Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 14/08/2004 23:55, Yigal Levin wrote:

> Karl,
>
> "Davka" is spelled Dalet-Vav-Qoph-Aleph -  DWQ), not with a Bet. Anyway, the
> word in Gen. 2:24, Davaq (DBQ), means "to adhere" or "to stick". How is this
> like the meaning of Davka?
>
> Davqa seems to come from the root "DYQ", which does not exist in the Tanakh
> (a Dayeq in the Tanakh is a siege-wall), but which in rabbinic Hebrew and
> Aramaic means "to be precise".
>
>  
The word which occurs in the Tanakh is DAWEQ 
(dalet-dagesh-qamats-vav-tsere-qof) = bulwark, siege-wall, 2 Ki 25:1, 
Jer 52:4, Ezk 4:2, 17:17, 21:27, 26:8 (data from BDB), and clearly comes 
from the same root as Davka. In fact Davka may well be the Aramaic form 
of this word, with the final alef for the article. The shift from 
"siege-wall" to "precise" could well be a case of metaphorical extension.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/