Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] hykl

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Arnaud Fournet" <fournet.arnaud AT wanadoo.fr>
  • To: "Nir cohen - Prof. Mat." <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>, <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] hykl
  • Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:31:51 +0100


----- Original Message ----- From: "Nir cohen - Prof. Mat." <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>

This is not necessarily a change that happened within Semitic languages.

It seems that the contrast between Sumerian g and k, corresponds to
some extent to a contrast between k/g (weakly voiced) and kH
(aspirated). As a consequence Sumerian g may be perceived as being
equivalent to Semitic k rather than a really voiced g.

As a rule Sumerian renders all Semitic stops as being voiceless C,
be they voiced, voiceless and emphatic, and never as CH (aspirated).
The apparent "change" g > k is therefore probably to be accounted
for by the difference between the Sumerian system and the Semitic systems.

Arnaud Fournet
***

arnaud,

i do not know for sure how these words were pronounced, in either
language. so i will stick to the way they were written. looking at
words which are similar in hebrew/arabic and sumeric,

www.ping.de/sites/systemcoder/necro/info/sumerian.htm

my conclusion is that the G/K/Q distinction is identical:

*** pagru (body), igisum (gift), genii (ghosts, arabic jin), negeltu (awake),
metal (zag, as in H. sag?), agaru (hire, see arabic, ajar and H agar),

*** kalu (confine), alaku (go), kalbi (dog), kabitu (heavy), kappu (wing),
rakbu (messenger), zakaru (remind, see oath)

*** nasaqu (kiss), baraqu (lightning), qerebu (near), lequ (take).

i found no g(SUM)-->k(H) transformation except possibly one (barag-gal,
holy of holies) which is unclear since i could not find barag (holy)
in the same list. also, it is possible that the correct word was barak-gal,
and euphony changed k to g.

i don't say uri's thesis is wrong. but maybe it needs some validation.

***

There are three layers of borrowings between Semitic / Akkadian and Sumerian
and specialists have a fairly good idea what these three layers reveal.
I can only recommend that you read what specialists of these issues have to say.
What I wrote is directly taken from them.

Best

Arnaud Fournet






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page