Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Ah, and how could I forget ZMR (of which we have ZMORAH זמורה  
'twig').

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Oct 14, 2010, at 6:49 PM, Isaac Fried wrote:

> Indeed, if the initial T in TMR is radical, then it appears to me  
> to be of the family of roots CMR (of which we have CAMERET צמרת  
> 'tree top'), SMR (of which we have MA-SMER 'nail'), SHMR (of which  
> we have SHAMIR שמיר).
> Otherwise, the initial T-, or TA-, is possibly the attached  
> personal pronoun ATAH (אתה) which is used to turn the root MR  
> into the name TA-MAR ('you are MAR'). I don't think that this MAR  
> is here in the sense of 'bitter', but is rather here merely a short  
> form of AMIR (אמיר 'upper branches').
> Notice that several tree names in the TANAK have this dual form:
> TAMAR - MOR
> TIRZAH (TIRCAH?) -EREZ
> TOREN - OREN
> TA'ASHUR - ASHERAH
> We also find the tree names:
> T'ENAH
> TAPUAK
> TIDHAR
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University