Spoken Hebrew hints to "Proto-Semitic"?

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

Spoken Hebrew hints to "Proto-Semitic"?

Post by Isaac Fried »

I have recently encountered this headline in the travel section of a Hebrew daily
לשטוף ת'עיניים: הנופים המרהיבים של צפון איטליה
"To splash the eyes: The spectacular vistas of northern Italy"
in which ת'עיניים TA'EYNAYIM is playfully colloquial for את העיניים ET HA-EYNAYIM. It suggests to me that spoken Hebrew occasionally and naturally slips back to reveal "Proto-Semitic", in which את העיניים was possibly but אתה עיניים ETA (or ATAH) EYNAYIM.
המרהיבים HA-MA-RHIYB-IYM is from the root רהב (related to רחב 'wide, spacious, conspicuous'), 'glory, greatness, haughtiness', as in Ps. 40:5(4).

Isaac Fried, Boston University
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