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  • From: JimStinehart AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Genesis 41: 37: What Foreign Language Is That?
  • Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:58:27 EST


Yitzhak Sapir:

Thank you so very, very much for your patience in explaining the Aramaic
analysis of "sahaduta" at Genesis 31: 47.

1. Now I see that if one (i) goes to The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon and
(ii) types in the four letters shdw, one gets the Aramaic word "sahduta".
Several meanings are given for this Aramaic word. The first is "testimony".
Another definition given is "evidence of virginity". (I believe that in
Hurrian,
the literal meaning of "sa-ha-du-tta" is "I am pure".) See Peter Bekins'
post
on this Aramaic word at that site, which gives more details.

2. Interestingly, the Aramaic word "sahduta" is a 3-syllable word, whereas
the traditional English transliteration at Genesis 31: 47 is a 4-syllable
word:
"sahaduta". (Hurrian words [which often seem more like phrases than
individual words] are often 4 syllables or longer in length, whereas words as
long as
4 syllables are rare in Hebrew and, I believe, in Aramaic.)

3. The Aramaic word "sahduta" contains the definite article "-a" at the end.
In the Hebrew word "galeed" at Genesis 31: 47, however, no definite article
is used. (Absent the "-a" at the end, "sahaduta" would not work as a Hurrian
word. One of the most typical Hurrian endings is "-tta", such as in
"Tushratta", where such ending means "I" or "me". A word of four syllables
or more
that ends in "-tta" is very typical for a Hurrian word.)

4. If we ignore questions of the historical time period, on a linguistic
basis the word "sahaduta" sees to make sense either as a Hurrian word
(sa-ha-du-tta), or as an Aramaic word (sahduta).

Thanks again for your great help and expertise in explaining the Aramaic
basis of the word "sahaduta" at Genesis 31: 47. I hope and trust that I am
not
the only person on this b-Hebrew list who has benefited greatly from your
detailed Aramaic explanation and expertise. Much appreciated.

Jim Stinehart
Evanston, Illinois




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