Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

You are right, possibly even to a greater extent than suggested, but  
your "etymology", is, in my opinion, flawed. To wit: the finger is  
not "the dipper". There is rarely such "horizontal" relationships  
between Hebrew words of the same root. The root (as I see it) of ECBA  
אצבע 'finger', is CB, 'extend, enlarge, expand, swell, raise', as  
in the verb CABAH of Nu. 5:2, and related to the roots YCB and NCB,  
'erect'. CABA צבע 'paint' is 'add upon, add above, cover, submerge'.
From this root we have, not only ECBA, but also CABA צבא 'army',  
CAB צב, 'lizard, turtle', CBIY צבי 'deer', CABOA? צבוע 'hyena'.
The root CB is related, by degrees, to the roots
DB, ZB, TB, YB, SB, $B
DW, ZW, TW, YW, SW, $W
DP, ZP, TP, YP, SP, $P
with too many words to contemplate here.
The initial E of ECBA may be just phonetic prop, as suggested by  
George, or it may be the same E as in E-$MOR 'I will guard'. Such  
additions are common in turning a root into a noun, as they are in  
turning a root into a verb. To wit: I-KAR, 'farmer', TA-LMIYD,  
'student', MA-QOM, 'place', MI-SAAD, 'rail', NI-DBAK (essentially NI- 
DBAQ), 'row of bricks'.
Briefly:
ARBA, 'four' = RAB, 'many'.
AXAD, 'unify' = AXAZ, 'hold together'.
AKAL, 'eat' = KALAL, 'include'.
IKAR, 'farmer' = KARAH, 'dig'.
This last root KR is a variant of GR, HR, XR, QR, or in Hebrew:
גער, גרה, גרע, גרר, אגר
הרה
חרא, חרה, חרר, אחר
כער ,כרה, כרע, עכר
קרא, קרה, קרע, עקר, קער

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Mar 10, 2011, at 11:59 AM, David Kolinsky wrote:

> Sorry for not signing the post
> George,
>
> Please consider the following.
>
> /aRBa\ (ארבע) "four" from RBa\ (רבע) "to spread out in all  
> four directions, quadrate, inundate, lie down, copulate."
>
> /eTsBa\ (אצבע) "(reacher, dipper =>) finger"  from TsBha\  
> (צבע) meaning "(to reach) to dip or dye s.th
>
> /eChaD (אחד) one from ChaDaD (חדד) meaning "sharpened or  
> pointed."
>
> /aKhaL (אכל) "to consume, eat" from KaLaH (כלה) meaning "to  
> consume."
>
> /aChaZ (אחז) "to take hold or apprehend" from ChaZaH (חזה).
>
> /aKhaPh (אכף) "to force compel" from KaPhaH (כפה) "to bend,  
> bring under one's control."
>
> /aBhaD (אבד) "to be lost" from BaD (בד) "alone (piece,  
> singular, unique, special)"
>
>  /ePheS (אפס) "nothing, none, zero" from PaSaS (פסס) "to  
> vanish."
>
> /eKaR (איכר) "(digger =>) farmer" from KaRaH (כרה) "to dig."
>
>
> Cordially,
>
> David Kolinsky
> Monterey CA
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