Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 18/11/2005 17:58, Read, James C wrote:

> Recently we have extensively discussed concepts such as 'core' meaning
> and etymological evidences of that core meaning. We have gone through
> the various uses of olam and discussed it range of meanings and
> evidence has been brought in from its etymology. This made me thikn of
> a parallel example in English.
>
> Infinite
>
> 'Infinite' comes from 'finite' which means a clearly defined amount. 
> 'Infinite'
> is the semantic opposite of 'finite' and etymologically should mean 'an
> undefined amount'. But is that its 'core' meaning???

James, I think you are here misunderstanding "finite". Its etymological 
meaning is certainly "having a finish", rather than "definite" or 
"clearly defined". Mathematically and physically, there is a clear 
difference between "finite" and "definite". In fact I think Gödel's 
Theorem implies that there are numerical results (e.g. the number of 
steps until a Turing machine stops) which are finite but which are not 
at all definite in that they cannot in principle be calculated (but my 
understanding of the theorem is I admit rather weak.) And the etymology 
of "infinite" is clearly "not having a finish". In this case this 
corresponds rather well with the core meaning "without limits", although 
this would not be true in every case, even of "indefinitely".

> ...
>
> Could it be that 'olam' has the same behaviour. That its etymology is 
> an undefined
> and hidden amount of time but that its core usage (in the future) is 
> synonym of
> 'forever'?

The words certainly have something in common. `Olam refers, it seems to 
me, to a time without limits in the past or future, a time without 
finish in the future or start in the past. But "infinite time" would not 
be a good translation, because (at least to the modern mathematical and 
scientific mind) it implies that time is infinite in the past and/or the 
future - whereas according to modern cosmology (and the Bible) there was 
a specific time of the start of the universe, and the issue of whether 
time will be infinite in the future is a hotly debated one.

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