Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George F. Somsel" <gfsomsel AT juno.com>]

On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 08:33:55 +0200 "Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
writes:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "George F. Somsel" <gfsomsel AT juno.com>
> To: <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
> Cc: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2004 7:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Ps. 104:12 - (P)YM
> 
> 
> > On Sun, 20 Jun 2004 07:59:19 +0200 "Yigal Levin" 
> <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
> > writes:
> > > 
> > > Happy Tammuz to y'all,
> > > 
> > > (P)YM - 'pha'im - in Ps. 104:12, is usually translated 
> "branches". 
> > > While this seems to fit the context, the word looks to me more 
> like 
> > > a plural of (oph, "bird". Any comments?
> > > 
> > > Yigal
> > > _______________________________________________
> > 
> > With a third radical aleph?  I think the writer was playing with 
> words
> > here 
> > 
> > (oWP // (f:Pf)YIM
> > 
> > gfsomsel
> > 
> Agreed. But what does the word mean?
> 
____________

The meaning is "foliage" or "branches."  It is listed as an Aramaic loan
word under (P)YM.  BDB subsumes (f:PiY under (P) in the Aramaic section
and it appears in Dan 4.9, 11, and 18  -- no, that's not a "P" in
parentheses but ayin pe aleph.  There it lacks the aleph and in 4.11 has
a different pl form though it also has a pronominal suffix and is thus in
construct.  

gfsomsel