Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Peter:

> From the evidence within Tanakh, a SRYS was a trusted servant (or slave) who 
> worked in the royal household, in other words, a courtier. When and where did 
> the practice take place that the courtiers were to be eunochs? Obviously not 
> ancient Egypt. Apparently not ancient Israel. Apparently, in Esther, those 
> household workers were eunochs, but they were still referred to as royal 
> household workers. Where is the exchange in meaning?

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>

> On 17/02/2004 14:39, Karl Randolph wrote:
>
> >Thanks, Peter:
> >
> >
> >
> >Are there any examples of a lexeme losing its original meaning and taking on 
> another in Biblical Hebrew? I can‘t think of any.
> >  
> >
>
> How hard have you tried to think? It's a bit difficult to prove if you 
> accept only evidence within the Tanakh and not reconstructions of 
> original meanings. One possible example is SARIYS, which clearly means 
> "eunuch" in Esther, but in Genesis is used of married Egyptian 
> officials, in a country where I don't think there were eunuchs.
>
>
>
> --
> Peter Kirk
> peter AT qaya.org (personal)
> peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
> http://www.qaya.org/

--
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