Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Isaac:

You have been a bit careless, or others may accuse you of cherry
picking your data to make your point.

On 11/3/07, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> 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.

In other words, the roots are made of a guttural, followed by a R,
ending with a dental.

> ... 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.
>
You have so many definitions listed, including the contradicting
"dispersion or aggregation", that don't you risk making your point
meaningless?

Secondly, words that have no example as a root could have been
borrowed from other languages, thus may not reflect Hebrew etymology.
Notice how many words you have listed that are not roots in Biblical
Hebrew.

Thirdly, I don't see how some of the words listed fit into the pattern
that you allege.

Finally, looking at words that have meanings similar to the ones
listed show that many do not the pattern that you list above.

Initial G: Does this include all?
GRD, Used once, to scrape, scratch
GRZ, to trim away, as part of dressing stone, preparing lumber
*GRT,
GRS, to grind down
GR$ to drive out (as cows to a pasture, as someone into exile)
גרד, גרז, גרט, גרס, גרשׁ, ]גרע[

Initial H: HRS to tear down (wall, boundary, altar) to make into a
ruin, synonym $XT
הרס

Initial X:
XRD, to shiver (from fright or great awe) (hence) be concerned for
(shivering in the excitement that the person be properly taken care
of)
XRZ, (not a root found in Tanakh)
XRT, (not a root, a sharp metal tool used for engraving on metal)
XRS, (not a root, scabies, dry, rough skin: (another meaning) hot, burning 
sun)
XRC, to divide out (truth from falsehood, grain from chaff, important
from unimportant, gold from ore or base metal, etc.) (hence) to act
decisively (from dividing out the important from the unimportant)
(hence) (pass.) to be divided, decided on
XR$, to work on or over (hence) to keep silent (can't talk while
working), to be deaf
XRT (not a root)
חרד, חרז, חרט, חרס, חרץ, חרשׁ, חרשׂ, חרת

Initial K:
*KRZ,
KRS, (not a root)
KRSM, to root up, as a pig from digs for food αλ
*KRC,
KRS, (not a root)
KRT to cut off
כרז, כרס, כרסם, כרץ, כרש, כרת, ]כרע[


Initial Q:
QRD, (not a root)
QRS, to bow deeply
QRC, to pinch (together) (hence) to squint (eyes, as in hate), to form
things from clay (done by pinching the clay)
QR$ (not a root)
קרד, קרס, קרץ, קרש, [קרע]


Missing:
BDL to part, indicative of a physical removal, put a distance between
GDD to cut out, incise
GD( to cut down
GZR to part off, sever
GRR to grind by crushing
DK) to crush by pounding, making to a fine dust or powder (hence) to oppress
DQQ to grind until fine, thin, to pulverize
XDD to grind, file (hence) to sharpen
X+B to carve
+XN to grind
KT$ to grind or pound as in a mortar
MWL to clip off (e.g. grass, heads of grain) (hence) to circumcise
MXH to scrape off (hence) to erase with a sharp instrument scraping
off a written entry
MRX to rub in
MRQ to rub, massage (hence) to polish, i.e. to rub until it shines
NQD to score specifically in sense of marking (by name, cutting (hole,
notch), scarring) referring to scratching on potsherds (ostraka)
names, writing with use of a chisel (hence) to designate, in a bad
sense meaning to mark out for bad mouthing
SPQ to rub, wring hands ??
PLX to slice, to cut
PSL to carve (out)
PTX to open, the basic sense is to open a hole, opening, door (hence)
to dig or engrave a hole, ditch, groove as in writing, furrow in
field, carving in relief on a wall or door
QCB to cut out as in carving, forming, shearing
$SP to cut to pieces
$(( to rub (eyes)
%R+ to cut into

and I probably missed some.
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University
>
Karl W. Randolph.