13 Methods for inferring meaning:#2 of 32
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# 10 YEAR Ayelet DAILY-RASHI-YOMI CYCLE #
# May 23, 2001 #
# Rashis 754-756 Of 7800 (9.7%) #
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# VISIT THE RASHI YOMI ARCHIVES #
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GOALS:
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I decided its time for a longer unit.
This unit will focus on a major Rashi task--explaining
the MEANINGS OF WORDS.
Explaining the MEANINGS of WORDS is more than looking
something up in a dictionary. There are METHODS to
explaining WORDS.
Thus in this module we will explore HOW Rashi determines
the meanings of words.
TODAYS UNIT
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Today we present examples of what I like to call
SEMANTIC transformations. Some simple examples are
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* TO FLOWER means to MAKE flowers
* TO DUST means to REMOVE dust
* TO HAMMER means to USE the hammer.
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So there we have it: NOUNS like flower, dust, and hammer
can become verbs, like TO FLOWER, TO DUST and TO HAMMER
in 3 ways---the verb can denote
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* MAKING the object (TO FLOWER)
* REMOVING the object (TO DUST)
* USING the object in its traditional manner (TO HAMMER)
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A semantic transformation is how a word transforms
from one part of speech (like a NOUN) to another
part of speech (like a VERB). These rules are normally
not taught in grammar books but they are as real as
grammatical transformations.
REFERENCE:
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This module comes from the following references in the
Rashi-is-Simple series.
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/nu04-13b.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h2n9.htm
http://www.RashiYomi.Com/h5n1.htm
#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi Inc., 2001, Dr. Hendel, President #*#*#*#*#
BACKGROUND
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The Rashi brought today illustrate how a NOUN denoting
an object may become a VERB denoting an activity. This
may seem elementary but it can happen in 3 ways. Here
are the Rashis and other examples.
EXAMPLES
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EXAMPLE 4: Nu04-13b
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In the following examples the verb indicates REMOVAL
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(1) To dust means Removal of dust (Rashi Nu04-13b)
(2) To UpRoot means To remove the roots(from the ground)
(3) To DeFrost means To remove the frost
EXAMPLE 5: Ex16-20b
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In the following examples the verb indicates CREATION
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(4)To Plant means Creation (planting) of plants
(5)To record means To Create a record
(6)milk(a cow) means To Create milk
(7)To fire means To Create a fire(e.g.in a furnace)
(8)To build means To Create a building
(9)To sing means To create a song
(10)To worm means To produce Worms (Rashi: Ex16-20b)
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In the following the verb indicates a STANDARD ACTIVITY
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(10) To hammar means The Standard activity done with hammar
(11) To screw means The Standard activity done with screws
(12) To fan means The Standard activity done with a Fan
-------------------------NOTES---------------------------------
* The Sifsay Chachamim on Nu04 explains Rashi as clarifying
WHICH semantic NOUN-VERB transformation is being used.
The Sifsay Chachamim points out that TO DUST could equally
mean TO CREATE DUST or TO REMOVE DUST (or TO USE DUST).
Hence Rashi had to clarify what the Bible meant.
#*#*#*#*# (C) RashiYomi, 2001 Inc. Dr. Hendel President #*#*#*#*#