Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

As I see it, a root is not a verb. A root is a state, and a verb is but the act of 

causing the state. The root לחם is 'solid, substantial', not 'to beat'. A verb 

does not contain a description of how the act is performed, only it's perceived 

result. 

For instance, the act אפה APAH, 'bake', is but עבה ABAH, or עוה AWAH, 

'thicken, enlarge, inflate', and in this it is related to the noun אף AP, 'nose', 

(the thing that עף above the face) and also to פאה PEAH, 'corner, side'.

This is how it is in Hebrew.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Apr 14, 2013, at 3:05 PM, Jonathan Mohler wrote:

maybe the לחם, to beat was newer than לחם, bread