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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: George Athas <george.athas AT moore.edu.au>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] qtl of HYH
  • Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 00:59:30 -0400

George,

I am rather inclined to think that most Hebraists would agree with me that HYH and XYH both mean 'exist'. The bifurcation into twin roots, one used for animate existence the other for inanimate existence, is accomplished here by the common device of a HE-XET shift. Indeed, it does not make one bit of a difference if one reads Esther 2:5 as: "ish yhudi HAYAH bshushan habirah" or "ish yhudi XAYAH bshushan habirah".

Surely Hebrew can not have a root that inherently describes such an awesomely rich and mysterious phenomenon as 'life' or 'be alive'. Like English it must rely on a metaphor derived from some obvious manifestation of it. There is agreement among English etymologists that 'life' is derived from German 'Leib', English 'to have a lifted- up body, to be elevated'. The Hebrew etymology seems to be likewise: XYH-XVH-HVA-GBH, 'to be elevated, to be extensive'. Eventually they are all, as expected, related to XUB, 'heart, bosom' of Job 31:33, and then, by common literal shifts, to GUF, 'body'. It so also with QAYAM, 'exists', and QAM, 'rose, assumed an upright or standing position'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Apr 1, 2007, at 11:04 PM, George Athas wrote:

Isaac Fried wrote:

...it would be good to recall that HYH is but a variant
of XYH, with great affinity also to HWH and XWH.

Isaac, with respect, this is not the understanding of the vast majority of
Hebraists. The similarity in the roots may account for the odd textual
variant, but as far as I know there appears to be no evidence for any
conceptual or etymological connection between HYH and XYH. Granted, they are
similar. But I think that is where the connection ends.

Best Regards,

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



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