Biblical Hebrew Forum

[K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

David:

On Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 4:04 PM, David Kolinsky <yishalom AT sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> Karl and Randall,
>
> Randall:  I agree with you absolutely, only those roots that are R-(-H  =
>  R-(-Y are candidates for  (רעיון) Ra(YoN.
>

The problem I have with that is meaning. The three times it is used in
Qohelet, 1:17, 2:22, 4:16, none have the idea of feeding. It is used in
parallel to trouble. It is used in contrast to joyfulness. All the contexts
indicate displeasure.

To repeat again, no matter how well a form may indicate a certain etymology,
if the meaning is not there, the speculated etymology is to be rejected.


> Unlike Karl, I strongly believe that cognates from other semitic languages
> can be used to INFORM Hebrew etymology, but I do not believe that it is
> determinative ie) it must be taken with a grain of salt.
>

We may not be as far apart as you think here. I have nothing against
consulting cognate languages. In fact, for some of the lesser known terms in
Biblical Hebrew, such consultation may be the only way we can get enough
context to understand a word. But not always. But the better known a word is
in Biblical Hebrew, the less usefulness becomes consulting cognate
languages.


> Cordially,
>
> David Kolinsky
> Monterey CA
>

What could be the sticking point here is the tradition that all Biblical
Hebrew verbs have a triliteral root. I question that tradition. True, the
majority of verbs have triliteral roots, and I strongly oppose those
attempts to split those triliteral roots to get to some speculated
etymologies, but there is a minority that seem to act as if they had
biliteral roots, and a very few as quadraliteral roots. R(( seems to be one
of those roots, and that understanding allows it to be recognized as a
possible root for R(YWN in Qohelet. The contexts and meaning seem to back
that up.

Karl W. Randolph.