What was created on day one?

[Isaac Fried]

Hebrew might liken the stream of sounds issuing from the mouth to the sprout and spread of branches and shoots.
Here. There is אמר AMAR, 'say, verbalize', and there is אמיר AMIYR, 'topmost branches', (no better word in English?!) as in Isaiah 17:6.
Then there is זמרה ZIMRAH, 'singing', as in Isaiah 51:3, and there is זמורה ZMORAH, 'branch', an in Nu. 13:23. The root זמר ZMR is a variant of צמר ZMR of which we have CEMER, 'wool', as in 2Ki. 3:4, and also צמרת CAMERET, 'tree top, the wooly upper part of a tree' (no better equivalent word in English?!) as in Ezekiel 17:22.

It appears to me that צרח CARAX, 'shout, scream', as in Isaiah 42:13 is related to זרח ZARAX, 'emit light, shine', and סרח SARAX, 'spread, slack', as in Ex. 26:12. In post-biblical Hebrew סירחון is 'stink, reek, the giving out and spread of foul odor'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Mark Lightman]

Hebrew might liken the stream of sounds issuing from the mouth to the sprout and spread of branches and shoots.
Here. There is אמר AMAR, 'say, verbalize', and there is אמיר AMIYR, 'topmost branches', (no better word in English?!) as in Isaiah 17:6.
Then there is זמרה ZIMRAH, 'singing', as in Isaiah 51:3, and there is זמורה ZMORAH, 'branch', an in Nu. 13:23. The root זמר ZMR is a variant of צמר ZMR of which we have CEMER, 'wool', as in 2Ki. 3:4, and also צמרת CAMERET, 'tree top, the wooly upper part of a tree' (no better equivalent word in English?!) as in Ezekiel 17:22.

ערב טוב יצחק

Do you think, Isaac, that we can safely add as a further example of this phenomenon the putative connection between עלה, 'leaf', that which goes up and spreads out from out a tree," and אלה, 'uttered curse,' that which spreads out from a mouth?

[Isaac Fried]

Yes! In post-biblical Hebrew אלה ALAH is 'branch, club, stick, baton, truncheon', apparently related to the אול UL, 'noble, eminent', of 2Ki.24:15; to the branchy and tall אלה ELAH and אלון ALON, 'oak', of Hos. 4:13, and also to the later אילן YILAN, 'live tree'.

The more abstract biblical אלה ALAH, 'oath, curse' (rarely uses nowadays in spoken Hebrew), as in Dt. 29:18(19) is, indeed, either the racy string of maledictions steadily issuing forth from the angry mouth, or, otherwise, possibly the ill wishes being rolled out and uploaded upon על the target of the verbal abuse.

I venture to think that the English "curse" is related to the Latin "cursus", 'race', namely, of mumbled words.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

Not to forget the Greek אילן elaia ελαία, 'olive tree', and elaion ελαιον, 'oil'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

Here is another example that occurred to me today, this 17th day of Tamuz:
קינה QIYNAH, 'lament, elegy, wail', as in 2Sam. 1:17.
קין QAYIN, 'spear, shaft', as in 2Sam. 21:16.
קנה QANEH, 'reed, stalk, cane', as in Isaiah 19:6.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Mark Lightman]

Hebrew might liken the stream of sounds issuing from the mouth to the sprout and spread of branches and shoots.

Another possible example of the verbiage-foliage link is from Ruth 2:7. אמר "he spoke," and עמר "piece of cut grain." The ר in each case expresses the fundamental concept of separation. As speech is cut off from and separated from the speaker, foliage/vegetation is cut off from and separated from the root/plant.

[Isaac Fried]

Yes. There is the עומר OMER of Ex. 16:16 and Ruth 2:7; and there is also the עמיר AMIYR of Amos 2:13.
Related to them is the חומר XOMER, 'heap', of Ex. 8:10(12). Also the ימר YAMAR, 'extol, exalt', of Isaiah 61:6.

I suspect that the tree name תמר TAMAR is the compound אתה-אמר ATAH-AMAR. There are several other examples for tree names starting with the PP AT or ATAH.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

Ah! I have still another example. There is שרק $ARAQ, 'whistle', as in Isaiah 7:18, and there is שורק SOREQ (related on the one hand to the שריג SARIYG, 'branch', of Gen. 40:9-12, and on the other hand to the שרוך SROK, 'shoelace', of Gen. 14:23), 'profusely branchy, lush, flourishing, luxuriant', vine of Isaiah 5:2.
All being related to the concrete זרק ZARAQ, 'send forth, shoot forth, throw, fling, toss, hurl', as in Ex. 9:8.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

I have still another one. There is the מלילה MLIYLAH, 'a full מלא ear of grain' of Deut. 23:36, and there is מלל MLL, 'speak, recite, narrate, declaim, have a mouthful of words', as in Job 33:3
ישר לבי אמרי ודעת שפתי ברור מללו
KJV: " My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly"
or as in Daniel 7:8
ופם ממלל רברבן
KJV: "and a mouth speaking great things"
or as in Ps. 106:2
מי ימלל גבורות יהוה ישמיע כל תהלתו
KJV: "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?"

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Mark Lightman]

Hebrew might liken the stream of sounds issuing from the mouth to the sprout and spread of branches and shoots.

I have still another one.

Me too. דָּבָר, "word, utterance, that which is broken off and separated from (ער-רע) the mouth," and the דֶּבֶר of Ex. 5:3 "plague, infectious disease, that (plant-like) substance that is broken off and travels through the air (like Homer's winged words) and kills cattle." Other etymologists may see two different homophonic roots here, but your explanation makes just as much sense.