Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

All,

The list of Hebrew roots below is composed by the successive  
substitution of the equivalents: G, H, X, K, Q followed by the  
successive substitution of the equivalents: D, Z, T [tet], Y, S, C, S  
[sin], $, T [tav], with a medial R. All roots are manifestly  
referring to one sort or another of trituration, filing by abrasion,  
scraping, scratching, grating, grinding, rasping, shredding, rubbing,  
hacking, carving, engraving, severing or crushing as typically  
occurring in the vigorous working of metal, wood or clay, or breaking  
up the hard soil with a plow. The meaning of dispersion or  
aggregation inherent in all of them them is as predicted by the  
presence of the letter R. An asterisk denotes an extra-biblical root.

Initial G: GRD, GRZ, *GRT, GRS, GR$
גרד, גרז, גרט, גרס, גרשׁ, ]גרע[
Initial H: HRS
הרס
Initial X: XRD, XRZ, XRT, XRS, XRC, XR$, XRT
חרד, חרז, חרט, חרס, חרץ, חרשׁ, חרשׂ, חרת
Initial K: *KRZ, KRS, KRSM, *KRC, KRS, KRT
כרז, כרס, כרסם, כרץ, כרש, כרת, ]כרע[
Initial Q: QRD, QRS, QRC, QR$
קרד, קרס, קרץ, קרש, [קרע]

Isaac Fried, Boston University