Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Nir cohen - Prof. Mat." <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>]

maybe H$TXWH is the only BIBLICAL example of the hishtafel binyan which
existed in many second millenium BC NW semitic texts but, says 
isaac, not in hebrew. indeed, the OT is not as old and this binyan 
did not survive in it. but it seems to me that it survived in later hebrew 
in several words such as 

         H$TKLL, H$T(BD, H$TRBB, H$TXRR, H$TKN(, H$T(MM, 

(although a late interpretation of them may posit a quadruple root). clearly
isaac cannot claim a $XR root for H$TXRR or a $KL root for H$TKLL. (i ignore 
the modern H$TDRG, H$T(TQ etc). there are similar examples for the shifel
binyan which, i assume, is also TREYF for isaac: 

             $KLL, $(BD, $RBB, $XRR, $RBT, $KN(, $(RK, $LHB (hence $LHBT ) 

(i ignore the modern $DRG, $(TQ, $N( ). 

then there is the word $GR (which is a derivative of semitic
GR=stranger/itinerant) but today is considered a triple root. later also 
$GRYR.

i do not know how old is the tradition which gave rise to these words. are
they all inventions of the hebrew language academy? i suspect that some of
them are much older than that but maybe the b-friends can complete the 
picture. 

consider for example H$TQM and $QM (shifel form of the root QM?) which, under
a possible reading, appears in judges 5:7. 

it is also possible that $PR and H$TPR is a simplified P)R-hishtafel. but
today a $PR-root is assumed instead.

then there is $PL (low) which may be derived from the root PL (fall).
today it is a triple root without binyanim.

i also wonder about the verb H$TWLL which may be a simplified (WLL-histafel.
it has nothing to do with the root $LL and appears in no other binyan.

what about H$TWMM? today, considered as a triple root $MM with many idle 
binyanim.

then there is SNWR, HSTNWR, SNWRYM (blind/ness) which, i assume, comes from
 )WR or NWR=light or from (WR (eye/blind). several idle binyanim.

maybe also SGRYR. 

in all the S- prefix words i base my assumptions on
the well known semitic affinity between S $. 

then there is SR(PT and SR(PIM which may be derived from R(P.
maybe SRGL.

(pls correct me if i'm wrong). maybe these examples together support the
hypothesis that the shifel/hishtafel binyanim did exist in BH.
 

nir cohen