Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

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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