CJK
EX
UNTED FROM THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
NEW SERIES
VOLUME V, NUMBER 2
NOTES ON
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC
LEXICOGRAPHY
I
BY
J. N. EPSTEIN
PHILADELPHIA
THE DROPSIE COLLEGE FOR HEBREW AND COGNATE LEARNING
1914
> /."/?."/*,
NOTES ON POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC
LEXICOGRAPHY
BY J. N. EPSTEIN, Charlottenburg.
THE lexicon of the Jewish-Babylonian-Aramaic dialect
was by no means sealed with the completion of the
Babylonian Talmud. The ' Aramaic ' was alive and spoken
by non-Jews as well as Jews down to the last days of the
Gaonate (to be treated elsewhere). This Aramaic dialect
which I might style the Jewish ' Nabatean ' is preserved
in the writings of the Geonim : in the Seder Olam Zuta,
Shimusha rabba (p^am nan NBWt?), in the Gemara to
Kalla r., the Sheeltot of R. Ahai, 1 Halakot Pesukot and
Halakot Gedolot, in the Aramaic commentaries and responsa
of the Geonim (to which belongs also R. Amratn's Seder),
and on the non-rabbinic side in Anan's writings. But
the linguistic nature of that literature has hitherto been
neglected to such an extent that it now becomes imperative
to emphasize as strongly as possible the relation and exact
nature of this ' Nabatean ' dialect and what is particularly
important its aid in the explanation of some talmudic
words. As a contribution along these lines the present
article offers disconnected lexical (sometimes also textual)
notes to the above-mentioned works, my wish being to
turn the attention of Semitic scholars to those important
linguistic documents.
1 See Poznanski in JQR., New Series, III, 405 ff.
233
2097894
234 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
I begin with Anan's writings because they are free from
talmudic quotations and hence cannot have been directly
influenced by the language of the Talmud.
I
LINGUISTIC REMARKS TO ANAN'S
Sepher ha-Misivot?
Anan's language does not differ in the least from that
of the Geonim ; at the utmost he employs very few Persian
words, which is not the case with the Geonim. An Arabism
is probably Dfo (= J.>), no. 6 a, and perhaps also M n,
no. i6. 2a The 1 in the part. pi. which is found in the
Jewish-Palestinian (rarely, comp. Dalman, Grammatik des
jud.-pal. Aramaisch, p. 229) and frequently in the bab.
Talmud (Margolis, Lehrbuch d. aram. Sprache d. Talm.,
pp. 40 f.) 3 and likewise by the Geonim, I find in Anan only
in the case of verbs tertiae ': WN3, 1JD, alongside with ^3,
WKD (pp. 33-5), HKP (34), UDB (56), UNDO (66), ivtn (57),
pnp, pwa, ptaro/ pv.ro, pwnsw, &c., which is perhaps to be
ascribed to the Arabic influence. The orthography is that
of the gaonic writings (comp. my ' Rechtsgutachten, &c.' in
Jahrbuch d. jild. lit. Ges., IX, 230 ff.), in accordance with
the Babylonian pronunciation, of which there are traces left
2 Harkavy ( = Hark.), Stud. u. Mitt., VIII, St. Petersburg, 1903 ;
Schechter (= Sch.), Documents, &c., II, pj6 Dimi 1SDD D^DIBJlp,
Cambridge, 1910.
Sa Perhaps also Nriv3p, Anan, Hark. 20, see Hark., I.e., note 4.
3 Comp. Seidel in HvHTBWI nninn, I, Jerusalem, 1913, p. 69.
4 Once Hark. 39: p^XD, to which the editor remarks: DJ7 ^^ p
(Ht3^ pi p'bifD ICO) ^33H HpJO D^inn. Hark, probably changed
here the Babylonian holem (^-) to a Tiberian ( ) ; for - : is hirek in the
Babylonian punctuation !
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 235
in the Talmud (Noldeke, Mand. Grammatik, p. 59) and
which is used throughout in Mandaic and ' Nabatean '.
Matres lectionis are employed instead of vowels (as in
Mandaic), n instead of n (TNWj p. 28 ; iTnii"6, pp. 10 and 21 ;
nrtKD, see below), and so on. Furthermore, frequent elision
of "i (N3nN, NDN ; Gaonic also NDSD, N^ip, even assimilation
to the following b : FP7 ^"2&b, see no. 16 note); 1 instead
of i ("piasn = 'pun) ; n for n (par- = pan) ; : for b (tu ch ;
comp. KDfU, Mand. xvrh ; mw, Mand. Nia^ ' foot ', &c.) and
like changes.
i. Hark., p. 7, 1. 8 f. b: Ttsnh 6 n&n:i IBD, furthermore
p. 8, 1. 9 : a> nDsn nt^x 53i 'an NnrPN n NT^ n^o. T^D and
NT 1 '^ do not mean here, as Harkavy thinks, ' throw ' (THMl^),
' pass a thread ' this would require in Aramaic NOT'D, N^l
from the root NCH (Men. 39 a, 43 a et al.} 6 but ' spin ',
talmudic N1^, HB> : Ket. 72 b N3^B NHB> Np nnn 11 ;
Git. 69 a ... nan rrniBn Nnninn s Din, and Suk. 16 a
i>BW xn^ci. In gaonic literature: Geonica, p. 325,
XLI: y*noa n^D^ ^: pain (uv* = spindle), and ibid.
XLV: ~\wvh D 11 ^ jnason. Arab. liC, J^l II = stamina
telae disposuit ; <J^ , s'lSH. = stamen? The passage must
therefore be translated into Hebrew as follows : Detain TW9y?
rWtfi>, hence no^ iTiD as Suk. 9 a, Men. 42 a (which Hark.
had already pointed out on p. 126). Likewise on p. 8 the
Hebrew rendering should be : 8 nnt^ nta ni^N DJ nilD^ ^3N*
[!"vu: nn^a] 3^ n^3n n^N ^>3i 'xJty jnis. The gaonic and
5 The misprint I| "1X"13 is corrected on p. 196.
6 Also Sheeltot, no. 96, end : WI^H n
7 I believe, therefore, that Noldeke (Nene Beitrage, p. 144, note i) is
wrong in assuming (JjuD to be a loan-word from the Aram.-Syr. NTlK',
Hebrew VlE>.
8 This is permitted also by R. Meir of Rothenburg, Hag. Maim., Sisit,
1,12.
236 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
Ananic verb is TIP, Ti? (YJ*D, NTS?) ; the talmudic and
Arabic on the other hand HB>, NIP (Nnp 4ne>, NYJta).
^^ Indeed, the verba tertiae 1 and and those mediae 1 and
IT *T*~ *y
) often interchange. nna (p. 7), ma (p. 8) were rightly
rendered D'Uin by Harkavy. Syr. ?^ ( )?^= licium (Payne
Smith, 650) ; Nabatean nN13 ("K^ 3 ) from which Arab. .>!!.
is borrowed. Cf. Gawaliki, Muarrab, ed. Sachau, p. 42,:
9 JJJT ilklUU jij jJulM Jp&^ &F> The word also occurs
in the Talmud a number of times, but in a corrupt form :
Men. 42 b pman for pD'an pi D^npn jo (edit, pYian), so
Amram Gaon, Geonica, 331 thrice ! with the explanation :
pain (read iniK) miK nox ^ nan ans^ anw paa priri p
10 nan nnn^K' nnxi? *n^n jo nnuti', so also in the rTo
cited below ; Targ. Yer. I, Num. 15. 38 : }o vb\ N^o^a JD
s^ma jo N^I X^D^D (edit. ma) ; Shab. 134 a : Nina NpaT
(edit tma, MS. M. KTa) ; Men. 31 b: p-nn ^3N pnaa *^o 'am
N^, edit, pnnaa, but so in the n^o nD^n in onvo naa,
ed. Adler, Oxford, 1897, 42, with the explanation: 'YSi
pi pman joi pjnpn p nNB>y naio naoon p-onan K\nna inn:
i3nin Nin^D nann jo amsn I"^B> nnDon >w 'T-SI H^DD po^an ;
Bek. 8b:"nnl ^ *ana (edit. YTJ) ; "Syr.nna, N-jna, lidum
as I have already remarked but also: stamina ultima
quae a ingo abscinduntur , BA. BB : pbm npnwn WNDT
ND pposnoi Saa (Payne Smith, 650).
2. p. 8: NrDTi "3 r6 Ta*D^ jaiya. rto wi& is not to be
rendered with Harkavy nniK TOf&, but to be read, in
accordance with facsimile no. i, as one word iiTTOcfc and
9 Frankel, 256. In Mandaic 3 for 3 is not rare, comp. NOldeke, Maud.
Gramm.. p. 41.
10 Similarly Rashi, Suk. 93 : IHIO H^LSH ^103 phnB' (franges)
_
11 Probably also Targ. Job 7. 6: >HO nH~U }D l^p W should be
read nma, Peshitta pip "TTa" fD l^p W.
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 237
rendered by feftifc (]fl^&) from ^ = twist, weave. As to the
form comp. the infinitives i"P*nT (p. 7), rtySPfVvh (p. n), &c. ;
likewise in Mandaic ; and in gaonic literature: n"W
(Geonica, 107, 4), H^pB*B (ibid., 234, 13), &c.
3. Ibid. : 'a ^y msntn anr >mn . . . ana^o 'a 5>y nonx ^1
po^a, read ona< and pona ' twisted, woven ' ; Arab. j =
contorsit funem, l^o = # duabus aut pluribus partibus in
unum contortus,funis contorttis bicolor. The latter = Hebr.
Dnpia naa , Assyr. burmu.
4. p. 9 : 'Tin 5>y [isiDjN pnnij NBira }ini? pnm. pnn
is not denom. of "H, ^ (Hark.), but of TIT = press, Hebr.
(Judges 6. 38) and talmudic, as NTV Niso, Nlltoi N"Fr,
iTf> lr 'keeps it back' (neon KO^BN BM. i6b). Translate
therefore : ' and we press both ends together through a
thread.'
5. p. 12: NnaVD *Wno *an. As Harkavy remarks, the
reading l^no is likewise possible, which is of course right.
There is no reason to correct it so as to read TTTO (Hark.) ;
it is found moreover also in Sch., p. 28, 1. 7 : "Vn, 1. 10, 16-20 :
'TiTi, 22 : NTPn, 22 and 24TTIE, and is also preserved in Syriac,
inKal: rPN^m Dpi .noena nhaa j*aanNi ,Kiina n^aa nn nnni (^4^-
^?/ Syriaca, III, 75, 17), 'and the soul (the life) returned to
the bull, &c.' (comp. vi>N inn ac'ni I Sam. 30. 12). In Pael
in a Syriac inscription of Serrin (Beitrdge z. Assyr., VII, a,
1 60), 1. 6: $>an &nay Man nxnn p; INH =^n Pael in the
meaning of ' alter ', ' destroy ' (comp. B. Moritz, /. e., p. 163)
(Assyr. tarti means also 'to alter'). Also Arab. ^15 =
circumivit, conversus fuit (but not to be confused with^lo,
as in Payne Smith, p. 4412); Assyr. taru = turn, return,
II. bring back ; Hebr. "Ml = turn about (Num. 15. 39),
then 'go to and from ', 'spy out ' (comp. ian).
238 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
6. p. 22, 1. 8 read : enao *ia IN*T, so according to
facsimile no. 2. 12 p. 23, 1. 9 read : SI^DI Benson Kin imta 13,
according to the same facsimile. 1. n read: KB>O01, so
facsimile.
7. p. 28, last line: 123 DTob jm pa 3[l]ni -|3 NOW.
DTD, Arab. *U ' last, continue ' (if it is not to be emended to
- P- 33 :
irrjna nna innaN IPOI. Furthermore p. 35 : innas' v^wo
Nin . . . nyio ^nsb pijn wvjn
nyio
and p. 36 :
n^ynai nna^w rpi snt^aa Ivan tw ^. From all
these passages it is proved conclusively that innax is not
m^inm-OK (Hark., p. 33, n. 4), but = ynt ' arm ', parallel to
irrpt?. The word is found to have this meaning already in
the Talmud, Shab. 90 b t^MpKH tna'N3 (Rashi : ^MDV ynn),
furthermore Ber. 5 a, according to the reading of R. Baruk
(who also explains the miTtf of BM. in the same way) :
nna<t6 n^a (edit, n'ym^) ; 13 Syr. JW* BB. j.cUI y^n N-QN
(PSm. 19). Hence read on p. 33: [irrpan inn* nna] innas
in>yi3 nna, as likewise p. 36.
9. p. 37: lion 3 NON ^3 phn. Harkavy considers the
first ^ superfluous, but it is not so. It is rather the Syr.
**o = then, indeed, so = nam = KC, which Anan employs
also in another place, p. 41 : ""NEK x nnny jvbb anpn N^
12 The notes a, 3, 1 in Hark, are misplaced in print, instead of a read T ,
for 3 read a , for T read 3 .
13 Yo/iasin, ed. Filipowski, p. 53 : "njpp nna'N B>TD inn 13"311
K^n j3nv '-n xnin3 ^231 nna^K n^a niana
Dia.
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 239
nrrny n&afc iNb (why then the words finny ntab?) '3
?iT7 nt? 'B na. Furthermore, in the formularies of decrees
published by Aptowitzer in JQR., N. S., IV (1913), 28:
fb'ttb 3en '3 'tWK 'b JVN ICKI. Geonica, 234, n : 1M *3 *anh
' and according to Rabbi then also ' (not 'DJ 'a ' when also ').
Likewise ordinarily in connexion with the introductory
interrogative particle H30 : 'nan o, in Anan, Hark., p. 56 :
. . . r6s anao n^b nob NCDH nab nn Ntwna rrb anai na^D o;
with the Geonim, ed. Cassel, no. 21 (fol. 5 a, 1. 12) : na p^ini
. . . 'TNI 'TN nao 3 (missing in the editions Ket. 79 b) ;
no. 72, fol. 21 a: ... D^a 'na^o 'a ; Hark., Rechtsgutachten,
no. 251 (p. 1 27, below) : mw 7 n naD O (Shab. 32 b) p^poi
. . . N^J.I ; *zV/.,p. 207 : . . . ir na"D 'a ; p. 161 : Na'b na^o 'a
, . . eyre nby ; p. 268 : . . . ntryD *Kn nao "a ; HG.,ed. Berlin,
p. 79: ... ano nsvm by nans ai (ed. Ven., 16 c, "ai is
missing) and finally Sherira Gaon in his Epistle (B. Lewin,
Prolegomena, p. 52): "Nob Nnb^o snb^T Npn *D3 n 11 ! wpni
ja ^n"ob nno^s ^sob fa n^b wn nac 'a NWN, comp. talmudic
nn^Q 'ai and Levy's Wb'rterbuch> s. v. 'a III, 2).
10. p. 42: Nnm Na IN nyasy inn nny^ sin
a^RD. The IN is not faulty and superfluous (Hark.) ;
the phrase NTm NE3 IN rather signifies ' or however much
she may see' 14 with reference to nnyjy Nin. ibid., 1. 19:
'131 NEN Np. From here on the text is fragmentary also in
Schechter, p. 33 f. In Harkavy the beginning of fol. 12 a
(of MS. B) is wanting, but this may now be supplied from
Schechter, loc. cit., 1. 5 ff., as follows : ny N]cBl (1. 5, middle)
ny IBBD in^s: pjnn D^t3p ib^sNi na [yaii bai] (6) [anyn
14 Comp. also SCO, Geonica, 103, 20: 'll^B' N03
NO3 Ha p^im ('various, several, many things'-), 163, 9:
pyiDBH Kn*3 ('as long as', as in Syr.) ; 234, 10 : na: n
as long as ; 99, 12: na WyOl ND31 'as soon as '.
VOL. V. R
240 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
wo fen 3-iyn ny NED< na yn b avian
WHO lino nfenna^ antqn S>ai icons prrfer N3 [?n s-nns] (8)
'131 b 3TDH N:E& ny an[DOi tfea] (9) in accordance with
Hark., 1. 7 ff. from below. [. . , K]OOI, Lev. 15. 9; here,
in Sch., NODI instead of NCO' as in Hark., p. 41, 1. 19.
Also the beginning of fol. 12 b of MS. B, Hark., p. 43,
is wanting; but again it may be supplied partly from
Sch.. p. 34. For by baxn ~\VK B>D3m 37131, end of fol. 12 a,
Hark., p. 43, 1. 18, not Lev. 7. 20 is meant, as Hark.
assumes in consequence of which he had to make a very
forced statement but Lev. 17. 15: nfeaj." ^3Kn IBtt B>w ^31
'ui onsa ymi visa 0331 -uai niTN3 nsnoi. Thus mrm is
expressly mentioned here with reference to one who eats
a H733. The lacunae at the beginning of fol. 12 b, Hark.,
p. 43, may be filled out partly from Sch. 34, 15 : 16
[yan ^3] ... irvi>y N':n (3) ... 13 wm (2) ... ^ai p[ittui6] (i)
n ..... (5) [ ..... ]nKDi NK'o^ N3iyn ny 3"nD>D pna (4)
'131 DS 3^n3T, in accordance with Hark., 1. 19 f. In Sch.,
P- 33i on tne other hand, supply from Hark, as follows :
yap mrr] (2) [nitno nnnj n]y [i>3 oan D^O^ NCN NP . . .] (i)
nmj] (3) [ny] N^3 [aa NCN NP ^nno <o nya^ ni>
nya-^o ^an Nvn a] (4) [>:] nma ny
nnxoo] (5) [nyas^J ny in a ^3N nyat?
ii. p. 44, 1. 6 f. from below, read : KB^p 131T
n 3^n3T Kin NCD n*wa nn3T 'a
ntra D^nnn ix [mr n] nc^a. NS^CD = dense, thick, opposite
of fflpfep, is frequent in the Talmud ; NP3N1 = and sticks,
18 Anan has C'BJiTI instead of tJ'BJ ^31 ; the citations from the Bible are
not always correct in Anan.
18 1. 6: f?y DN 'ND, in Hark. Hence supply DN not DfcO as ibid.,
1. 19. Again an incorrect citation !
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 241
pax in Talmud and Targum means 'to bind, to cleave'
(= DTinn!).
12. p. 47: 'jpaai TT^O JW. Etymologically '"33 has
nothing to do with W23 (Hark.), but with the Syr. JL- =
to press, talm. ncm NV^Hn ,Nyi3 H n, BM. 993, 'something
pressed ' (Levy, II, 7 a) ; comp. also the talm. p13 = to draw
together, to shrink.
J 3- P- 52: K * D (
nnD'3 rr^D i?j? ; read TB^5 ' to submerge ', 17 from the talm.
1DK (comp. ^niOK 13), Syr. ^ao^. Comp. Gittin 67 b:
nio^i n^i^y Noi'y ^^m ny nnwx ny D3 oip^i (and let him
submerge), see Levy, III, 42 (against I, 566 b), Kohut, 1, 1 15.
Comp. also Hal. Ged., ed. Yen., fol. 85 b: N'O ns>w K$nai
DI Tatri xn^^aa NTWD nnoip n^ia Nnn^x woTwrS; inGaonic
Resp., nairn nyi?, no. 171, ed. Lipsiae, it reads NI II E!J (as if
from "IDS ' to say ' !), but the correct reading is of course
NlD'oij from noN.
14. p. 55: iT^y DlSJTD N!> iT3 jn N^ "3 H^ ^3K INT.
Some manuscripts have D'anD (Hark.). Read Dian^D, D'3nD
'to be rebuked, to be punished', Syr. DW (PSm. 1709),
DD3 (/^V/., 1777), example x^a Mnay f?y j^DS Di3, Dpanx,
D3nnx ; targumic Dp3 c to punish, upbraid' (Levy I, 377),
in Targum usually aphel, but also Kal as Prov. 9. 8
SJp'-DO^ D'n N^ (ed. Lagarde D-'Sn, //z., Peshitta D3n,
Levy, loc. cit.}.
15. p. 63 : nn^ INVI NON Npn n^ pin N-iayon ^a 'xcx
= Why (do we have n*1^*) ? Each one that is pregnant
bears two, hence rT"^ 11 INVI. Nothing therefore is wanting
here (against Hark.) ; likewise p. 41 : nnny nb& ivb
17 Hark.'s nn 1| D,5 fits badly; indeed, Anan would have written ~i
for it, see below to p. 103.
R 2
242 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
n^ ns? o na aipoi' (above to p. 37) ; p. 97, no. 20 : xex
"or <KDK -paK nny and Sch., p. 4, 1.7 : K[K sp]
/KDK B*K. So already in the Talmud : Naz. 7 a :
'13 sm 'KDN ; Tamid, 26 b: np N3n Dan inb np nnn
niina ma in ; ibid. : nice iy> KDKI ; Ker. 5 a : piaTi *NCK
'13 "]i?D1 W ; comp. below on Sheeltot.
16. pp. 64 below and 65 above: N3ND Ninnb nnvnb.
nvn is a regular inf. pael of "Jin, as nv: of 113, nrn (above
to p. 12) of Tin and so on.
17. p. 65 : 'i3i rwx J?D'^ none HDISD xn ^
= nanw," as sns nnt< (frequently in Anan and
already in Talmud fcWN, imp. and impf., with the Geonim
also N3NT NDN, Geonica, 80, below, and even n^DM instead of
rvb NC = n^ ION, j'^tt/., 266, 1. 31, 32; 267, 1. 27, 28 bis,
35, &c. ; also Anan, Hark. 34) ; and *]i>'N instead of
"]*? KO^N (Geonica, 103, 21: l^D\s* Nnsi, 22:
also 199 below, to) ; NDBD = "1D2D (Geonica, 106 : p
xhp = n^p (Hark., no. 244 = 364 : use* nr N^ipi
nonoi ^IDNH "ihp wn "ons pe&a onoiK) ; suit =
pK = 1PK (Geonica, ibid. : N1D3 'pxai = n'pxai =
; and pp'K, p. 88 (see below) = pnp'K. 19 n is found
also below : 'aj (p. 66) 20 n KDt3 Dm yawn i>3 N3sn ^SLD *anh
... It is the talmudic Kn = Arabic "i 'quickly,
soon ' (Levy, I, 405 a). Kn is here, as above
18 KaiK ( = -OTK) also Geonica, 233, 5: nD % J' K21N [JKO H^lp], read
, Gi(fin,gb, edit. "13T. Comp. Hark., Resp., p. 120 : 131N fSO
', Pjts. sab, ed. "H3T. Also assimilation to the following word:
i"Pt> /*3B'D (Geonica, 104, 2) = "VJ^'D, comp. Syr. ?nD which originated
from ~? friD (Brockelmann).
19 Comp. also my remark in Jahrbuch d. jtid. lit. Ges., X, p. 380.
20 The points over " are not annulling signs ,Hark.), but zere ( ) of the
superlinear punctuation, perhaps pathah hatuph -^- .
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 243
noieo (also elsewhere), the same as ""Nil ; hence
translate : ' and he mentions 'iai yDB> soon after noia noiSD ',
and likewise below : ' soon with reference to . . . '
1 8. Ibid.: 531^ wn Nan BnKBD Npn . . , 55 sn ina B*-IKBX
Instead of ca read, as the following, D3 = Syr. D^>, for which
Talmud has *m (Noldeke, Mandaische Grammatik, 485),
comp. also Hark, below, p. 98: PTDN Nn ^J nan 'BO i>a Nn.
(''EO also elsewhere frequently) ch in gaonic literature in
the sense of *3, Geonica, 257, 1. 20 f. : up rvnjHD ll^] ''N
na"K D^ N^in nin N^T ywi> i>3 mn WD.
19. p. 81: no& nnn^x aai , , . n^nc' 3
, . , nnan pnw , , . }usip. Read jwKnp^oi (=
}WK NlplDl) in one word, as e.g. 48 NDNT'D, 46
71 N'^in^D, 75 NCNiron some manuscripts NONna *on and
more (see my Rechtsgutachten> &c., p. 231). Translate
therefore : ' and since he named them, &c.'
20. p. 83 : naio ^PKK* 'a n-a '20N pin D'Npn KWDK um
S 20N pin T'ayNT. Harkavy translates D^NXn, deriving it from
N^D 'side'. But it is rather the talmudic ''SON, Ab. zarah ^ fi
35 b: ^BDS* W2 "Npn, MS. M. 1> at: 1| N, Hark., Responsa, 23 : y*a
(y\JLLUl J}!-")) nspnybx pa 'END-N ' in the scars, pores ' (of the
cheese), Rashi mown Tina, Aruk n^ajn nina m^aa = folds 21
in the cheese. As for gaonic literature comp. Hal. Ged.,
ed. Berlin, 532 (= ed. Ven., 129 c) : roK> pa NDno n^y ^ax
-|inb nr iap3i XD 1| Dj:nm oa >ai '"strs :a 'cj 'N NDiai VGHgcb
na i^ n"^ ni (ed. Ven. corruptly 'Da yan) ; NSD^N is thus 'fold ',
' bend ' = targ. NDO^y *bend, *fold, then ' bosom ', ' Jap ', in
which sense it is quite frequent (Levy, II, 210) ; Arab. uJ-kg
= everything that is bent or folded, every curved place in
21 Comp. also Pseudo-Saadya's Comm. Ber. 55 a (ed. Wertheimer, 19 a) :
, see below.
244 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
the body ; Mand. ^Nt3S 'turn about' (Noldeke, Gramm., 241)
21. p. 88: 7^5 pnnxnin KDS? 5y rwian. The last word,
PP'N, is no doubt handed down correctly, since the Karaite
Abulfarag Furkan already had it, but he failed to grasp its
meaning (Hark., n. 5). It is probably = p'VN, but rather
than being a scribal error it is a vulgar pronunciation which
elided the 1 also in the verb (comp. above to p. 65).
Similarly, in the Syr. i>TN : |&WJ (= pTW), with the Geonim
imp. T (instead of i^f), Geonica, 336: 1p s j; "im T ; 364, 12
WPNii n ; Hark., Responsa^ 99 : npT2 ^ (note 6 !). Midr. hag.
284 : ^ 3H \T ; 621 : NTN ( = ^), TN (=^TK) J 21O:
22. p. 103: nt? ni^:b w^ KIIKD^ ni^3^ npn N
a ninob int^n 'la n:n nnb B^K nb ^n^o ^sn
!?. Harkavy corrected here rightly n Nob,
but offers a forced explanation ; the passage, however,
becomes clear by a comparison with p. 105, where we find :
nins nn nro nnsD^ n^ T'DNT anpn N^ NOX N^I npn N
xnnx na ^aK Nn^5; for
to which NnNo!> above corresponds, read likewise (with
Hark.) : Kn No=xn NDN 'after which, if ',&c. nns is no
doubt inND (in accordance with the Babylonian-Mandaic pro-
nunciation of the n) in the sense of ' defer ', ' delay ', ' tarry ',
in which it occurs also in Syriac (PSm.). This is in
agreement with 'ira (but not if we derive it from "inD f as
Hark, does, for then we should expect an ethp.), comp.
Hal. Ged., ed. Venice, fol. 77 b : mna Tnh n^ TDK. That
this is the right explanation is evident from Schechter,
p. 22, 1. 6-7 : naa mo^ n[^] nen mpn K^ NDN pi !
Schechter, D*DiD3lp, p. 3, 11. i-io, are contained verbatim
also in MS. B, in the same place, p. 30, 1. 5 f., which Sch.
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 245
already seems to have noticed in his comment on 1. 8
(though he points to 11. 1-3 !). The fragments thus supple-
ment each other.
23. p. 3 is therefore to be read as follows : , . . [^o]pD (i)
pNn jo nvpt?] b ncyy [NEK N^I pun -it?]yo bai (2) ... [T^Jyo
apy] njh : bo ntpyo i^ ;nn '3n . . . JVN omaso (3) [. . . son
TVI 'an '131 nnos* W (4) [^ unswt* W ^ inn ns?N bi ana
[nnn nna ...i? MISWN] n^y '131 apjjn (5) [Tm 3 s n3i m: apy s ]
bo (7) [npyo jn^o^ a^no Nijonn ^op n^sD^ '121 jni3N^ (6)
'i3i nsin (8) [}3sm Nt^N"i3 3 s n3T -is^jyo^ rrann^ ^y3n?o '131
nxnp] KONI 'i n^yon (9) [wan nrun] n^yo pvob p^ya
j>yn naoa (JM: !) NI n^a 3n3 N^I (10) [nao jn^n
'pi mn "3 (n) (sicl) [p]n ynroh. With 1. 10 the
fragment B breaks up. As to p. 30, see below. To 11. 4-5
comp. Sheeltot, no. 23. Ni (1. 10) is the letter waw,
frequent in Anan ; likewise Hal. Ged., ed. Berlin, 340:
nan N rromh . . . ppin^n N^I, Pseudo-Saadya's Comm. Ber.
56 a (ed. Wertheimer, 19 b) : N1 }O 13 . . . nicn "iDQn Nl.
1. 1 1 read : . . . [3nn3
24. 1. 14 read: bn
, , , [NT-S. To nny comp. Hark., p. 3 : ^n^N N^n Niny paai
innao ' manna', Syr. Nliyiy (PSm. 2975), Hark., ^z'^., p. 123.
1. 15 f. read : x[in N]n^s (16) [t6i xyx p] psjn ^NO i^asn
. . , ^ay paa.
25. 1. 1 8 : n^yiTD Nnan^o ^annn i?3 pn OD DO na 'ao
. . . niTai. Sch., p. 67, remarks that the words pn ,.oo
(j-zV ! !) and xian^o are doubtful and that we may read also n
instead of n in fcOan-'D. Read therefore [yi]to instead of
... co and in place of Ni3n'o : wnaTO (= Nnano, Ninn |O,
see above), nan 'field'. *y*n perhaps = nD 11 H, as p. 88:
pp\s = pip'N, see above; comp. also Hark., Resp., p. 160:
sbn, Harkavy corrected
246 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
26. p. 4, 1. 7 ff., read: WD ny-tf 'N 'tti K
N3[ip-ie !>y] (9) K^K 'i3i ^<o (sic\) $>33 nvi> m[n B^ip-i] (8)
'131 NyiNzi p!>[n r6 JVN] (10) N^> ntrNn '121 D'Np NyiNi. nvi> is
an abbreviation of the Tetragrammaton, 22 as the occasional
>*V, comp. also p. 30 TO (see below). As to WHIt^, which
is by no means rare, see Remarks on the Sheeltot.
1. 15 read: (sic\) |K ipm n[>ytn].
27. p. 6, 1. 4 ff., read : [^33 Dm $>3 1DB] NON [p . . .
normi] (6) DINS [nsp '^ ^22] 3D2 nnpxi nfonnni onsn 'c^] (5)
Kin ^] (7) 'nan nfvnpM^ T-] si' '^ ^3 yinron
'ttl N[N Np. Ibid., 1. 8 ff. read: "i^rVNl] (9) "1132
(12) ixh 'w m [IDJD Np] (n) '131 y
n^D N[^I NDN xp] (13) n3B>n mv 'm
(comp. Revel, JQR., N. S., Ill, 392, note), see Hadassi,
Alph. 204, letter y. p. 8, 1. 17 ff., read : (r. bl) by '3T
^ai nnoD[n] n[n33 om 'nsi (Exod. 13. 13) 'ai nes] (18)
NDNT V (19) s :n n^n^x ton [r-nbt>]m n^xn (Lev. 27. 27)
...[... NinJ 1^n[m] (v !) NJ^^ noai lion (w !) n[oa
28. p. 7, 1. 13 f. : mine njona^ n^N3 incnn !?31 nnm NCNI
-ne> [nnn (see y<2^., /^. cit., p. 391), read nfea = nb ^S3,
comp. talmudic ^>"3T ^s, //d;/. 6"^., ed. Ven., 71 b: ^N3T ;
so also below, p. 9, 1. 4 f. : mnD [nojanob mn [a] . . . *?
29. 7^^., 1. 27 f., read : nnt?]y 'sn wn eTp '3
N-j3i]3i N^pnc^ n^n^N *3n so^ysn ND^N (28) [bpt^n n-u
nb paK'n BTP 7 3 (29) ["D N^pno an on. p. 12, 1. 25 ff,
read : '3T DTP] (26) pny nn N^pnon <wn ^pno prw N^DI
niB'y] (27) D^PB> onBTn ntron D^PB> nnt^y ma onry
DS!? rriT nacn [^pe> nKT2ni ; comp. Benjamin Nahawendi,
ioaa, Gozlow, 1834, fol. 2c: nt^n 133 ^3 ^"xr jay nan
23 A similar abbreviation is perhaps also the word ~v on p. 5, 1. a.
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 247
rrva aasi^ niys DN (Hark., p. 137). The word riT3
is not Arabic (= **), as Harkavy thinks (5,000 ' qirat ' cannot
possibly be equal to 3,000 shekel !), nor is it a gloss, but it
is the Hebrew rna (plene), /i.e. 'iTia is equal to DNTp', as
Anan actually says p. 7, 1. 27. Comp. also the citation
from Jephet's Commentary to Exod. 30. 13 (Hark., 206) :
'131 paNi ^pi DNTP pipy $vp ma entry r6ipl. The value of
the kikkar = 3,000 shekel was fixed by the Geonim as 6,000
Arabic mithkal (see my remark, JQR., 1913, p. 439, n. 128),
but Anan fixed it at 5.000 mithkal (= niyo) Sheshdang, and
Nahawendi at 10,000 mithkal (= niyo), as also Ibn Janah,
Neubauer, p. 330; comp. also Hark., Responsa, p. 38.
As to ^n DHj see below.
30. pp. 14, 21 ff., read : '131 N13m NOIO [KWH&] (22) TDN1
[rra jrwuak] (24) '121 waao NOID n^a is[m u] (23) rrrp 131
7 131 NOID. Comp. Bekorot 33 b and Sheeltot, no. 44 (HG.,
ed. Berlin, p. 597) : N^oo 12 i'lD^ ny D^BHpa D1O NTN^o!' TDM
"i3i N^ DID ^3 f yv (Geonica, 362 : n^ioo na b'Esn ny).
31. p. 15, 1. 17, read: 'vno NEN (sic\] ^Nn Npl N[?ON ]p
. . . i nonn by&n- Read ^Kn instead of ^xn, which Sch.
himself considers as doubtful. 'iNrl = s :n f he repeats ',
comp. wn, 11. 22-3.
32. p. 17, 1. 14 f., read: Nina loyvb vb^ NaDni pn^ps
'31 [n]^[n] ^[njp^ (jwr!) DNH" (15) [WUVK] vb\ n^n nnnpo
7 iai -IKB' b i>N BK t?N. DNH (instead of onn) = on, Persian JU,
Neo-Syriac Bn (see my Rechtsgutachten, &c., p. 252),
'likewise'. DNn (with N) also in a gaonic responsum,
Hakedem, II, 86 (no. 7): J N3'N1 DniD3H DV3 ^DH I^MBVI
? i> IN pn ^y in3 n^oi pasMn^b naxnatsn DNnT, ^. ^. and
although it is customary to bring this to the circumcision
(it remains' questionable) . . . TIDE (Hark., ibid., forced);
similarly, Mand. DNn, Noldeke, Gramm., 465. As to the
248 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
contents and style, comp. Shecltot, no. 95 : rvaiij pr6
'IDT trx B*K nojop rrnanp BTK awi> tanc*.
33. p. 23, 11. 1-5 (until . . . }KO1) is cited verbatim by
Abulfarag Furkan (Q^D) in his manuscript commentary on
Lev., Hark., p. 67, 1. 4 f. The beginning of this passage
can therefore be supplied from Hark., p. 66, no. 24
(':i taxn nr nx) p. 67, 1. 4 (IN a^nai) ! Similarly the
lacunae in 11. 1-4 may be closed up through Hark., 67.
Instead of 7VNT 'N, here 1. 4, in Hark.: JVN1N 'while it is
still'. Ibid., 1.30, read: [(p"nno) ni]aiy bx, and p. 24,
1. i, read: (sic instead of <3C>!) Wi WJD[!? vuba]oi> f? untrr
[m]ni[ai] N'aui (V instead of l6ttll) b;, comp. 1. 5:
^en nn bi Kam wyaen wvi, and Hark., p. 67 :
VD ia^ n^asa fb I^DN na^ bi, and p. 68: rontrN
-N msiya ~IPD N^T. p. 24. n : ponn^'o JOTT in ro,
read X3TT (= Ninna) inna, comp. inn, p. 28, I2-I3. 23
p. 25, 1. 12 f., read: nnyn nin^ niano pn HDD nnanon i^oi
. . apn 'nan xan 11 nin [nnyn ninb ^aj pns nuon].
34. p. 27, 11. i, ii, 12: "pi3Nn, 1. 7: p'a[Kn]. The
meaning of the word becomes evident from 1. 1 2 :
Nin "piasn Ninn ; hence ' scratch ', ' scribble ', * carve ',
' carvings '. It originated from ''iP/UNn ; Syr. Juacu.
'linea', J^a*. 'step', the former being explained by
the Syriac lexica as Kna'nan NCniDi KOTDI Nn:iiD, PSm.,
1226; the latter is found in the Talmud piin, pplin,
but in one explanation certainly gaonic of the Aruk,
s. v. n^aoN :bin HDID wn: Dipo n^pan ia pipm IIIN fy mm,
therefore likewise with 3i 1. 7: JTN b s bp3 read H^Jp3
' easily ', adv. like similar Syr. and Mand. words ; opposite
1. 8: KnvB'pa. 1. 23 r. i3:b (sicl) m[pon *]3jn. 1. 26 r.
pin KDKI. p. 28, 1. 14 f. r. : myi> mW <n
23 Geonica, 234, 19 : ND3N inn3.
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 249
nn ix No^a in xbx TV*? (15) n"x i6 nai in^ot? torn x[x x]i>i
[iirn]n nrn^ mroi awi [Kajx'ao ina irpnn Ntru^. xax'ao
instead of ... N'3O = w;j ; naTioi instead of
nx zrro.
35- P- 3> ! I ff-> read : ^ ' T EP^ Hicry!> Kao[
nin^ pyn nao psn ynro *pN[n n^yD] (2) [^i] 'an
(sic!) *?i K[ON sp] (3) [nin^ {j>nip]
an (^zV!) n[^yD] (4) [^a
ira (see above, nin^=) n^ [n^yo] (5) [i>a]
a^no nB'yo apn*] (6) [pxin JNDJT - 4 nov nio
r[" 1Nn ] (7) [iB'yo ^] ^wna, like p. 3, 1. 2 flf. (see
above). To 1. 5 end comp. p. 3, 1. i : [? i>a]p*D ; the space
of the lacuna (to judge from the points) really seems to be
too large for N^n fKO. The lacunae in 1. 7 f. may be filled
out from p. 3 (see above). Read therefore 1. 12 f. as follows :
worn (13) [DP (.rzV!) n^Ja^^ [B*]aN [a^njon aM ^n
(sic!) [KttB'Jya n 11 ^]! 'i jn^. Last line read probably:
. . .], see above.
36. p. 32, 1. 9 ff., read: D^
(10)
a Kirnix] (u) '^
win winiN *[n^ }r>ai rnKa* ^ D^] (12) n^
pnsa mnSn] (13) nx DBW
[^'t DB> WPI*T6] (14) ni? liNp KPT. Comp. Hark., p. 3, end
and f. : jnx nx D^D nbyrh 'nan ^* D^ NHPN 'oa Nnnixn
NDN xp vby o^anan acr 1 mxas 1|// ' 1 Diy DB> xipa nc'x Dr6iin
na rvx fnxai XDX NP an ^ DB> DB> Nipa IB^K tpnittn pnx
^N nnyn nx jn^ np^i 'an mm ix^\s* xa^x x^ pnxai *' n^
^ Dtr xnmx^ n^ nxp xpn nan^'X pixn. Comp. also Responsa
of the Geonim, ed. Cassel, no. 15, p. 3 b: iiaya pixn npyo
24 A. ^ after the H1D1 11 H1O of ver. 29 ! How Sch. found this unclear
I fail to perceive.
250 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
/iji nnan pis nan 'w ixtan wn jnKm? tfrodb i^no nnt? "H^on
33-4, see above. 25
INDEX OF WORDS COMMENTED UPON
P2K = cleave, stick (no. n).
NTJ3N = arm (no. 8).
-ins (= ins), IPIKO = tarry, linger (no. 22).
ND3 1K = or however much (no. 10).
fli3K, BOK (= NSD'y) = fold, bend (no. 20).
(= IDN), n>tax, (gaonic also ita'N) (no. 17).
^ 'NON wherefore, why then ; introducing a question
(no. 15).
(= noy), 1D< = submerge (gaonic also Niov:) (no. 13).
D13 (Dia^D poT3) = weave, twist (no. 3).
na, ma (nxna, *na) (no. i), see nxna.
ha (rrinyns) (no. 2).
N31N (= 13TN, also gaonic) (no. 17).
an = field (no. 25).
(DTo) = last, continue (no. 7).
n ; on = likewise ; although (the latter only gaonic)
(no. 32).
NT = letter waw (no. 23). .
lit ("VT) = press together (no. 4).
f (= i><T), gaonic (no. 21).
n (= Nn, ,^.) = soon (no. 17).
, p*3n (= 'pun) = scratch, carvings ; gaonic D'pnn
= steps (no. 34).
= make white (no. 16).
83 P- 34, 1-9 end , read : [tOjlHN 33^O V, comp. 1. 10 : N3"inN
according to Hark., /. c. 1. 15 read : Kin 31 n[NED '3 DH] <
"131 3^31, comp. Hark., /. c.
POST-TALMUDIC-ARAMAIC LEXICOGRAPHY EPSTEIN 251
?N (= -vpN, TplN), gaonic (no. 17).
i, ' Nabatean ', see NTT:.
(=: pan) = pressed (no. 12).
Di3, DD3 (DiarPO, D^nis) = be rebuked, punished (no. 14).
(n^K3 = rb i>N3), ^3 (rvb = n-6 i>3) = put together
(no. 28).
3 (no. 9).
(no. 10).
', Syr. and gaonic (No. 18).
^, Mand. (Introduction).
inxio, see "ins.
D3, *O3 (no. 1 8), see 0?.
NOH3, Ni:^, talmudic (Introduction).
[WBD], opposite of w6p (no. n).
NDSD (= nDDD) (no. 17).
NDD 11 !?*, see NDD-N.
Niny, Hny = manna (no. 24).
(NIP), iVN (= pip-N), v (=np*?), nvp 11 : (=nvnp 1| 3) (nos. 21
and 25).
vp = easily (no. 34).
(NT-^, l^o) = spin (no. i).
n^ ^jBflD (= n^ T 1 :^), gaonic (no. 17).
lin (Tn, 1no, mn)= return, bring back (no. 5).
(To be continued.)