Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 28/10/2005 22:23, Harold R. Holmyard III wrote:

> Dear Karl,
>
>  
>
> > > HH: It's believed to be a different word in Hebrew, from a different
> > > root having to do with what is split, pierced, or slit.
> >
> > Where's the evidence for such a root? What other words
> > is that alternate root used in?
> >    
>
>
> ... This root was recognized 
> when BDB was put together; it mentions an Arabic 
> cognate meaning to "perforate, pierce, slit the 
> partition between the nostrils, or the lip, or 
> the lobe of the ear." The Dictionary of Classical 
> Hebrew also recognizes the root, as do 
> translations (NET, HCSB).
>  

It is worth pointing out, even though no doubt Karl will be sceptical in 
view of his comments on ayin and ghayin, that there is good evidence for 
these being separate roots in that they have Arabic cognates with 
different spellings. The Arabic cognate of the word meaning "devote, 
destroy" is حرم starting with the Arabic letter hah (as in "haram" 
meaning "unclean"), whereas the Arabic cognate of the word meaning 
"perforate, pierce" etc is خرم starting with the Arabic letter khah, 
note the extra dot which indicates a velar or uvular fricative rather 
than a pharyngeal fricative. It is a regular rule that both of these 
Arabic letters correspond to Hebrew het, and indeed they were probably 
pronounced differently in Hebrew at the time when the Bible was written, 
in the same way as ayin and ghayin were probably pronounced differently.

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