B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

We read there
וְהַפִּשְׁתָּה וְהַשְּׂעֹרָה נֻכָּתָה כִּי הַשְּׂעֹרָה אָבִיב וְהַפִּשְׁתָּה גִּבְעֹל
NIV: "The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom"
with אביב = אב-היא-אב meaning essentially 'up-he-up', from the root אבב.
The אב AB (a variant of עב, 'cloud'), 'father', is the big person in the family. The family consists also of אם, בן, בת, אח
with אח, 'brother', written with the letter xet, firmly standing on two legs.
In Songs 6:11 we find the related אֵב EB, "a shoot"
אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז יָרַדְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּאִבֵּי הַנָּחַל לִרְאוֹת הֲפָרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמֹּנִים
NIV: "I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom"
In Job 32:19 we further find the related אוֹב = הוּא-אב OB, 'vat, tall vessel'
הִנֵּה בִטְנִי כְּיַיִן לֹא יִפָּתֵחַ כְּאֹבוֹת חֲדָשִׁים יִבָּקֵעַ
KJV: "Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles"
More relatives are the אבעבוּעה =אב-עב-הוּא-היא, 'boil', of EX. 9:9
וַיְהִי שְׁחִין אֲבַעְבֻּעֹת פֹּרֵחַ בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה
NIV: "and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land”
Also the מַּבוּעַ = מה-בא-הוּא MABUA, 'spring, source', of Isaiah 49:10
כִּי מְרַחֲמָם יְנַהֲגֵם וְעַל מַבּוּעֵי מַיִם יְנַהֲלֵם
NIV: "will guide them and lead them beside springs of water"
Also the בָּבָה BABAH, 'eye ball', of Zach. 2:12(8)
כִּי הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּכֶם נֹגֵעַ בְּבָבַת עֵינוֹ
NIV: "for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye"

Further related to אבב is the act אפף APP, 'envelop, enclose, pile over', as in Jonah 2:6(5)
אֲפָפוּנִי מַיִם עַד נֶפֶשׁ תְּהוֹם יְסֹבְבֵנִי סוּף חָבוּשׁ לְרֹאשִׁי
KJV: "The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head"
Also עפעף =עף-עף APAP, 'eye lid', as in Ps. 132:4
אִם אֶתֵּן שְׁנַת לְעֵינָי לְעַפְעַפַּי תְּנוּמָה
KJV: "I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids"
Also the וו WAW, 'peg, hook', as in Ex. 38:28
עָשָׂה וָוִים לָעַמּוּדִים
NIV: "to make the hooks for the posts"

In the Mishnah אב-הוּא-אב = אבוּב is 'flute', while ביב = ב-היא-ב is 'canal, tube'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

We mention here also the עָוָה AWAH (plainly a variant of עָבָה ABAH, 'thick'), ',bend, swerve, deviate, move on a raised curve', of Lamentations 3:9
גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּה
NIV: "He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked"
AWAH is related to ABAH the same way the post Biblical עקם AQAM, 'bend, distort, twist', is related to קם QAM, 'rose, stood up'.
In spoken Hebrew עו-היא-את = עָוִית is 'convulsion, distortion'.
אָוָה AWA, is what comes בא to the heart and thickens עבה there, as in Micah 7:1
בִּכּוּרָה אִוְּתָה נַפְשִׁי
KJV: "my soul desired the firstripe fruit"

Isaac Fried, Boston University

As we know, there are two great cities named after the אביב ABIYB: Addis Ababa חדיש אבבה, 'new growth, new bloom', in Ethiopia; and Tel Abiyb תל אביב, 'lush hill', in Israel. The latter is after Ezekiel 3:15וָאָבוֹא אֶל הַגּוֹלָה תֵּל אָבִיב הַיּשְׁבִים אֶל נְהַר כְּבָר
A double, biblically inspired, name, is common in Israel for places dating from the recent returning, to wit:
פתח תקוה, מקוה ישראל, ראשון לציון, נס ציונה, ראש פינה, יסוד המעלה, תל אביב

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Is אביב ultimately related to נבוּב?
In Ex. 27:8 we read
נְבוּב לֻחֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתוֹ
NIV: "Make the altar hollow, out of boards"
KJV: "Hollow with boards shalt thou make it"
all possibly following the Aramaic (Targum Unqelos) translation of אוּנקלוס rendering נְבוּב לֻחֹת as חֲלִיל לוּחִין. So, is הַשְּׂעֹרָה אָבִיב וְהַפִּשְׁתָּה גִּבְעֹל to mean that the barley is of a hollow stem or stalk?
Today we understand חליל as 'flute, pipe', with חליל related to גליל 'cylinder', and כליל 'enveloping, inclusive'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

It's probable that the English PIPE is a descendant of בוב

Yes! it is probable, of some good probability, that the Hebrew uniliteral root בא BA, is one and the same with the English verb (to) be, bio. For instance, אני בבית, 'I am home', is with בבית = בא-בית with בא standing here for 'be = am'. The ending -ism is, methinks 'is-am'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

I would add that, indeed, the English 'pipe' is the Hebrew פיף, 'tassel, fringe'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Of course, מזג אויר עביבי is overcast weather, the sky being obscured by heavy עבים, 'clouds', namely clods of vapor. Not to be confused with מזג אויר אביבי, 'spring weather'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

Some of my friends say it better not be עביבי but עבעבי = עב-עב-היא ABABIY.

Isaac Fried, Boston University