Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

As to the question what came first the omelet or the egg, my answer  
is that the root KR (cum variants GR, HR, XR, QR) came first.

You are right in saying that the Hebrew bible is not absolutely  
detailed as to the job description of the ancient IKAR, yet it is  
plenty clear that he was a worker of the land, possibly what we call  
today a PALAX, rather than, say, a herder of sheep.

You are also right (and we don't need "Akkadian" for this) that the  
root KR may refer to breaking up as well as to piling up, having to  
do with the symmetrical view of the language of the positive and the  
negative. In fact, we have from this root the verb KARAH, 'dig', as  
in Ps. 7:16, as well as 'buy', in Dt. 2:6 (being possibly related to  
SAKAR, 'accumulate'). Also KUR, 'crucible ', as in Dt. 4:20, and also  
KIYOR and KIYRA-YIM. We have from this root also the object KAR,  
'pillow, saddle', as in Gen. 31:34, or 'hillock, meadow', as in  
Isaiah 30:23. We have from it also KOR, 'pile' as in 1R 4:22.

It is conceivable that this is also of the meaning of the fraction KR  
of KEREM and KARMEL.

The Russian gora is good, and so is the German Acker.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Mar 12, 2011, at 9:30 AM, Nir cohen - Prof. Mat. wrote:

> david,
>
> i agree with your word association list in general. the problem is
> that in this list one never knows which came first: the egg or the
> hen. for example,
>
> > /eKaR (????) "(digger =>) farmer" from KaRaH (???) "to dig."
> > Cordially,
> > David Kolinsky
> > Monterey CA
>
> i am not aware of the etymology "digger" for IKAR, and KRH is never  
> used in BH
> with agricultural connotations, as far as i remember. what IKARIM  
> did was
> called XR$, ZR(, (DR, (ZK, SQL etc. on the contraty, it was  
> gatherers-hunters
> which dug, both roots and traps, rather than farmers. it is this  
> context
> (traps) which is most used in BH.
> thus the relation IKAR --> KARAH is not a natural one.
>
> actually, i believe that "KAR,KUR" had a rather generic meaning in  
> akkadian:
>
>                  field, meadow, mountain, mountain pass, turn pike,
>                  ore mine, border, distant military post,...
>
> and both IKAR and KARAH probably derived from there. now, the  
> origin of
> KAR,KUR is not known to me but may have IE parallels (greek agora,  
> latin
> agriculture, russian gora=mountain etc etc) and maybe even hebrew HAR.
>
> -------------
>
> also, i am surprised you did not comment in your list on a possible  
> connection
> between AXAZ and EXAD.
>
> best
> nir cohen
>
>
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