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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Interchange of L/lamed with R/resh in Biblical Hebrew

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  • From: David Kummerow <farmerjoeblo AT hotmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Interchange of L/lamed with R/resh in Biblical Hebrew
  • Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:43:14 +1000


I would have thought that the more natural semantic antonym of `QR "to uproot" would be NT` "to plant". There is nothing "obvious" about your contrary claim. It makes little sense to have Isaac "planted" into the alter. In any case, from memory I think that `QD is not so obscure in that there are common cognates meaning "to tie, bind". There is nothing lame about an English rendering "tied up" or "bound" if that is indeed the case.

Regards,
David Kummerow.


Jim,

The letters L and R don't "interchange". In my opinion the letter L
indicates elevation and the letter R dispersion/aggregation. Every
Hebrew root containing the letter R refers to a material state of
several bodies, such as (RM for a heap of grain versus (LM for
something tall and massive.
Some jump on this supposedly L-R interchangeability to relate Hebrew
and Indo-European words, for instance KAPTOR of Exodus 25:33 to the
Latin word capitulum. See: Vernes, Maurice: Les Emprunts de la Bible
Hebraique au Grec et au Latin, Ernest Leroux, Paris, 1914, pages 68-69.
Often, the substitution of R for another letter sharpens the meaning
of a word otherwise obscure. Take for instance the rare verb (AQAD of
Genesis 22:9, lamely translated by the NAB as 'tied up', and by the
JPS bible as 'bound'. Obviously it is the opposite of (AQAR, 'tore
away'.
See more in my book at www.hebrewetymology.com

Isaac Fried, Boston University





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