Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>]

To All:

The example below illustrates another problem facing lexicographers—the use 
of a word or phrase to refer to two ideas in another language, or used as 
euphamisms for what is uncomfortable.

)BD means “to be lost” but is used as a euphamism for “to die, perish” so 
often as to obscure its original meaning.

QD$ means “to set apart” but its use in the religious sense is so prevelant 
that people sometimes forget to use the ‘secular’ meaning where it is a 
better fit. Even in the religious sense, to call God QDW$ set apart, sounds 
more like the unknowable beyond what he reveals to us philosophical other, 
than the relatively tame English word “holy”.

How many other words are there like that?

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: Rasmus Underbjerg Pinnerup <pinnerup AT privat.dk>

> Dear Karl (and list members)
> 
<snip>
> 
> Factivive: »'âbad« "to perish" > »'ibbad« "to make someone perish", the 
> same with »qâdaš« > »qidaš« and »gâdal« > »giddel«
> 
> Declarative-estimative: e.g. »niqqâh« "to declare clean"
> 
> 
> Sincerely,
> Rasmus Underbjerg Pinnerup 
-- 
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