \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/he.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D7%93%D7%95%D7%93_%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%A9%D7%A7%D7%94\"\u003EProf. David Henschke\u003C\/a\u003E has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ravtzair.blogspot.co.il\/2017\/04\/blog-post.html\"\u003Ea new book with an interesting theory\u003C\/a\u003E - that the \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E was originally used for the meat of the Pesach sacrifice in Temple times, but after the destruction of the Temple was transferred to be used with the \u003Cem\u003Emaror\u003C\/em\u003E.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis law has significance to our quest as well, since if \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E was not only used on Pesach,\u0026nbsp;then the etymology would\u0026nbsp;not be associated specifically with something related to Pesach, or slavery in Egypt, and would likely have a more general origin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAn even later commentary on the Aruch, the Tosefot HeAruch, by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Samuel_Krauss\"\u003ESamuel Kraus\u003C\/a\u003E, continues Kohut's approach, and quotes the 13th century work, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Isaac_ben_Moses_of_Vienna\"\u003EOr Zarua\u003C\/a\u003E, who in turn quotes an earlier French rabbi, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Samuel_ben_Solomon_of_Falaise\"\u003ESamuel of Falaise\u003C\/a\u003E, who defined \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E as meaning \"things that are mixed and squashed\", and added that the Aramaic translation of \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dung_Gate\"\u003EShaar HaAshpot\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E (literally the \"Garbage Gate\") in Nechemia 2:13 is תרעא דחרסית -\u003Cem\u003E tara'a d'charsit\u003C\/em\u003E - \"gate of potsherds, broken pieces of pottery.\" (This translation is likely influenced by Yirmiyahu 19:2, which mentions \u003Cem\u003EShaar HaCharsit\u003C\/em\u003E שער החרסית, and which Rashi and others identify with \u003Cem\u003EShaar\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Cem\u003EHaAshpot\u003C\/em\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKrauss also mentions Rashi's definition of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Echarsit\u003C\/em\u003E found in Chullin 88a, as \"pulverized pottery\"\u0026nbsp;and \"crushed tiles\"\u0026nbsp;in Bava Kama 69a. The common thread in all of these is a sense of \"crushing, grinding, squashing\" - and that applies to both \u003Cem\u003Echarsit\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nRonnie Haffner, of the site \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.safa-ivrit.org\/\"\u003ESafa Ivrit\u003C\/a\u003E, suggested to me that perhaps the suffix \u003Cem\u003E-et\u003C\/em\u003E ת- at the end of some Hebrew words means \"leftovers after production\", so \u003Cem\u003Epesolet\u003C\/em\u003E פסולת - \"chips, stone dust\" is what is leftover after carving פסל, and \u003Cem\u003Enesoret\u003C\/em\u003E נסורת - \"sawdust\" is what remains after sawing נסר.\u0026nbsp;So if this pattern holds, \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E could be the potsherds, which\u0026nbsp;are left after breaking pottery.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nA parallel approach is mentioned by Jastrow, who in his entry for \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E suggests we also look at his definition of the Aramaic הרסנא \u003Cem\u003Eharsana\u003C\/em\u003E - \"fish hash.\" He quotes \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/articles\/9889-levy-jacob\"\u003EJacob Levy\u003C\/a\u003E, who in his dictionary, like Kohut,\u0026nbsp;says that \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/stream\/neuhebrischesu02levyuoft#page\/112\/mode\/2up\"\u003Echaroset\u003C\/a\u003E is of Arabic origin. \u003Cem\u003EHarsana\u003C\/em\u003E, according to this theory, derives from the Arabic root \u003Cem\u003Eharasa\u003C\/em\u003E - which Klein says is cognate with the Hebrew \u003Cem\u003Eharas\u003C\/em\u003E הרס (\"throw down, tear down\") and means \"he crushed, squashed, pounded.\" This Arabic root is the source of the spice paste \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harissa\"\u003Eharissa\u003C\/a\u003E\", due to the crushing of the peppers in a mortar. This is an interesting theory, for if \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E is cognate with \u003Cem\u003Eharas\u003C\/em\u003E, then it has no connection with clay at all (since we saw that the Biblical Hebrew form of\u003Cem\u003E cheres\u003C\/em\u003E is חרש, which is\u0026nbsp;not connected to הרס.) Kohut's theory, on the other\u0026nbsp;hand, still maintains a connection between broken pottery and \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Ben-Yehuda footnote we saw above rejects both Kohut's and Levy's Arabic etymologies, as \"they have no similarity to the thing called \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E.\" While today's sweet \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E is not like fish-hash or harissa,\u0026nbsp;I don't see why \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E couldn't mean a general type of sauce or condiment, and as we saw above, \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E had uses beyond those on Pesach.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSupport for these ideas can be found\u0026nbsp;in a much more recent work, the essay, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/12348816\/How_do_you_say_haroset_in_Greek\"\u003E\"How do you say \u003Cem\u003Eharoset\u003C\/em\u003E in Greek?\"\u003C\/a\u003E by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hum.huji.ac.il\/templates\/staff_details.php?cat=1308\u0026amp;incat=\u0026amp;id=4586\u0026amp;act=view\u0026amp;tui=1306\"\u003EDr. Susan Weingarten\u003C\/a\u003E. I recommend reading the entire piece, but here are some key points. She quotes an ancient\u0026nbsp;glossary found in the Cairo Genizah, which\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\nincludes the information that \u003Cem\u003Eharoset\u003C\/em\u003E in Greek is \u003Cem\u003Etribou enbamous\u003C\/em\u003E, written טריבו אנבמוס...\u003Cem\u003Etribou\u003C\/em\u003E would seem to come from the verb \u003Cem\u003Etribo\u003C\/em\u003E to pound or grind, whence the Greek term for a sauce, \u003Cem\u003Etrimma\u003C\/em\u003E. Archestratus of Gela, a fourth-century BCE food writer whose work is preserved by Athenaeus, writes of a dipping sauce made by pounding (\u003Cem\u003Etripsas\u003C\/em\u003E). \u003Cem\u003EEnbamous\u003C\/em\u003E would appear to refer to the Greek word \u003Cem\u003Eembamma\u003C\/em\u003E, which is used to mean a sauce used as a dip, deriving from the verb \u003Cem\u003Eembapto\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003Eembaptomai\u003C\/em\u003E to dip. Later in the same passage of Archestratus, the verb \u003Cem\u003Eembapto\u003C\/em\u003E is used for dipping into a pounded sauce. In their commentary on this passage, the editors Olson and Sens describe the verb \u003Cem\u003Eembapto\u003C\/em\u003E as ‘the \u003Cem\u003Evox propria\u003C\/em\u003E for dipping food in a side-dish sauce or the like.’ Thus Archestratus uses both terms found in the glossary as an explanation of \u003Cem\u003Eharoset\u003C\/em\u003E in his instructions to dip (\u003Cem\u003Eembapte\u003C\/em\u003E) food into a sauce made of pounded (\u003Cem\u003Etripsas\u003C\/em\u003E) ingredients.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nWeingarten also quotes the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jerusalem_Talmud#Text_editions\"\u003ELeiden manuscript of the Jerusalem Talmud\u003C\/a\u003E (10:3)\u0026nbsp;which refers to \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E as \u003Cem\u003Edukkeh\u003C\/em\u003E דוכה (for an extensive discussion of that passage, read \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/bloggershuni.blogspot.co.il\/2016\/04\/haroset.html\"\u003Ethis Hebrew article\u003C\/a\u003E.) The Talmud says that the reason for that name \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nis because it is pounded [\u003Cem\u003Edukhah\u003C\/em\u003E]. The Hebrew name \u003Cem\u003Edukkeh\u003C\/em\u003E for \u003Cem\u003Eharoset\u003C\/em\u003E has survived to the present day. Jews from the Yemen, cut off for many centuries from the mainstream Jewish community, relied on the Jerusalem Talmud as their religious authority, unlike other Jews, for the Babylonian Talmud did not reach them for many hundreds of years. The Yemenite Jews have preserved the tradition of the Jerusalem Talmud, and to this day the Yemenite Jewish community in Israel still calls \u003Cem\u003Eharoset\u003C\/em\u003E ‘dukkeh.’ We may also note here the use of the name \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Duqqa\"\u003Edukkeh\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E among Palestinian Arabs for a condiment made of pounded hyssop (\u003Cem\u003Eza’atar\u003C\/em\u003E) and sesame seeds.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSo like \u003Cem\u003Edukkeh\u003C\/em\u003E,\u0026nbsp;while the word \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E is of Hebrew origin, it appears to be a calque, borrowing the Greek concept of a sauce of pounded ingredients.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nTherefore the association with Pesach should not be surprising, as the \u003Cem\u003Eseder\u003C\/em\u003E includes many elements (but with significant differences) of the Greek \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Symposium\"\u003Esymposium\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, as we saw in our discussion of \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2006\/04\/afikoman.html\"\u003Eafikoman\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E. And like with the \u003Cem\u003Eafikoman\u003C\/em\u003E, later scholars who did not live in the Greek and Roman world were not as familiar with the original concept reinterpreted the word and gave it new meaning. So while the connection between \u003Cem\u003Echaroset\u003C\/em\u003E and\u0026nbsp;the \u003Cem\u003Echeres\u003C\/em\u003E used to build the bricks in Egypt\u0026nbsp;is a drash, it is not \"merely\" a drash.\u0026nbsp;For what is more associated with Pesach than reinterpreting and giving new meaning to ancient foods and concepts?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/4969166952427469485\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=4969166952427469485","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4969166952427469485"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/4969166952427469485"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/04\/charoset.html","title":"charoset"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-3468724733366459256"},"published":{"$t":"2017-04-02T08:22:00.002+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2022-12-26T15:43:57.702+02:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Parashat Bo"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pesach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"haggadah and aggadah"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Pesach is coming up and we will be reading from the \u003Cem\u003Ehaggada\u003C\/em\u003E הגדה. What is the connection between \u003Cem\u003Ehaggada\u003C\/em\u003E and \u003Cem\u003Eaggada\u003C\/em\u003E אגדה - the stories found in rabbinic literature?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThey both derive from the root הגיד - \"he told, narrated\", and so, according to Klein, can mean \"telling, saying\"\u0026nbsp; or \"tale, narrative.\" Both \u003Cem\u003Eaggada\u003C\/em\u003E in general, and the \u003Cem\u003Ehaggada\u003C\/em\u003E in particular are narratives that expound upon Biblical verses (although \u003Cem\u003Eaggada\u003C\/em\u003E has come to mean any\u0026nbsp;non-halachic content\u0026nbsp;in the Talmud and midrashim, regardless of whether or not they are based on a verse.) The \u003Cem\u003Ehaggada\u003C\/em\u003E of Pesach has a particular connection to the verb, as it appears in the verse commanding the telling of the story of the Exodus -\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא \"And you shall tell\u0026nbsp;your son on that day...\" (Shemot 13:8)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBut essentially, there was no real difference between \u003Cem\u003Ehagada\u003C\/em\u003E and agada\u003Cem\u003E,\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;and you can find them used interchangeably. They both meant the same thing, and we find a number of words in Hebrew which are synonymous, but one starts with an \u003Cem\u003Ealef\u003C\/em\u003E and one with a \u003Cem\u003Eheh\u003C\/em\u003E: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nהפליה אפליה - both meaning \"discrimination\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nהחזקה אחזקה - \"maintenance\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nהזהרה אזהרה - \"warning\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nהונאה אונאה - \"oppression, deception\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhile both words are Hebrew, the words beginning with \u003Cem\u003Ealef\u003C\/em\u003E have more of an Aramaic influence. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAs often happened in Hebrew, when we have two synonymous words, their meanings tend to diverge. So \u003Cem\u003Ehaggada\u003C\/em\u003E came to be associated almost exclusively with Pesach. In Modern Hebrew, \u003Cem\u003Eagada\u003C\/em\u003E has also come to mean \"folktale\" or \"fable\", famously in the quote from Herzl (originally in\u0026nbsp;German)\u0026nbsp;- אם תרצו אין זו אגדה - \"If you will it, it is no fable [\u003Cem\u003Eaggada\u003C\/em\u003E].\" And \u003Cem\u003Eaggadot\u003C\/em\u003E are used to refer to stories for children. This was cause for opposition by some Haredi writers, who found this secular use showed disrespect for the \u003Cem\u003Eaggadot\u003C\/em\u003E of the Rabbis.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe verb הגיד \u003Cem\u003Ehigid\u003C\/em\u003E comes from the root נגד. Klein writes that the ultimate meaning of this root is \"to rise, be high, be conspicuous.\" So the verb \u003Cem\u003Ehigid\u003C\/em\u003E, meaning \"he made known, announced, declared, told\", originally meant \"he placed a matter high or made it conspicuous before somebody.\" This same root gives us the word \u003Cem\u003Eneged\u003C\/em\u003E נגד - \"opposite\", which again originally meant \"that which is high or conspicuous.\" And the term \u003Cem\u003Enagid\u003C\/em\u003E נגיד - \"chief, leader, ruler\", cognate with the Arabic \u003Cem\u003Enajid\u003C\/em\u003E, can also be understood in this light - \"noble\". Klein points out that the word \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/12\/nasi.html\"\u003Enasi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E נשיא had a similar development\u0026nbsp; - literally \"one lifted up\" from נשא - \"to lift.\"\u0026nbsp; Klein mentions an alternate theory by Barth that \u003Cem\u003Enagid\u003C\/em\u003E originally meant \"speaker, spokesman\", and perhaps \u003Cem\u003Enasi\u003C\/em\u003E also might have mean \"speaker.\" In Modern Hebrew the title \u003Cem\u003Enagid\u003C\/em\u003E is primarily used to for the governor of the Bank of Israel."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/3468724733366459256\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=3468724733366459256","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3468724733366459256"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/3468724733366459256"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/04\/haggadah-and-aggadah.html","title":"haggadah and aggadah"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22247423.post-5098668631881522777"},"published":{"$t":"2017-03-27T23:00:00.003+03:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2017-03-27T23:00:35.361+03:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"malon"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In the post about \u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2016\/12\/achsania.html\"\u003Eachsania\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E, I mentioned the word for hotel - \u003Cem\u003Emalon\u003C\/em\u003E מלון. I didn't discuss the etymology there, so let's take a look now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cem\u003EMalon\u003C\/em\u003E is a biblical word, originally meaning \"lodging place\" or more specifically \"inn.\" It derives from the root לון, meaning \"to lodge, pass the night.\" Klein points out that the formation of \u003Cem\u003Emalon\u003C\/em\u003E is similar to \u003Cem\u003Emakom\u003C\/em\u003E מקום - \"place\", which derives from the root קום - \"to stand\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nKlein also mentions that the ultimate origin of לון is\u0026nbsp;probably denominated from\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Elayl\u003C\/em\u003E ליל - \"night\". (The more common form today, \u003Cem\u003Elayla -\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/em\u003Eלילה is an extended form of \u003Cem\u003Elayl\u003C\/em\u003E.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere is also an unrelated homonymic root, לון -\u0026nbsp;\"to murmur.\"\u0026nbsp;This is the root of the noun \u003Cem\u003Eteluna\u003C\/em\u003E תלונה - \"complaint\" and the verb התלונן - \"he grumbled, complained.\" Klein writes that it might be cognate with the Arabic\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Elama\u003C\/em\u003E - \"he blamed.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOne interesting misunderstanding involving the root לון is related to the upcoming Pesach holiday. There is a requirement, as discussed \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/oukosher.org\/passover\/articles\/getting-to-know-your-matzah\/\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E, that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nWater to be used in matzah baking must be left to stand overnight (to ensure that it is allowed to cool). This water is then referred to as \u003Cem\u003Emayim shelanu\u003C\/em\u003E (water which has “slept”).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nCool water in matza making is important so as not to hasten the leavening process. The\u0026nbsp;Talmud\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.sefaria.org\/Pesachim.42a.1-14?lang=bi\"\u003EPesachim 42a\u003C\/a\u003E)\u0026nbsp;after discussing this law, tells the following story:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\nRav Mattana taught this halakha in Paphunya. On the next day, the eve of Passover, everyone brought their jugs to him and said to him: Give us water. They misunderstood his expression \u003Cem\u003Emayim shelanu\u003C\/em\u003E, water that rested, as the near homonym \u003Cem\u003Emayim shelanu\u003C\/em\u003E, our water, i.e., water that belongs to the Sage, and they therefore came to take water from his house. He said to them: I say and meant: Water that rested [\u003Cem\u003Edevitu\u003C\/em\u003E] in the house overnight. \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWhile the gemara presents this as a curious, and perhaps humorous, anecdote, there are still groups today (as far as I know Hassidic, but\u0026nbsp;maybe there are others) who make sure to use water that they collected themselves for their matza baking. A strange custom perhaps, but it seems that this is the holiday of interesting customs. In fact I know many people whose primary custom is to go to a \u003Cem\u003Emalon\u003C\/em\u003E..."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/feeds\/5098668631881522777\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=22247423\u0026postID=5098668631881522777","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5098668631881522777"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/22247423\/posts\/default\/5098668631881522777"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/www.balashon.com\/2017\/03\/malon.html","title":"malon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Balashon"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/01200811858068140830"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEiMMdlO2I3EquPzHctz5adDF7px2xEC22waVACEhvtEyhEnFgk_gj51x8-SO8ir33caGXHRVBRqVm1DjXEF2FK18No_IAeYOCUEx9A14EoHWMhI7e_7lZNfiocUVUTPhA\/s220\/balashon_draft_2.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});