On שופר and סנפיר and צפורן

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Isaac Fried
Posts: 1783
Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:32 pm

On שופר and סנפיר and צפורן

Post by Isaac Fried »

The Hebrew root שפר $PR is kin to the roots
DBR, ZBR, TBR, SBR, CBR, $BR, TBR
SPR, CPR, $PR, TPR
דבר, זבר, טבר, ס בר, צבר, שבר, תבר
ספר, צפר, שפר, תפר
of which the representative member is צבר CBR, 'accumulate, aggregate, garner'.

From the root צפר we have the צפירה CPIYRAH (actually a צבירה CBIYRAH, 'an accumulation'), 'antler', of Isaiah 28:5. Also צפיר CAPIYR, 'goat', either from the horns צבורות on his head, or from being צבור in herds. Also צפור CIPOR, 'bird, flock צבור of birds'. Also צפורן CIPOREN, 'nail', actually צבורן the accumulation of the tough hornlike substance at the fingertips.

From the root שפר we have שופר $OPAR, 'horn, trumpet', actually a צופר made of a horn, or the head nail.

The word סנפיר SNAPIYR appears to me to contain an excrescent N (as in Arabic XA-N-ZIYR for XAZIYR, 'hog'), and be of the root ספר SPR, namely an outgrowth like צפורן CIPOREN.

Isaac Fried, Boston University
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