Biblical Hebrew Forum

[David Kolinsky <hadeesh AT sbcglobal.net>]

Isaac,

The etymology of פעם is from:

פה (mouth)  >>

פעה (to cry out, pant? (Is42:14); hiphil (Jastro) = to resuscitate)
>>  פועה > Pu'ah (of Shiphrah and Puah) "she who resuscitates (midwife)"
>>  נפע (Jastro) "to squirt in the mouth"

>>  פעם literally means "a single puff / pant of air"
since panting is rhythmic the idea of the word gives us:
things that make rhythmic beats:
     > hoof beats (Jd5:29)
     > foot / hoof (making a hoof beat)
         (KgII19:24)(Is26:6)(Ps17:5;57:7;58:11;74:385:14;119:133;140:5)(Pr29:5)(Ss7:2)
         the CORNER'S of (Ex25:12)(KgI7:30) are actually FEET
     > an anvil (Is41:7)
     > a bell (Ex28:33)
     > a moment (Pr7:12)(Nh13:20) = one moment of a rhythmic beat
     > (effect of a beat or the sound of a startled beating heart)  to startle  to stir up (Jd13:25)

Shavu'a Tov,
David Kolinsky
Monterey CA

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From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
To: Nir cohen - Prof. Mat. <nir AT ccet.ufrn.br>
Cc: "b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org list" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sat, December 29, 2012 5:35:53 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] PAAM, was KPR

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