Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Vadim Cherny" <vadim_lv AT center-tv.net>]

> The noun PANIYM in the absolute means "face", and takes no
> "object", and can be prefixed by L- to give a form LPANIYM. The noun
> PANIYM in the construct state, in the form PNEY, means "the face of",
> and must be followed by an "object". Prefix L-, and you get LIPNEY which
> means "to the face of" and thus "in the presence of", which must still
> be followed by an object and functions as preposition.

I see your point, though the relation is likely reverse: adding an object
turns the absolute into smihut. So, you suggest that lmo is conjugated form
of lamo, and that cmo and bmo lost their protoform camo, bamo. Possible.

The conjugated form lmo becomes essentially preposition. Its semantics
expands. The original collective plural (lamo) is occasionally employed as
emphatic for singular (lmo). Quite possible.

Why lamo, while lca? Perhaps lamo=l:hemo. I think you have a case.

Vadim Cherny