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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] verb form choice

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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: fred burlingame <tensorpath AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] verb form choice
  • Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:27:57 -0500

BA and WA sound nowadays exactly the same (forget the confusing dagesh), but are used alternatively to create a visual (VISUAL!) distinction between words that sound the same and have essentially the same core meaning. As I said before, no one would think of registering (REGISTERING!) his daughter's name as ZIYB-AH זיבה, but ZIYW-AH זיוה (which sounds exactly the same) is very fine.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jan 30, 2011, at 2:01 AM, fred burlingame wrote:

Hello Isaac:

Thanks for your comments.

I appreciate your analysis.

I don't understand however, the visual trick that moves the letter vocalized as "bet" and appearing as ב into the letter vocalized as "waw" and appearing as ו . I suppose that the sounds "BA" and "WA" could be mistaken for one another. I also understand that you refer to this process more precisely as waw becoming a variant of bet.


regards,

fred burlingame


On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 11:30 PM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
The letter B is the root of BA, 'come', which is 'to be' (BA it is not a process but the state of being present). So, WAYIGA$ sounds to me BA)-HIY)-GA$, which is exactly what it is. Writing W for B is just a visual trick to momentarily blind us. The word ZIYB-AH, 'pus' is disgusting, but ZIYW-AH, 'shine, emit electromagnetic pus', is a cute Hebrew girl's name.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jan 29, 2011, at 11:49 PM, fred burlingame wrote:

Hello Isaac;

That was a clever turn of a phrase.

How do you reach the conclusion that the root, single letter B, means basically "come, be, exist, have substance?" By reasoning back from the actual usages of the descendant or child, two and three letter roots?

Does your paragraph "2" below imply a past tense for the "qatal" form, subject to usage exceptions?

Very interesting that the ancient hebrew language enjoyed more flexibility than the modern language. It sounds like the evolution of languages mirrors the evolution of governments ... more and more rules.

regards,

fred burlingame

On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 8:33 PM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
1. Grammaticalization made the language ever more formal and rigid, yet, WA-YI-$LAX essentially means (it come to pass that)- (he)-(send).
2, "qatal' is just short for he-qatal-him, the past being the "natural" tense for an act.
3. I don't give a hoot for the opinion of "mainstream" educators, book sellers and academics. They are to me the ox snugly following the rut.
4. The letter B is the root of BA, 'come, be, exist, have substance'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University









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