Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

1. There is no Hebrew root that can mean 'unfaithful or treacherous'.
2. There is no Hebrew root that can mean 'labor or toil or trouble'.
3. The root is ML as in MALE, 'full, massive and lofty'.
4.  The meaning of M is as it is in EM, 'mother' (the same way that B  
is as it is in AB, 'father')

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jan 31, 2011, at 11:57 AM, fred burlingame wrote:

> Hello Isaac:
>
> Thanks for your comments.
>
> Let's try another root letter; and perhaps I can understand better.
>
> What about "mem," מ ? What does it mean?
>
> In מעל (ma-al), strong's 4603, we have an apparent meaning of  
> unfaithful or treacherous.
>
> In עמל (ah-mal), strong's 5998, we have an apparent meaning of  
> labor or toil or trouble.
>
> I can see somewhat of a faint relation in usage between the two words.
>
> The root letter lamed ל as i understand from you, means to ascend  
> or lofty.
>
> If we discount the ayin ע as a filler, how do we arrive at the  
> definitions above?
>
> And what does the root mem מ mean?
>
> regards,
>
> fred burlingame
>
> On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 10:42 AM, Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu> wrote:
> How can a Hebrew root express in itself such a mysteriously  
> complicated  idea as 'die'? Yet, QAVA קבע, 'fix, put down' is  
> fine. Also, KVAH כבה, 'put out'. Also GAVA גבע, 'mount'. Also  
> GAVAH גבה, 'go up', (then also QPA קפא, freeze', etc.). They  
> all sound the same (at least nowadays). Why? because they are all  
> the same on the root level. But they are all written differently.  
> why? Because they  are all different in the act level.
> I also recall now GEV גו, 'body', versus GEB and GAB גב, 'back'.