Biblical Hebrew Forum

["George Athas" <george.athas AT moore.edu.au>]

Hi Isaac!
 
Thanks for the stats and the list. However, I still have some outstanding
questions:
 
(1) If a root does not contain 'R' (resh) does that mean it is precluded
from indicating a 'state of aggregation'?
 
(2) What exactly do you mean by 'state of aggregation'? I have looked at
some of the roots you listed and am completely puzzled as to what this means
in connection with the standard semantics given by the most prominent Hebrew
lexicons. For example, how does כרע ('to bend the knee') indicate a state of
aggregation? Or ערם ('to be naked')?
 
(2) While all the roots you listed contain 'R' (resh), what is the reason
for the specific *linguistic* or *grammatical* connection between this
consonant and the 'state of aggregation' relating to a verb? Logically, if
something is in a state of aggregation, then the consonant 'R' must in some
sense be an addition to the verbal lexeme that gives it this quality of
aggregation. That is, the 'R' must in some way be an aggregation
'injection'. Or, to put it another way, while most (or all) verbs indicating
a state of aggregation apparently have the consonant 'R' in them, what
exactly is it about the 'R' that does this? There must be some deeper
linguistic explanation (Hebrew is, after all, a language with its own system
of logic), rather than a superficial statistical one. Otherwise, the
evidence is purely circumstantial. What's the missing link?
 
(3) Perusing the list, I can see that the consonant 'R' occurs in any of the
three root positions. Therefore, what is the linguistic or grammatical
control for your claim? Why is the position alterable?
 
(4) Have you conducted any analysis of cognate languages (eg, Phoenician,
Moabite, Aramaic, Akkadian, Arabic)? If so, what does this reveal about your
claim regarding the consonant 'R' (resh)?
 
(5) Some of the roots you list are considered loan words from other
languages. How does this affect your hypothesis?
 
(6) How does your hypothesis relate to substantives? Does 'R' (resh) affect
them at all in a similar way? If it is a purely verbal phenomenon, I ask
question 2 (above) again, and question 7 (next).
 
(7) How does your hypothesis relate to denominative verbs -- that is, verbs
derived from a specific noun?
 
 

Best Regards, 

GEORGE ATHAS 
Moore Theological College (Sydney) 
1 King St, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia 
Ph: (+61 2) 9577 9774