[b-hebrew] Euphemistic curse
Isaac Fried
if at math.bu.edu
Wed May 14 16:29:15 EDT 2008
Mike,
I am not sure what you mean by "euphemism", but you may be
overlooking a simple thing. The root BRK is neutral, all it refers to
is material aggregation. Indeed the root BRK spawned the disparate
words BRAK-AH, 'blessing', BEREK, 'knee', and BREK-AH, 'pool', that
have all nothing in common [discounting the "common wisdom" about
kneeling during blessing, or for sipping water from a pool.] In this
general sense BARAK may be but a variant of CARAX, 'screamed,
shrieked, yelled, shouted', as in Isaiah 42:13, which has also
nothing to do with CRIAX, 'turret, spire'.
The root BRK is also akin to BRX, 'separate, escape', BRQ, 'polish,
shimmer, discharge', PRX, 'flourish', PRK, 'brittle' and PRQ, 'take
apart'. Notice that DBR generated, among other, the distinct words
DIBR-AH, 'saying', DOBR-AH, 'raft' and DBAR-IM, 'things'.
So, BERAK-TA of 1 Kings 21:10 is easily just 'talked loosely, spread
loose talk'. In its essence, QLL, 'curse', is also but raise the
voice, 'QOL', to GLL, 'roll, [bad words]', or to KLL, 'accumulate,
include, [bad words of ill meaning]'. The kindred HLL is the same
accumulation, but of good words.
Isaac Fried, Boston University
On May 12, 2008, at 10:35 AM, Mike Tisdell wrote:
> Can anyone tell me the basis for treating BRK as a euphemistic
> curse i.e. as is
> translated in Job 1:5,11; 2:5, 9; 1 Ki 21:10, etc.?
>
> Is there anything published that deals with this Euphemism?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Tisdell
>
> San Jose, CA
> _______________________________________________
> b-hebrew mailing list
> b-hebrew at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
More information about the b-hebrew
mailing list