virgin

[Isaac Fried]

‎להעלים means to coverup, to conceal, to hide under a rise.
It is a paramount principle of Hebrew Etymology; there is no understanding of Hebrew without realizing this cardinal tenet of the language, namely, that there need be no "horizontal" relationship of meaning between different words derived from one and the same root. Ignoring this canonical rule brings about such understands as עלמה ALMAH having to do with some sort of mystery העלמה.
1Sam. 17:55-58 reads
‎וְכִרְאוֹת שָׁאוּל אֶת דָּוִד יֹצֵא לִקְרַאת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי אָמַר אֶל אַבְנֵר שַׂר הַצָּבָא בֶּן מִי זֶה הַנַּעַר אַבְנֵר וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְנֵר חֵי נַפְשְׁךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ אִם יָדָעְתִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁאַל אַתָּה בֶּן מִי זֶה הָעָלֶם וּכְשׁוּב דָּוִד מֵהַכּוֹת אֶת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי וַיִּקַּח אֹתוֹ אַבְנֵר וַיְבִאֵהוּ לִפְנֵי שָׁאוּל וְרֹאשׁ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי בְּיָדוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו שָׁאוּל בֶּן מִי אַתָּה הַנָּעַר וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד בֶּן עַבְדְּךָ יִשַׁי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי
with הָעָלֶם being here, to my understanding, no more than 'the boy'; the same as the following הַנָּעַר.
And what would one say to הַנָּעַר? Is it related to the נעוֹרת ,'chaff, dross, trash, frazzle, shreddings' of Judges 16:9
‎וַיְנַתֵּק אֶת הַיְתָרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יִנָּתֵק פְּתִיל הַנְּעֹרֶת בַּהֲרִיחוֹ אֵשׁ
NIV: "But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame"

‎עוֹלם is certainly not the mystery of vast space embedded in flowing time.

In Job 6:16 we read
‎ הַקֹּדְרִים מִנִּי קָרַח עָלֵימוֹ יִתְעַלֶּם שָׁלֶג
NIV: "when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,"

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

There is actually one thing that the עלמה hides: her bones under the cover of growing flesh and skin.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Isaac Fried]

The root אלם is but a slight alteration of the root עלם. Derived from אלם are the אוּלָם ULAM, 'hall', of 1kings 6:3
וְהָאוּלָם עַל פְּנֵי הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת עֶשְׂרִים אַמָּה אָרְכּוֹ עַל פְּנֵי רֹחַב הַבָּיִת עֶשֶׂר בָּאַמָּה רָחְבּוֹ עַל-פְּנֵי הַבָּיִת
NIV: "The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple."
Also the אֲלֻמָּה ALUMAH, 'heap, bundle, sheaf', of Gen. 37:7
וְהִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַלְּמִים אֲלֻמִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶה וְהִנֵּה קָמָה אֲלֻמָּתִי וְגַם נִצָּבָה וְהִנֵּה תְסֻבֶּינָה אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ לַאֲלֻמָּתִי
KJV: "For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

Isaac Fried, Boston University

[Saboi]

אולם is αὐλήν 'Open court, hall, any dwelling, abode, chamber'
אלמ is ἄμαλλα 'bundle of ears of corn, sheaf'

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/mor ... ek#lexicon
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/mor ... ek#lexicon

They are bilingual words, thus unrelated too עלם/πῶλον

[SteveMiller]

‎להעלים means to coverup, to conceal, to hide under a rise.
It is a paramount principle of Hebrew Etymology; there is no understanding of Hebrew without realizing this cardinal tenet of the language, namely, that there need be no "horizontal" relationship of meaning between different words derived from one and the same root. Ignoring this canonical rule brings about such understands as עלמה ALMAH having to do with some sort of mystery העלמה.

the qal root is עלם meaning to be hidden. There may not need to be a straightforward connection in meaning between the root and words derived from it, but often there is. We should look to see if the root meaning fits in some way with how the derived word is used in the Bible.
It is not just Evangelical Christians who say that the root meaning of almah and alam is "unknown".
I was discussing this with a prominent anti-missionary rabbi. I asked him what is the root meaning of alam, and he said "unknown".

‎And what would one say to הַנָּעַר? Is it related to the נעוֹרת ,'chaff, dross, trash, frazzle, shreddings' of Judges 16:9
‎וַיְנַתֵּק אֶת הַיְתָרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יִנָּתֵק פְּתִיל הַנְּעֹרֶת בַּהֲרִיחוֹ אֵשׁ
NIV: "But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame"

I understand the noun naar is from the verb נער, meaning shake, toss, scatter, stray as in Zec 11:16.
Naar denotes not psychologically mature, having a tendency to be tossed about or stray in his convictions.
As you said, it is equivalent to the English "boy", which can denote a child from infancy until marriage.
The only married people that I know it being applied to are the Levite's concubine who ran away & played the harlot (Judges 19:3-6,8-9), and Absalom (2Sam 18:5,12, 29, 32).
It can apply to a young widow, i.e. Ruth, denoting not anchored to a man.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Steve,

You can't assume that every word's meaning is based on the meaning of it's root. Words develop and change over time. The word "automobile" I guess means "self moving" or something like that and auto is self, but now "auto" means "car." An auto parts store sells car parts, not self parts.

[SteveMiller]

Steve,

You can't assume that every word's meaning is based on the meaning of it's root. Words develop and change over time. The word "automobile" I guess means "self moving" or something like that and auto is self, but now "auto" means "car." An auto parts store sells car parts, not self parts.

Kenneth, I agree with you. That is what I meant by "There may not need to be a straightforward connection in meaning between the root and words derived from it, but often there is. We should look to see if the root meaning fits in some way with how the derived word is used in the Bible."

That's also how I understood Isaac's "that there need be no "horizontal" relationship of meaning between different words derived from one and the same root."

[Kenneth Greifer]

Steve,
I was looking at your explanation for "naar" which I thought was just guessing because I don't see any connection and you were giving some possible connections between the verb and the noun form of "naar."

I think that "bachur" and "betula" could be based on what young men and virgins wore. I assume that they might have dressed to show people their place in society. "In white linen" and "in red." That is my guess based on dictionary defintions of the words chur and tola, which is spelled a little differently.

[Kenneth Greifer]

Steve,
I commented after speed reading or kind of skimming things that were written before. I am sorry that I didn't read more carefully before commenting. I kind of didn't read everything, so that was wrong.

[Saboi]

All these Phoenician words used throughout the Mediterranean, for people tend to ignore the wider culture of the Hebrew Language.

נער/Νεαρά 'young, youthful' (νέος)
בחור /κορός, κοῦρος 'boy, lad' (הכרי , ἐπίκουρος , זכר )
בכורה/ἐξαιρετός ' picked out , chosen as a successor' (ϝἐξαιρετός) (αἱρέω)
עקר/ἄκουρος 'childless, barren'
גברתה/κυρίας 'lady of the house'
אִישׁ/αἷς, ἠίθεος 'man, unmarried'
אביונ/ἡβώοιμι 'to be in the prime of youth'
אהבה, עגבה/αγαπη 'loved ones' (אח, אחת, אָב, אֵם)