פצם PCM Ps. 60:4(2)

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

פצם PCM Ps. 60:4(2)

Post by Isaac Fried »

A discussion on the post-biblical root פטם PTM and the derived act פִּיטוּם PIYTUM, 'fattening, stuffing, swelling', and the derived name פִּיטְמָה PIYTMAH, 'nipple', led me to lookup the kindred root פצם PCM of Ps. 60:4(2)
הִרְעַשְׁתָּה אֶרֶץ פְּצַמְתָּהּ רְפָה שְׁבָרֶיהָ כִי מָטָה
KJV: "Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh."
ASV: "Thou hast made the land to tremble; thou hast rent it:
Heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh."
OJB: "Thou hast made eretz to tremble; Thou hast torn it asunder, heal the fractures thereof; for it tottereth."

I have the feeling that פצם-אתה-היא = פְּצַמְתָּהּ is not well served by "thou hast broken it", but should better be "thou hast heaped it up"

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

Re: פצם PCM Ps. 60:4(2)

Post by Isaac Fried »

Here are more roots ending in TM with M for massiveness
אדם, גדם, קדם, שדם
גזם
אטם, חטם, שטם
אים, קים
אסם, חסם, כסם, קסם
עצם, פצם
אשם, בשם, חשם
חתם, יתם, כתם, סתם


In particular:
אטם ATM, 'block, seal', see Isaiah 33:15
עצם ACM, 'large, mighty, strong', see Gen. 26:16
חטם XTM, 'contain, inflate', See Isaiah 48:9, and recall the post-biblical חוֹטֶם XOTEM, 'nose'.
אסם ASM, 'store, accumulate, stockpile', see Deut. 28:8
חסם XSM, 'obstruct, block, prevent, holdback', see Deut. 25:4 and Ps.39:2.
חשם X$M, 'enlarge, swell', see Ps. 68:32
חתם XTM, 'seal, amass', see Deut. 32:34
סתם STM, 'clog, plug, stop-up, fill-up', see Gen. 26:18

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

Re: פצם PCM Ps. 60:4(2)

Post by Isaac Fried »

Here is another group of roots, but now with a middle M

אמד, גמד, חמד, למד, עמד, שמד
כמז
חמט, קמט, שמט
חמס, כמס, נמס, עמס
אמץ, גמץ, חמץ, קמץ, שמץ
אמש, גמש, חמש, כמש, שמש
אמת, חמת


all appearing to contain the sense of 'heave, swell, pile-up, gather, bump-up'.

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

Re: פצם PCM Ps. 60:4(2)

Post by Isaac Fried »

Ah, I missed the root קמש QM$, of which קִִמְשוֹן QIM$ON, practically קמצוֹן QIMCON 'compact, clenched, squeezed, gripped, crimped, tight, dry', of Prov. 24:30-31
עַל שְׂדֵה אִישׁ עָצֵל עָבַרְתִּי וְעַל כֶּרֶם אָדָם חֲסַר לֵב וְהִנֵּה עָלָה כֻלּוֹ קִמְּשֹׂנִים כָּסּוּ פָנָיו חֲרֻלִּים וְגֶדֶר אֲבָנָיו נֶהֱרָסָה
KJV: "I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down."

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

Re: פצם PCM Ps. 60:4(2)

Post by Isaac Fried »

Related to the biblical קמש is the commonly used post-biblical root כמש KM$, 'wither, shrivel, shrink, wilt'.

Isaac Fried, Boston University
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