Dictionary:Cognates and Loanwords/0
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Lexical: Cognates and Loanwords
Akkadian Cognates
- אַדְמָתוֹ – The phrase "וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ" in Devarim 32:43 is difficult from a syntactic perspective. Who is the subject of the verb "כִפֶּר" – Hashem, the nation, or the land? Who or what is the object? How do the words "אַדְמָתוֹ" and "עַמּוֹ" relate to each other?
- While Rashi1 suggests that the verse should be read as if written, "וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ ועַמּוֹ", that Hashem will make expiation for both the land and people, Ralbag suggests that it be understood as if written "וְכִפֶּר אדמת עַמּוֹ",2 that Hashem will purify the land of His nation. Ibn Ezra offers a third possibility, "וכפר עמו [על] אדמתו",3 that the nation itself will expiate the land.
- Tur Sinai4 has suggested that the word "אַדְמָתוֹ" is related to the Akkadian, "adamaֿtu", used in poetic passages to mean "red blood". Hashem will expiate not the land of His nation (which is not mentioned in the verse), but their blood that has been spilled. The second half of the verse is thus intrinsically tied to the earlier clause, "דַם עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם".
- In contrast to all the above explanations, Y. Avishur5 suggests a reading that does not entail adding or deleting letters/words from the verse, proposing that the phrase means "וכפר דמעות עמו,"6 similar to the Akkadian, "dimtassa ikkapar". After avenging the nation's blood, Hashem will wipe away (כפר = מחה), the nation's tears.
- אֱלִיל – All agree that the noun "אֱלִיל" means idol, but the etymology of the word is unclear. Rashi and R"Y Kara suggest that it might come from the word "אַל" meaning nought. V. Hurwitz7 and H. Tawil8 propose that it might be related to the Akkadian, with Hurwitz connecting it to Enlil, head god of the Sumerian pantheon and Tawil relating it to the Akkadian "ulalu", meaning worthless. The latter possibility might explain various verses in which the normal translation of idol is less fitting:
- See, for instance, Yirmeyahu 14:14, "שֶׁקֶר הַנְּבִאִים נִבְּאִים בִּשְׁמִי.. וְלֹא דִבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵיהֶם חֲזוֹן שֶׁקֶר וְקֶסֶם [וֶאֱלִיל] (ואלול)".
- See also cases where the word serves as an adjective: Zekharyah 11:17, " הוֹי רֹעִי הָאֱלִיל עֹזְבִי הַצֹּאן", Iyyov 13:4, "אַתֶּם טֹפְלֵי שָׁקֶר רֹפְאֵי אֱלִל כֻּלְּכֶם", and Tehillim 96:5, " כִּי כׇּל אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים אֱלִילִים".9
- כַּוָּנִים – This word appears in both Yirmeyahu 7:18 and 44:1910 and, due to the context of idolatry in both verses, is understood by Radak and Shadal to refer to some type of food/cake offering.11 This meaning is supported by the Akkadian cognate, kamaֿnu, which refers to sweet cakes which were used in the worship of Ishtar.12 This fits well with the full phrase "לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּוָּנִים לִמְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם" as Ishtar is also known "queen of the heavens" (מְלֶכֶת = מַלְכַּת).13 [Ishtar is further associated with the star Venus so even if one takes a more simple reading of "מְלֶכֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם", it might refer to her specifically.]
- למד – This root generally refers to learning or teaching. The verb appears in Shir HaShirim 8:2, "אֶנְהָגְךָ אֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל בֵּית אִמִּי תְּלַמְּדֵנִי" where it is commonly understood within the metaphoric understanding of the book to refer to instruction in Torah and mitzvot.14 It is less clear, though, what it would mean according to the simple sense of the verse. S.M. Paul15 notes that in Akkadian, lamadu can refer to sexual knowledge. [He compares it to the root "ידע" (and the Akkadian equivalent idu) which can also connote both intellectual and sexual knowledge, noting the relationship between learning/teaching (למד) and knowing (ידע).] Accordingly, the beloved would be speaking of her hopes to engage in relations with her lover.
- מַבְלִיגִיתִי – This word is a hapax legomenon, appearing only in Yirmeyahu 8:18: "מַבְלִיגִיתִי עֲלֵי יָגוֹן עָלַי לִבִּי דַוָּי". Many commentators16 connect it to the verb "בלג", and from context, understand it to be a noun meaning strength or restraint.17 In contrast, Y. Avishur suggests that it is the feminine form of "מבליג" which is parallel to the Akkadian balaggu, referring to either a musical instrument or song. The verse would mean "and my instrument turned for me into grief", similar to Iyyov 30:31, "וַיְהִי לְאֵבֶל כִּנֹּרִי".
- נהה – In both Yechezkel 32:8 and Mikhah 2:4, this root means wail or lament.18 However, this definition is more difficult to apply to Shemuel I 7:2, "וַיִּנָּהוּ כׇּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי י״י". What would it mean that the nation "lamented after Hashem"? Radak suggests that the verse might mean that the nation cried as they repented of their ways. 19 which Targum Yonatan translates as "וְיִתְנְהוֹן". M. Weinfeld20 offers a different explanation in light of Akkadian, suggesting that "נהה" is related to the Akkadian ne'u, meaning "to turn to": The verse states simply that the nation turned back to Hashem.
- נְחֹשֶׁת – Throughout Tanakh, "נְחֹשֶׁת" means copper, yet this meaning is difficult in Yechezkel 16:36: "יַעַן הִשָּׁפֵךְ נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ וַתִּגָּלֶה עֶרְוָתֵךְ". From context, most commentators understand the phrase "הִשָּׁפֵךְ נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ" to be parallel to "וַתִּגָּלֶה עֶרְוָתֵךְ." Thus, Rashi and Radak suggest that "נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ" means the women's edge or bottom, pointing as evidence to the verse "וְחָרָה נְחֻשְׁתָּהּ" (Yechezkel 24:11) and the Mishnaic phrase21 "נחשתו של תנור" which speak of the bottom of a vessel.22 I. Gluska23 agrees that the two halves of the verse are parallel, but suggests that the word "נְחֻשְׁתֵּךְ" should be understood in light of its Akkadain cognate, nahsati/u, meaning a women's menstrual flow.
- פֹּת – Yeshayahu 3:17 reads, "וְשִׂפַּח אֲדֹנָי קׇדְקֹד בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן וַי״י פׇּתְהֵן יְעָרֶה". The meaning of the word "פׇּתְהֵן" is unclear. Ibn Ezra24 and Radak suggests that it refers to a woman's private parts, which Hashem is to unveil.25 Ibn Ezra and Shada also brings an alternative possibility that the word פֹּת is somewhat parallel to "קׇדְקֹד", with Ibn Ezra relating it the word "פאה" (head of hair) and Shadal to the Aramaic "אפותא," meaning forehead. A closer cognate might be the Akkadian "putu", also meaning forehead.26
