Difference between revisions of "Egyptian Background to the Yosef Narratives/0"
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<h2>Egyptian Loanwords</h2> | <h2>Egyptian Loanwords</h2> | ||
| − | <p>Given the Egyptian milieu of the Yosef narratives, it is perhaps not surprising that they contain many loanwords from Egyptian | + | <p>Given the Egyptian milieu of the Yosef narratives, it is perhaps not surprising that they contain many loanwords from Egyptian.<fn>See B. Noonan, "Egyptian Loanwords as Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus and Wilderness Traditions," Did I Not Bring Israel out of Egypt? ed. J. K. Hoffmeier, A. R. Millard, and G. A. Rendsbur, (Indianna, 2016): 48-68, who notes that the preponderance of Egyptian loanwords in these and the Exodus stories (in contrast to the rest of Tanakh) provides evidence of the authenticity of the Biblical text, as the borrowing points to a period of intense contact between the groups. There is further evidence that some of the words were borrowed during the Late Bronze Age, the period of the sojourn and Exodus, making the case even stronger.</fn>  For a discussion of the possible etymology and meaning of each of the following, see <a href="Lexical: Cognates and Loanwords" data-aht="page"> Cognates and Loanwords</a>.</p> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li><b>Proper names</b> – Many of the characters' names appear to have Egyptian origins, including Paroh, Potiphar, Zafenat Paneach (the name given to Yosef by Paroh), Potiphera and the Yeor (Nile).</li> | <li><b>Proper names</b> – Many of the characters' names appear to have Egyptian origins, including Paroh, Potiphar, Zafenat Paneach (the name given to Yosef by Paroh), Potiphera and the Yeor (Nile).</li> | ||
<li><b>Titles</b> – Yosef's self reference as being an "אב לפרעה" might relate to the Egyptian title, "the god's father" (with the god referring to the living "god", the king).</li> | <li><b>Titles</b> – Yosef's self reference as being an "אב לפרעה" might relate to the Egyptian title, "the god's father" (with the god referring to the living "god", the king).</li> | ||
<li><b>Other words</b> – Other suggested loanwords include the somewhat rare אַבְרֵךְ, אָחוּ and חַרְטֻמִּים.</li> | <li><b>Other words</b> – Other suggested loanwords include the somewhat rare אַבְרֵךְ, אָחוּ and חַרְטֻמִּים.</li> | ||
| − | <li><b>Terminology</b> – The term "וְעַל פִּיךָ <b>יִשַּׁק</b> כׇּל עַמִּי" might be | + | <li><b>Terminology</b> – The term "וְעַל פִּיךָ <b>יִשַּׁק</b> כׇּל עַמִּי" might be a Hebrew translation of an Egyptian metaphoric expression in which "kissing food" refers to feeding.</li> |
</ul> | </ul> | ||
Version as of 08:20, 20 December 2020
Egyptian Background to the Yosef Narratives
Egyptian Loanwords
Given the Egyptian milieu of the Yosef narratives, it is perhaps not surprising that they contain many loanwords from Egyptian.1 For a discussion of the possible etymology and meaning of each of the following, see Cognates and Loanwords.
- Proper names – Many of the characters' names appear to have Egyptian origins, including Paroh, Potiphar, Zafenat Paneach (the name given to Yosef by Paroh), Potiphera and the Yeor (Nile).
- Titles – Yosef's self reference as being an "אב לפרעה" might relate to the Egyptian title, "the god's father" (with the god referring to the living "god", the king).
- Other words – Other suggested loanwords include the somewhat rare אַבְרֵךְ, אָחוּ and חַרְטֻמִּים.
- Terminology – The term "וְעַל פִּיךָ יִשַּׁק כׇּל עַמִּי" might be a Hebrew translation of an Egyptian metaphoric expression in which "kissing food" refers to feeding.
