Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Mike,

I am not sure what you mean by "euphemism", but you may be  
overlooking a simple thing. The root BRK is neutral, all it refers to  
is material aggregation. Indeed the root BRK spawned the disparate  
words BRAK-AH, 'blessing', BEREK, 'knee', and BREK-AH, 'pool', that  
have all nothing in common [discounting the "common wisdom" about  
kneeling during blessing, or for sipping water from a pool.] In this  
general sense BARAK may be but a variant of CARAX, 'screamed,  
shrieked, yelled, shouted', as in Isaiah 42:13, which has also  
nothing to do with CRIAX, 'turret, spire'.
The root BRK is also akin to BRX, 'separate, escape', BRQ, 'polish,  
shimmer, discharge', PRX, 'flourish', PRK, 'brittle' and PRQ, 'take  
apart'. Notice that DBR generated, among other, the distinct words  
DIBR-AH, 'saying', DOBR-AH, 'raft' and DBAR-IM, 'things'.
So, BERAK-TA of 1 Kings 21:10 is easily just 'talked loosely, spread  
loose talk'. In its essence, QLL, 'curse', is also but raise the  
voice, 'QOL', to GLL, 'roll, [bad words]', or to KLL, 'accumulate,  
include, [bad words of ill meaning]'. The kindred HLL is the same  
accumulation, but of good words.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On May 12, 2008, at 10:35 AM, Mike Tisdell wrote:

> Can anyone tell me the basis for treating BRK as a euphemistic  
> curse i.e. as is
> translated in Job 1:5,11; 2:5, 9; 1 Ki 21:10, etc.?
>
> Is there anything published that deals with this Euphemism?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Tisdell
>
> San Jose, CA
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