Nice!
Nothing like comparative linguistics. 
So, is segolization of the noun restricted to Hebrew.  I am just now finishing 
BH 4, and have not taken cognate languages yet.  I am taking Ugaritic next 
semester.

Thanks for the correction,

Jonathan Mohler

On Apr 11, 2013, at 4:57 PM, John Leake wrote:

> The trouble is that the basic idea of laHm (i.e. Hebrew leHem, Aramaic laHmā, 
> Phoenician lHm, Ugaritic laHmu, Arabic laHmun) is 'food', not 'bread'. In our 
> earliest comparative, Ugaritic, the qal laHama is 'to eat', the šap'ila 
> (=Hebrew hiph'îl) šalHima is 'to feed'. 
> 
> John
> ----------------------------------
> ان صاحب حياة هانئة لا يدونها انما يحياها
> He who has a comfortable life doesn't write about it - he lives it
> ---------------------------------- 
> 
> On 11 Apr 2013, at 22:42, Jonathan Mohler <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>> George and Mike:
>> 
>> My theory is that there is only one root, להם.  This original root is "to 
>> beat," hence "to fight." The idea of beating dough or kneading leads to the 
>> noun, lechem, bread.  Subsequently the a new verb arises as lacham, to have 
>> bread with someone.  A branching off from the original root, rather than two 
>> homonyms.
>> 
>> Jonathan E. Mohler
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The verb 'to fight' is לחם. But it not from the same word root as the word 
>>> for bread. There are two Hebrew roots לחם:
>>> 
>>> לחם: to fight
>>> לחם: to eat a meal with someone (eg. Prov 23.1).
>>> The word for bread is related to the second of these roots, but not the 
>>> first. The two roots just happen to be homonyms but with different meanings 
>>> (like English tease, which can mean either to make fun of, or to pull/comb 
>>> out).
>>> 
>>> You can see when there are homonymous roots in a lexicon by the fact that 
>>> they usually prefix a Roman numeral before the root (eg. I לחם and II לחם). 
>>> Thus, for example, you'll notice that the root ענה has four entries.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> GEORGE ATHAS
>>> Dean of Research,
>>> Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
>>> Sydney, Australia
>>> 
>>> From: Mike Burke <[email protected]>
>>> Reply-To: Mike Burke <[email protected]>
>>> Date: Thursday, 11 April 2013 3:09 PM
>>> To: George Athas <[email protected]>, B-Hebrew 
>>> <[email protected]>
>>> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] ובלחם
>>> 
>>> Thank you.
>>> 
>>> The sources I've checked seem to say that this word is derived from a word 
>>> meaning "fight," or "war."
>>> 
>>> Doesn't that seem kinda odd?
>>> 
>>> Does it indicate ancient food wars or cannibalism? 
>>> 
>>> Michael Burke
>>> 
>>> P.S. I haven't added an automated signature yet, but thank you.
>>> 
>> 
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