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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Vav Nun Suffix

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  • From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
  • To: "Arnaud Fournet" <fournet.arnaud AT wanadoo.fr>
  • Cc: Hebrew List <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Vav Nun Suffix
  • Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2010 06:32:46 -0500

1. It is not clear to me what you mean by "actual word". The Hebrew word = root +identity markers (personal pronouns).

2. the root of AB, 'father', is B ( עב ), 'big'. It is also the root of ABEH ( עבה ), 'thick', BUAH ( בועה, אבעבועה ), 'bubble, inflation', and appears in BA-AL ( בעל ), 'master', together with the other uni-consonantal root L ( על ), 'elevation'.

3. I am not worried of falling into the "trap of etymological furor". If you think carefully about what I am saying you will also come to he conclusion that it can not be otherwise.

4. Identity markers are personal pronouns or universal (temporary) names.

5. The TA of TALMUD, 'learning', (from the root LMD), is the personal pronoun ATAH (אתה ), while the internal U is the personal pronoun HU ( הוא ), both referring to the thing itself. Recall that I said that the attached (or inserted) personal pronouns are not the detached ones. Similarly, we have NICAB ( ניצב ), 'perpendicular', with an initial NI ( אני ), and MISHOR ( מישור ), 'plane', with an initial MI ( מי ).

Isaac Fried, Boston University


On Nov 21, 2010, at 5:13 AM, Arnaud Fournet wrote:


From: "Isaac Fried" <if AT math.bu.edu>


1. I think that what you mean by "vocabulary" is the root stock of the Hebrew language. I believe that the multi-consonantal Hebrew root is a merger of uni-consonantal roots.
***
No the stock of roots is not the same as the vocabulary which is made up of actual words (or maybe we can also include stems).
It's always fairly difficult to know what the speakers consider a "root".
The hyper consonantic dismantling of Semitic languages is somewhat artificial.
We can reconstruct words with their vowels, not just consonant roots.
Father is *)ab not just root *)b, a "root" that does not make much sense in fact.

I suppose you mean "addition" of uni-consonantal roots rather than fusion.
I don't think you can build a reasonable case for that theory.
You will probably fall in the trap of "etymological furor".

A.
***



2. I don't "decree" anything, I merely express my belief that the I and U (also E and O) sounds in the Hebrew word are identity markers. The ancient Hebrews did not waste the I and U sounds just for twitting and tutting like birds.
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What does "identity markers" mean?

A.
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3. The ancient Hebrews did not construct their language by means of "prefixes", "infixes" and "suffixes".
***
What is the t- of talmud then?

A.
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