Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] etymology [was: Semantics of paradigms]

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Karl Randolph" <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] etymology [was: Semantics of paradigms]
  • Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 12:26:34 -0500

Joel:

It looks as if we basically agree. Notice, I consistently used
the weasel word "tend" to allow for exceptions.

While I think Hebrew differs from English, that difference is
more quantitative than qualitative. With Hebrew we deal
with a language under less pressure from other
languages for change during a period when change
tended to be slower, but otherwise the same patterns
apply.

Karl W. Randolph.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr. Joel M. Hoffman" <joel AT exc.com>
>
> > Is not your rejection of etymology a bit simplistic?
>
> I almost didn't even mention etymology for fear of starting this
> argument. I don't reject etymology completely; my point is more
> simple, and, I think, indisputable. The meaning of some words is so
> far removed from what their etymology suggests that studying their
> etymology will not tell you what they mean. Certainly there are some
> words whose meanings match their etymologies perfectly. (Please,
> don't start writing about the fact that the match is nearly perfect
> but not in fact perfect). But the existence in modern languages of
> etymology/meaning mismatches forces one to go one of two routes:
>
> 1. Ancient languages, too, have etymology/meaning mismatches; or
>
> 2. Ancient languages are qualitatively different than modern ones in
> this regard.
>
> My point was that I choose (1). Some people, wrongly in my opinion,
> choose (2). Even if you disagree with my point about etymology, the
> methodology is still the same. Either (1) you can use modern languages
> to learn about ancient ones; or (2) you cannot. As I said, I think
> both common sense and Occam's Razor point clearly toward (1).
>
> > On the other hand, even in English, those words that are derived
> > by grammatical structure from a common root tend to stay closer
> > to their etymological meaning.
>
> Actually, even that's not true. A "patent" by definition is
> non-obvious; an obvious idea cannot be patented. How surprising,
> then, to the etymology folks, that "patently" means "obviously."
>
> > Ps. a "chocoholic" may actually be an addict, as the sugar
>
> Yes, a chocoholic might be addicted to sugar, but "chocoholic" doesn't
> mean "addicted to sugar." A chocoholic might be 6-feet tall, but
> "chocoholic" doesn't mean "6-feet tall." "Chocoholic" means "someone
> who likes chocolate."
>
> -Joel Hoffman
> http://www.exc.com/JoelHoffman

--
___________________________________________________________
Sign-up for Ads Free at Mail.com
http://promo.mail.com/adsfreejump.htm





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page