Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

I still think that he who talks about Hebrew etymology 

should explain what he means by this "etymology".  

Etymology, I think, is not meaning but rather interconnectivity. 

As an example consider the

ויהי בבקר ותפעם רוחו

of Gen. 41:8, "And it came to pass in the morning that his (Pharaoh's) 

spirit was troubled."

There is no doubt as to what happened in the morning, except 

that we are left curious about the nature of the physical evocation 

of the intangible emotional state WA-TI-PAEM, above and beyond 

the facile "troubled". In particular, how, we want to know, is this 

related to the זאת הפעם ZOT HA-PAAM, "this is now", of Gen. 2:23. 

Also פעמות PAM-OT, "corners", of Ex. 25:12. Also פעמון PAAM-ON, 

"bell", of Ex. 28:34.

I think that פעם is a variant of the Mishnaic פטם PTM, 

(from which we have פטמה PITMAH, 'nipple, teat'), 

'inflated, swelled, fat, plump, obese', (related to the פצם PCM 

of Ps. 60:4(2)), so that פעמון PAAMON is but a chubby מפוטם 

thin walled metal ball (bell = bellowing ball?) with bits of metal 

put inside it to make a rattling noise.   

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Dec 28, 2012, at 1:37 PM, Nir cohen - Prof. Mat. wrote:

On Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:06:32 -0500, Isaac Fried wrote
> 1. The problem is not with not having an etymology "that we can analyze", but with knowing what you mean by "etymology".

that's it, we stay at base one all the time. i find it very frustrating. some of us do not accept general methodologies, invent their own,
then want them to be the general rule.

nir cohen