From: Garth Grenache <garthgrenache AT hotmail.com>
To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] The Names "Abram" and "Abraham"
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:53:02 +1000
Interesting thoughts!
I don't find in any of them yet a good explanation for the R in Abraham.
'Ra' the Egyptian sun God doesn't convince me, because the 'a' in 'Ra' is not
a vowel (as in the ra of Abraham), but is a consonant(pharyngeal fricative)
sound like `ayin.
This is confirmed by the Hebrew spelling Ra`meses.
Indeed it is uncertain whether even the vowel between the r and ` in Egyptian
Ra was originally 'a'. Some spell it Re`.
So one who suggests that the 'ra' in Abraham is from Egyptian 'Ra', must also
at least suggest why the `ayin sound is missing from Abraham.