Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

If you look for "evolution", then it is arguably from the concrete to the abstract. 

One may argue that רך RAK, 'soft, pliable, spreadable, distortable', a thing one 

feels with his fingers, "predates" the רוח אלוהים RUAX ELOHIYM, 'the Spirit of God', of Gen. 1:2. 

We know that 'soft' (related to 'shift'?) predates 'software'. 

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jul 17, 2013, at 11:00 PM, David Kolinsky wrote:

Isaac,

How do you propose their relationship if not by some evolving from others?

David Kolinsky

Monterey CA

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From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
To: David Kolinsky <hadeesh AT sbcglobal.net>
Cc: ""b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org"" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] What exactly is the semantic overlap between רוח as (1) 'breathe, blow' and (2) 'to be wide, spacious'?

1. And, of course, the רוח חיים RUAX XAYIM of Gen. 6:17 is the software installed in Gen. 2:7 into the hardware.  

2. It is not clear to me what is this "evolution". 

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jul 17, 2013, at 9:19 PM, David Kolinsky wrote:

Wow,

Isaac and I agree - except the evolution is RWX to RWK.

David Kolinsky

Monterey CA

---

From: Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>
To: Stewart Felker <stewart.felker AT gmail.com>
Cc: "b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] What exactly is the semantic overlap between רוח as (1) 'breathe, blow' and (2) 'to be wide, spacious'?

RAX is a variant of RAK רך 'soft, pliable, yielding, tender, spreadable', 

as in Prov. 25:15. It is related to ערך ARAK, 'array, arrange', ארוך AROK, 

'long', ארוכה ARUKAH, 'relief' (as in Is. 58:8), and ארוחה ARUXAH, 'meal'.    

From RX we have רוח RUAX, 'wind', ריח REYAX, 'smell', and רחים REXAYIM, 'millstones'. 

Language is capable of expressing the negative only via the positive: 

nothing = no-thing. Thus, RAWAX is, 'relax, loosen, be free of pressure'.

Related to this are:

RAXAB רחב 'wide'.

RARAQ רחק 'spread out'

RAXA$ רחש 'seethe, swarm' 

RAXAC רחץ 'wash' 

RAXAM רחם 'mercy, compassion' 

RAXAP רחף 'hover', as in Gen. 1:2.

Also 

RAKAB רכב 'mount, ride, combine'

RAKAS רכס 'assemble'

RAKA$ רכש 'acquired' 

and

RAQAB רקב 'rotted'

RAQAD רקד 'danced'

RAQAM רקם 'stitched' 

and many more of the form #RX, #RK and #RQ.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jul 17, 2013, at 7:42 PM, Stewart Felker wrote:

There's also רֶוַח, as 'relief' - I'm assuming the overlap here would be in the same sense that we say 'having space' (or 'breathing easy'). But what exactly is the connection between 'wind, breath', etc. and being 'wide, spacious'?




Stewart Felker

University of Memphis

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