Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Vadim Cherny" <VadimCherny AT mail.ru>]

> >That does not makes sense in English. In other languages, Russian and
Modern
> >Hebrew in particular, it is idiomatic refusal. And this meaning is
supported
> >by similar constructs in Ex33:19.
>
> For a very good reason: modern Hebrew colloquialisms are based
> directly on Russian, the language used by Eliezer Ben-Yehuda and
> others of my father's generation. One example:
>
> Russian: duraka pol rabota nye pokazivaiut
> Hebrew: letipesh lo mar-im khatzi avoda.
>
> There are hundreds of similar constructions, directly borrowed from
> Russian which you will never find in the Bible.
>

Then, again, there are many Russian - including Old Russian - words and
idioms subtly based on Hebrew. Much of Russian prisoners' slang is
straightforward Hebrew.

Vadim Cherny