B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

This form הולל and its derivatives occur only 15 times in Tanakh, five time recognizably as a verb. As a verb, it appears to be a quadriliteral root. Of the other ten times, some of them could be derivatives of the verb הלל which has the basic meaning of boasting, with praise as a form of boasting, and self-boasting a form of craziness.

The five times הולל is used as a verb:

Isaiah 44:25: מפר אתות בדים וקסמים יהולל משיב חכמים אחור ודעתם יסכל
Nahum 2:5: בחוצות יתהוללו הרכב ישתקשקון ברחבות  מראיהן כלפידים—כברקים ירוצצו
Psalms 78:63:   בחוריו אכלה-אש    ובתולתיו לא הוללו
Job 12:17:   מוליך יועצים שולל    ושפטים יהולל
Ecclesiastes 7:7: כי העשק יהולל חכם ויאבד את לב מתנה

The contexts of these verses makes it seem that, when used as a verb, הולל has no connection to הלל in its meanings, rather seems to refer to some sort of moving around. Maybe carrying off.

Now my question, are there any clues from cognate languages that might clarify the meaning of this verb?

Karl W. Randolph.

The root הלל HLL is a variant of גלל, הלל, חלל, כלל, קלל 'heap, include, comprise, encompass, enclose'.
HALAL הלל is 'heap praise', while QALAL קלל is 'heap deprecations'.

The waw in HOLL-IYM is the personal pronoun הוא for the carrier of the stigma. HOLEL הולל is thus חולל XOLEL.

Isaac Fried, Boston University