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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Zech 1:19,21

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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: Shoshanna Walker <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Zech 1:19,21
  • Date: Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:53:14 -0400

Shoshana,

The plural of 'horn' is invariably KARNAYIM. A genetically engineered cow may have 3 KARNAYIM upon its head. If you go into to a store and ask for 7 KARNAYIM you will get 7 singles. If they come in pairs you will have to ask for 7 ZUGOT KARNAYIM and you will get a total of 17 (no I am kidding), 14, KARNAYIM. Say we look at a herd consisting of three normal cows (I keep the number low so as not to encumber the arithmetic beyond ten fingers) and you ask me how many KARNAYIM do I see, my answer is 6. If alone I would just count the cows and multiply by two, but with you I am afraid of a "trick question" and so I actually count horns, lest a cow misses one. In fact, people often use ZUG, 'pair', even for just two: YESH LO ZUG YADAYIM XAZAQOT VeZUG RAGLAYIM BRYIOT. I have never heard, though, ZUG used for SFATAYIM, 'lips'. The plural of SAFAH, 'language' is SAFOT, but the plural of SAFAH, 'rim', is SFATOT.

Isaac Fried, Boston University


On Apr 15, 2007, at 11:43 AM, Shoshanna Walker wrote:

Ok, thank you - but does this mean that if someone is referring to
the horns of several animals, 10, let's say = 20 horns, they would
use the word kranot, or would it still be karnayim? Sorry, I just
want to understand.

Shoshanna



Shoshana,

You are right but not entirely. The dual of KEREN, horn, is KARNAIM,
as nature willed it for the head of most animals. Yet, indeed, the
plural of KEREN in the sense of 'ray of light' is KARNAIM, the same
way that the 4 legs of a table are 4 RAGLAIM. You my have seen a
statue of an Indian goddess with 6 YADAIM, and some modern art
depicting a face with 3 EYNAIM. The plural of KEREN in the sense of
'principal' is KRANOT, (KARNOT in construct state), and so is the
plural of KEREN in the sense of 'corner'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Apr 14, 2007, at 9:42 PM, Shoshanna Walker wrote:

I thought that Karnaim is plural for horns, and Kranot plural for
rays of light

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