"David Tayler" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> schrieb: > Although there are scatterred references to the numbering of the > layers in the Elizabethan period, I think the phrase "seventh heaven" > derives more from the Islamic and Cabalist traditions. > dt
You can colloquially say in Hebrew ba-raqîa ha-shvi'î (in the seventh heaven, on top of the world), but that was taken over from European usage. There is a stream of literature, so called Hekhalot literature, which conveys the notion that Heaven is divided into several subsequent spheres (hekhal, throne-hall). With prayer and meditation as a car, man can travel through them and possibly reach the most inner Hall. There is nothing special, though, to the seventh hall. Mathias > At 05:45 PM 5/31/2008, you wrote: > > >On May 31, 2008, at 6:25 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > >> At least in Finnish we still say "seventh heaven", when referring > >>to something very wanted is achieved > > > >We have the same phrase in English. I never put it together with your > >derivation until now. > > > >>And so on. You'll find this kind of references here and > >>there in our languages actually quite often ... > > > >It is amazing how many little sayings like that come down from so > >long ago, particularly a lot from Shakespeare. A quick Google search > >turns up a TV show of the same title. I bet there is a popular song > >or two too. > > > > > >Ed Durbrow > >Saitama, Japan > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/ To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
