Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

This is, indeed, the ultimate question ––– the end of the road.  
All Hebrew single-consonant roots (excepting R) are, in my opinion,  
but existence markers, with an added shade of meaning. The meaning of  
the root L is what it is in AL על 'above', the meaning of the root B  
is what it is in AB עב 'thick, solid', the meaning of the root $ is  
what it is in $)H שאה, 'lift' [compare $OA שוע 'noble'], the  
root S is what it is in SA), 'carry, lift', and so on. The root R  
indicates, in my opinion, plurality, namely, that a material state  
consists of many free bodies, for instance RSQ, PRQ, $BR, etc.. Then,  
there is context and usage.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jan 30, 2011, at 12:22 PM, fred burlingame wrote:

> Hello Isaac:
>
> That process sounds eminently reasonable and intuitive.
>
> But .... then, for example, after you complete the process and  
> arrive at the base, single letter root; .... how do you draw out  
> the meaning of that single letter?
>
> For example, with letter "$" below? What is the base meaning of  
> that letter? And how do you reason to that conclusion?
> I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> regards,
>
> fred burlingame
> On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 10:15 AM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> To obtain the root of a Hebrew word I remove from it all attached  
> prepositions (admittedly, it is not always clear if a first letter  
> is grammatical or radical, as in the word TAMAR), then I remove  
> from it all, internal and external, personal pronouns (in other  
> words I shed from it all vowels), then I ignore the letters aleph,  
> ayin, and final he, which I consider mere filler letters, and am  
> left with the root.
> Thus, the root of AB, 'father, cloud, thick', is B. The root of E$,  
> 'fire', is $. The root of 'EL, 'god', is L. The root of GA!,  
> 'touch', is G. The root of OR, 'light', is R. The root of QUM,  
> 'rise', is QM, the root of QIYR, 'wall', is QR. the root of ARBA,  
> 'four', is RB. The root of ECBA, 'finger', is CB. And so on.
>
> Isaac Fried, Boston University
>
> On Jan 30, 2011, at 8:21 AM, Paul Zellmer wrote:
>
> > Again, the language that we know as Hebrew has triliteral roots.