James Bejon
@jamesbejon.bsky.social
A neat Masoretic note on II Sam. 13.
Something like, שׁממה [occurs] three times (ג̇), twice defectively (ב̇ חָסֵר) and once fully (וחד מָלֵא). [Ordered by appearance], [the first is] ותשב תמר ושממה, [the second, which is plene]כי־רבים בני־שוממה מבני, [and the third] נתנני שממה.
Something like, שׁממה [occurs] three times (ג̇), twice defectively (ב̇ חָסֵר) and once fully (וחד מָלֵא). [Ordered by appearance], [the first is] ותשב תמר ושממה, [the second, which is plene]כי־רבים בני־שוממה מבני, [and the third] נתנני שממה.
November 18, 2025 at 2:38 PM
A neat Masoretic note on II Sam. 13.
Something like, שׁממה [occurs] three times (ג̇), twice defectively (ב̇ חָסֵר) and once fully (וחד מָלֵא). [Ordered by appearance], [the first is] ותשב תמר ושממה, [the second, which is plene]כי־רבים בני־שוממה מבני, [and the third] נתנני שממה.
Something like, שׁממה [occurs] three times (ג̇), twice defectively (ב̇ חָסֵר) and once fully (וחד מָלֵא). [Ordered by appearance], [the first is] ותשב תמר ושממה, [the second, which is plene]כי־רבים בני־שוממה מבני, [and the third] נתנני שממה.
Huehnergard’s excellent article on Hebrew nominal patterns classifies כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת as a *quttul-t form, which it may be,
but is it better explained in light of the tendency for pre-tonic *u to prompt gemination (עָמוֹק/עֲמֻקִּים), since כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת isn’t geminated in (unstressed) construct forms (e.g., כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים)?
but is it better explained in light of the tendency for pre-tonic *u to prompt gemination (עָמוֹק/עֲמֻקִּים), since כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת isn’t geminated in (unstressed) construct forms (e.g., כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים)?
November 15, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Huehnergard’s excellent article on Hebrew nominal patterns classifies כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת as a *quttul-t form, which it may be,
but is it better explained in light of the tendency for pre-tonic *u to prompt gemination (עָמוֹק/עֲמֻקִּים), since כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת isn’t geminated in (unstressed) construct forms (e.g., כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים)?
but is it better explained in light of the tendency for pre-tonic *u to prompt gemination (עָמוֹק/עֲמֻקִּים), since כֻּתֹּ֫נֶת isn’t geminated in (unstressed) construct forms (e.g., כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים)?
Idea for paper. List various Modern South Arabian borrowings from Arabic where a lateral fricative is effectively restored, such as in the case of šəmāl ⇒ śēməl(i) = ‘inland/north’.
Entitle the paper ‘The Imputation of Śin’.
Entitle the paper ‘The Imputation of Śin’.
November 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Idea for paper. List various Modern South Arabian borrowings from Arabic where a lateral fricative is effectively restored, such as in the case of šəmāl ⇒ śēməl(i) = ‘inland/north’.
Entitle the paper ‘The Imputation of Śin’.
Entitle the paper ‘The Imputation of Śin’.
Note: Hoch also has *yud (‘hand’), but that’s a fair bit later.
November 5, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Note: Hoch also has *yud (‘hand’), but that’s a fair bit later.
Question: Hoch has examples in (Egyptian) syllabic orthography of what appears to be *yomm (‘sea’) from the late 2nd millennium. How should these be explained?
The effect of the Canaanite Shift on a stress-lengthened *a? Or the Phoenician Shift? (When does the latter date?)
The effect of the Canaanite Shift on a stress-lengthened *a? Or the Phoenician Shift? (When does the latter date?)
November 5, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Question: Hoch has examples in (Egyptian) syllabic orthography of what appears to be *yomm (‘sea’) from the late 2nd millennium. How should these be explained?
The effect of the Canaanite Shift on a stress-lengthened *a? Or the Phoenician Shift? (When does the latter date?)
The effect of the Canaanite Shift on a stress-lengthened *a? Or the Phoenician Shift? (When does the latter date?)
It seems, however, to have been re-patterned in various ways in Arabic, likely due to its initial consonant cluster.
It appears in Egyptian Arabic as ⟨simmāna⟩ = ‘a quail’,
and (later?) acquired the classic u-a vowel melody associated with birds, hence ⟨sumānā⟩ (سمانَى) and ⟨sumāna⟩.
It appears in Egyptian Arabic as ⟨simmāna⟩ = ‘a quail’,
and (later?) acquired the classic u-a vowel melody associated with birds, hence ⟨sumānā⟩ (سمانَى) and ⟨sumāna⟩.
September 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
It seems, however, to have been re-patterned in various ways in Arabic, likely due to its initial consonant cluster.
It appears in Egyptian Arabic as ⟨simmāna⟩ = ‘a quail’,
and (later?) acquired the classic u-a vowel melody associated with birds, hence ⟨sumānā⟩ (سمانَى) and ⟨sumāna⟩.
It appears in Egyptian Arabic as ⟨simmāna⟩ = ‘a quail’,
and (later?) acquired the classic u-a vowel melody associated with birds, hence ⟨sumānā⟩ (سمانَى) and ⟨sumāna⟩.
Re-patterned Geese.
⟨smn⟩ = ‘goose’ is a good Egyptian lexeme, attested from the Old Kingdom onwards.
It presumably reflects *sV̆mānV̆(w) since it appears in Coptic as ⟨smune⟩.
⟨smn⟩ = ‘goose’ is a good Egyptian lexeme, attested from the Old Kingdom onwards.
It presumably reflects *sV̆mānV̆(w) since it appears in Coptic as ⟨smune⟩.
September 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Re-patterned Geese.
⟨smn⟩ = ‘goose’ is a good Egyptian lexeme, attested from the Old Kingdom onwards.
It presumably reflects *sV̆mānV̆(w) since it appears in Coptic as ⟨smune⟩.
⟨smn⟩ = ‘goose’ is a good Egyptian lexeme, attested from the Old Kingdom onwards.
It presumably reflects *sV̆mānV̆(w) since it appears in Coptic as ⟨smune⟩.
Dear Coptic folk.
Any ideas what Sᵃ and Sᶠ denote?
Any ideas what Sᵃ and Sᶠ denote?
August 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Dear Coptic folk.
Any ideas what Sᵃ and Sᶠ denote?
Any ideas what Sᵃ and Sᶠ denote?
Yes. Golinets also has a few cognates that I have just noticed.
August 15, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Yes. Golinets also has a few cognates that I have just noticed.
And Golinets’s onomastic lexicon gives a whole load of words, which seem to work particularly well in the case of theophoric names.
August 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
And Golinets’s onomastic lexicon gives a whole load of words, which seem to work particularly well in the case of theophoric names.
The online Sabaic Wordbook website (or whatever) has this. It also glosses the Minaic ʾWS as ‘to replace, give as a replacement’.
August 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The online Sabaic Wordbook website (or whatever) has this. It also glosses the Minaic ʾWS as ‘to replace, give as a replacement’.
Possibly.
Steingass has it as below.
Some people are dubious of Steingass’s dictionary; I’ve always found it very good.
Steingass has it as below.
Some people are dubious of Steingass’s dictionary; I’ve always found it very good.
August 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Possibly.
Steingass has it as below.
Some people are dubious of Steingass’s dictionary; I’ve always found it very good.
Steingass has it as below.
Some people are dubious of Steingass’s dictionary; I’ve always found it very good.
Anyone know if this is cognate with the Classical Arabic ʔWS = ‘to help’?
August 15, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Anyone know if this is cognate with the Classical Arabic ʔWS = ‘to help’?
Nice--have been reading this chapter for a while now, and have finally put two and two together re its author!
Thanks!
@maartenkossmann.bsky.social
Thanks!
@maartenkossmann.bsky.social
August 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Nice--have been reading this chapter for a while now, and have finally put two and two together re its author!
Thanks!
@maartenkossmann.bsky.social
Thanks!
@maartenkossmann.bsky.social
So cool that Old Nubian manuscripts preserve the [u]-vowel of the Old Egyptian ⟨jrp⟩ = ‘wine’ (3rd mill.), which has shifted to [ē] in the Coptic ⟨ērp⟩.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
August 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
So cool that Old Nubian manuscripts preserve the [u]-vowel of the Old Egyptian ⟨jrp⟩ = ‘wine’ (3rd mill.), which has shifted to [ē] in the Coptic ⟨ērp⟩.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
Dear Dialectologists.
Could anyone tell me if the attached description of Moroccan Arabic vowels sound right, and, if so, how this relates to stress?
Do you end up with stressed shewa-type vowels, or does stress accompany length?
Could anyone tell me if the attached description of Moroccan Arabic vowels sound right, and, if so, how this relates to stress?
Do you end up with stressed shewa-type vowels, or does stress accompany length?
August 12, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Dear Dialectologists.
Could anyone tell me if the attached description of Moroccan Arabic vowels sound right, and, if so, how this relates to stress?
Do you end up with stressed shewa-type vowels, or does stress accompany length?
Could anyone tell me if the attached description of Moroccan Arabic vowels sound right, and, if so, how this relates to stress?
Do you end up with stressed shewa-type vowels, or does stress accompany length?
Looking at a bit of Ugaritic, it has just occurred to me that BHL = ‘to disinherit’ fits the use of בה׳׳ל in Psalm 2 pretty well.
August 1, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Looking at a bit of Ugaritic, it has just occurred to me that BHL = ‘to disinherit’ fits the use of בה׳׳ל in Psalm 2 pretty well.
Yes. Very Najdi-like.
Huehnergard 2008 on Ugaritic Vocabulary p. 272 has good stuff on this.
Huehnergard 2008 on Ugaritic Vocabulary p. 272 has good stuff on this.
August 1, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Yes. Very Najdi-like.
Huehnergard 2008 on Ugaritic Vocabulary p. 272 has good stuff on this.
Huehnergard 2008 on Ugaritic Vocabulary p. 272 has good stuff on this.
Could some kind soul give me a hand with some Greek, which I (previously) thought I knew how to read.
I’m struggling with ⟨?φηι⟩ and ⟨Αθερ-νε?-?φηι⟩.
I’m struggling with ⟨?φηι⟩ and ⟨Αθερ-νε?-?φηι⟩.
July 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Could some kind soul give me a hand with some Greek, which I (previously) thought I knew how to read.
I’m struggling with ⟨?φηι⟩ and ⟨Αθερ-νε?-?φηι⟩.
I’m struggling with ⟨?φηι⟩ and ⟨Αθερ-νε?-?φηι⟩.
How come a word for ‘coriander’ can also mean ‘destiny, good fortune’ in both Egyptian (below) and Hebrew (גד)?
July 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
How come a word for ‘coriander’ can also mean ‘destiny, good fortune’ in both Egyptian (below) and Hebrew (גד)?
I sometimes wonder if we’re reading hieroglyphs right. How can this be a name?
June 26, 2025 at 8:24 PM
I sometimes wonder if we’re reading hieroglyphs right. How can this be a name?
Opinions from #Egyptology folk very welcome.
Wondering about translating this name as ‘The Panther’, but reluctant to go against the website’s compilers.
Perhaps ultimately cognate with לביא (‘lioness’)?
Wondering about translating this name as ‘The Panther’, but reluctant to go against the website’s compilers.
Perhaps ultimately cognate with לביא (‘lioness’)?
May 24, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Opinions from #Egyptology folk very welcome.
Wondering about translating this name as ‘The Panther’, but reluctant to go against the website’s compilers.
Perhaps ultimately cognate with לביא (‘lioness’)?
Wondering about translating this name as ‘The Panther’, but reluctant to go against the website’s compilers.
Perhaps ultimately cognate with לביא (‘lioness’)?
Decided to put the eBL (Akkadian) data into a big file so I can search it with regular expressions, etc.—e.g., below is a selection of a search for parrus/purrus nominal patterns.
Let me know if you could benefit from a copy.
Let me know if you could benefit from a copy.
May 20, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Decided to put the eBL (Akkadian) data into a big file so I can search it with regular expressions, etc.—e.g., below is a selection of a search for parrus/purrus nominal patterns.
Let me know if you could benefit from a copy.
Let me know if you could benefit from a copy.
The whole article of Fox's confuses me a bit. At face value, it looks as if he thinks the Canaanite Shift resulted in a shortening of the vowel.
May 15, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The whole article of Fox's confuses me a bit. At face value, it looks as if he thinks the Canaanite Shift resulted in a shortening of the vowel.