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  • From: JoeWallack AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Definite Article 7:14
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 11:17:23 EDT


In a message dated 7/10/2007 11:49:17 PM Central Daylight Time,
if AT math.bu.edu writes:

Joseph,


I admire your tenacity on being so completely and wholeheartedly on the side
of the the-ists, defending this doctrine so valiantly and persistently
against the repeated onslaught of the a-ists. But to me this the/a argument
is
vain. It is crystal clear that HA-(ALMAH is in reference to a well known
[very
well known, absolutely well known?] notable person in Jerusalem at the time
Isaiah spoke these words, and therefore should be translated as the-(ALMAH.
Those who want to translate it, for whatever reason, as an-(ALMAH have the
right
to do so.
I am uneasy about lofty terminology and am not sure about this business of
the "partial determinant of pronouns". In my opinion the entire Hebrew
language consists of roots [compounds themselves of simpler single-literal
roots]
and personal pronouns, or identity markers. Thus HA- is HI-, 'she'. I see
the
issue of the "definite article" is an example of terminology assuming a life
of its own---of the golem "definite" turning against its own creator.
I find it noteworthy that the English personal pronoun 'she' is considered a
descendent of the ancients words 'so' and 'he', so similar to the Hebrew ZEH
and HA- or HI. Also in Hebrew the personal pronoun HI is apparently but a
variant of XI or XAYI, 'alive'.
As to (ALMAH, I hold it possible that it evolved from a connotation for a
young woman to an honorary title, the same way the English word queen
evolved
from the base word gune---wife. After all (ALMAH contains an L for elevation
and an M for massivity, two letters that form also the awe inspiring word
(OLAM.


Isaac Fried, Boston University




Isaac, regarding the above you remind me of Chaz from the classic, "The
Wedding Crashers", "By the way, you didn't tell me that he's totally
insane...Or
he may just be a genius, because it really does work." Plus, these days, I
live by 3 maxims, Never start a ground war on a large continent, never
underestimate the greed of the other guy, and never assume that anyone with
an
advanced degree at BU (where my wife did HIre Residency) is wrong.

You are correct that the position of Translators usually does not change.
The Translators, however, do. I like to think that this process is achieved
at
least partially through the very type of dialogue happening here at B-Hebrew.

While I have difficulty incorporating your word evolution theories into the
7:14 discussion, on the other hand I see you as being very useful for the
offending word of 22:17 where everyone tries to artifically do to K)RW what
comes naturally to you. I have placed your contact info on the speed dial.



B'Shalom, Joseph Wallack



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