Zomas = Zion

[David Bokovoy]

This is what I was referring to, as well. In my dictionary, the vav after the tsadi (see my initial post) has a single dot vowell indicator above it. Doesn't that indicate an "o" sound, or am I misremembering? Incidentally, I couldn't find anything that ended in he, only with het.

.

.

.

O-Brother (Where Art Thou?):

I've already contacted David Bokovoy and Ben McGuire. It doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks Will,

I'm responding here rather than email, since others are also interested, but as always, am more than happy to chat with you either way. I'll be able to post on this tomorrow. I've been in Utah Valley the past few days running to and fro on a house hunting trip. I'm now sitting in the Salt Lake airport waiting for a flight back to Boston accessing free wifi. Love Utah! It's been a crazy few days, so I haven't had a chance to respond yet, but appreciate that you have drawn our attention to this fascinating topic.

Warm wishes,

--DB

[David Bokovoy]

(Note: both the transcription below and this post have been edited to reflect my changed conclusions about the GAEL reading in question.)

On page 23 of the Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language (GAEL), the explanation for the character/sound Beth reads:

What do you Hebrew geeks think of the word

[William Schryver]

Hey Will,

Got back at about 3:00 AM this morning, so I'll be trying to get caught up for awhile. I'm afraid right now, all I can offer is a brief comment to this interesting topic. This is certainly an intriguing issue.

If we're simply focusing on Hebraic roots, it would make more sense to use the triliteral consonants zmr (the first letter being a zayin rather than a tsadi). This root is worth exploring since it is connected with gardening and means "to trim" or "to prune." In addition, zmr appears with the letters zmrh meaning "branch," "twig," or "root." The "h" is not a true consonant, but rather a feminine vowel marker or matres lectionis. If this Hebraic root is the origin for the word, it might explain the uncertainty in terms of whether it was appropriate to add the "h" or not in an English transliteration. The term appears, for example, in Numbers 13:23.

WIth a bit of digging into comparative Semitics, I could easily determine whether or not the Hebrew verb zamar that appears only in the Bible in the Piel binyan/structure meaning "to make music in praise of God" derives from the same original Semitic root, but it may take a couple days.

Best

That is interesting, David.

Of course, whether or not "Zomar" has any connection to Hebrew is merely an assumption. It may not. Or, if it is "Adamic," it is altogether possible that its original meaning and etymological origins were lost or changed long before it might have become the root for a Hebrew term.

I was just curious to learn whether or not there was any Hebrew connection. What I've concluded so far is that there is no definitive relationship to ancient Hebrew. That said, it is now something you can keep stored in the back of your mind as you continue your studies. Perhaps something will come along one day that will shed more light on this unusual word said to denote "Zion."

Now get yourself some dinner and get to bed early. We can't have you turning into a zombie on us. I'll be interested in any news about your house-hunting trip.