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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
  • Cc: B-Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Halhul, Jezreel and Timnah
  • Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 20:08:49 -0500

George,

I know it because even the ancient-ancients new the difference between one person, EXAD, and many persons, RABIM.
Otherwise what is the etymology of MIDBAR?

Isaac Fried

On Feb 4, 2009, at 7:49 PM, George Athas wrote:

Isaac Fried wrote:

"The root of the name is DBR containing the letter R. In my opinion
every Hebrew root that contains the letter (or the uni-litteral root)
R refers to a multi-particle material state. You can verify this by
going over all the Hebrew roots containing this letter.
The question is what is being aggregated or dispersed in the MIDBAR
for it to be so called. Some think it is in reference to the flocks
of sheep being brought there, while some think it in reference to its
landscape of piled sand, earth and stones."

There are a number of problems with this:


1. Your assumption that each radical must have a particular meaning on its own is not supported by anyone else I know of and does not seem to appreciate the way Semitic languages work. Therefore, who are the "some" who "think" the particle aggregation or dispersion refers to sheep or raw materials, and that this is specifically focused on the letter *resh* in the word MIDBAR?
2. Verification here does not mean proof. You can always come up with circumstantial evidence.
3. Is 'particle aggregation or dispersion' a category the ancients worked with? And I mean the real ancient ancients since they would have to be the first speakers of a Semitic language? If they did, how do you know? If you know from your theory of the Hebrew language, then your reasoning is entirely circular.



Regards,

GEORGE ATHAS
Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
www.moore.edu.au

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