Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Seems to me that כנף KANAP is a variant of כף KAP, 'palm of the hand', 

and כפף KPP, 'bend'. Also of גב GAB, 'back', and גבב GBB, pile up'. 

Also of

גו, גף

הב

חב, חף

קב, קו

It is also related to the post-biblical סנף SNP, 'branch', and סנפיר 'fin', of Lev. 11:9.

Compare with ZANAB - ZABAB, GANAB - GABAB

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Sep 27, 2013, at 8:36 PM, Dewayne Dulaney wrote:

I see no reason why we should abandon the literal meaning "wing." Your rendering "edge" (top) is not impossible. But a good principle is that if we want to deviate from the basic meaning of a word (here "wing"), we need to have something in the context pointing in this direction. But I see nothing that would suggest "edge/top.