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b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] Ambiguous Lexical Puns in Gen 25:19 - 34

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  • From: <tladatsi AT charter.net>
  • To: <bsr15 AT cantsl.it.canterbury.ac.nz>, <peterkirk AT qaya.org>, <hholmyard AT ont.com>, <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Ambiguous Lexical Puns in Gen 25:19 - 34
  • Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 1:31:49 -0400

Hello,

Since we are in Semantics 101, we can say that a lexeme is
the minimal semantic unit of a language. So flee, fled,
fleeing, and fleer are forms of the English lexeme flee (to
get away from danger quickly), even though they are spelled
and pronounced rather differently. Although pronounced
exactly the same and spelled very similarly, the noun flea
(any of various small, wingless, bloodsucking insects of
the order Siphonaptera) is an entirely different lexeme
from the verb flee. In contrast, the lexeme fly probably
includes both the verb fly (flying, flown, flies, flew and
even flied) as well as the noun fly (any of numerous two-
winged insects of the order Diptera or a baseball hit high)
since the noun is derived from the verb can both capture
the same idea, i.e. flight (either doing it and something
that does it). A nearly identical relationship exists
between the Hebrew word for *bird* and the verb *he flies*,
they are spelled identically (un-pointed ?VK) and
pronounced very similarly.

If I write *Fly!*, am I taking the imperative form of the
verb or announcing the presence of the noun? They are the
same lexeme but there is, nonetheless, ambiguity. If I say
*I caught a fly*, in my hand there can be one of two nouns
but only one possible lexeme. Puns can either play on
different senses of the same word (or lexeme) or different
senses or sounds of a different word.

Genesis 25:19 ? 34, offers an interesting test. Esau was
born ?DM. He traded his birthright for a bowl of ?DM.
His nickname was ?DM. His descendants lived in country
called ?DM. I will go way out on a limb and suggest that
in each case, the same lexeme is being used. There are
slight differences in pronunciation but the un-pointed text
appears absolutely identical. The author is clearly and
intentionally creating and exploiting ambiguity (both
visual and phonetic) both to create puns and make a
political point. All of this is done with the same lexeme.


Jack Tladatsi




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