Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Hebrew etymology is about the meaning of the Hebrew root, not about  
the meaning of the Hebrew word (words derived from the same root may  
have apparently entirely different meaning) and its English equivalents.
In my opinion, the basic meaning of the root RAAH רעה is 'loose,  
free, broken, separated', and this is also the basic meaning of  
ראה, 'see, discern'. This is also the basic meaning of the roots  
of רֵעַ 'friend', רעוּת 'friendship', רעיה 'consort',  
רָעָה 'calamity, disaster', רעיון 'idea', תרוּעה  
'cheer, tremolos', עוּר 'alert', עוֹר, 'skin', ערירי  
'desultory, drossy', יראה 'fear, loss of self confidence', ect.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Mar 11, 2010, at 2:14 PM, K Randolph wrote:

> Isaac:
>
> On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
>
> > רעה is not 'graze' and not 'feed', it is 'roam freely'.
> >
> > בתר is 'cut into separate pieces'.
> >
> > פתר is 'solved', which in English means 'loosened', and so is  
> > פשר
> >
> > אסר= עצר = אצר is 'accumulate, hoard, hold together, hold  
> > back'.
> >
> >
> > Isaac Fried, Boston University
> Where do you get your definitions from?
>
> The ones I listed are from actual use in Tanakh, and I’m prepared  
> to defend
> them.
>
> They are not from any made up etymologies.
>
> In my book, actual use trumps etymologies any day, especially made up
> etymologies that can’t be demonstrated.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
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