Completely OT: Where can I find Hebrew etymology?

[Dotan Cohen]

On Sat, Feb 26, 2011 at 23:14, Stan Goodman <stan.goodman at hashkedim.com> wrote:
> You mean Pitriya, mushroom, fungus? I would be enormously surprised if
> this was a word so modern that it had to be invented by, or named for, a
> 19 - 20th century biologist. Pitriyot have surely been eaten here for
> millenia. I don't think Ben-Yehuda had to invent it. It's a proper
> Hebrew word.
>

I was suspicious due to the similarity in name to the Petri dish.
Coincidences happen, it seems.


> Etymology isn't necessaily associated with borrowing words from other
> languages, so I suppose at least some of those hits include examples of
> borrows. Hebrew is like most other languages, in that it borrows words
> when it hasn't got native ones -- and sometimes even if it does. For
> example, salmon is almost always called "salmon" now in the supermarket
> (and everybody pronounces the "L", which is not done at all in English);
> I'm sure lots of people don't know what "Iltit" means or  what sort of
> animal it is. The Talmud has borrows from Greek, because that was what
> people were exposed to; for example, "Baskilos" (slightly distorted from
> Greek "Basilikos") is sometimes used for "king", although "Melekh" was
> certainly available.
>

I did not realise that Iltit is salmon, thanks! If you have any more
treasures like these please let me know about them!


> What, after all, are universities for? =;-/8  On the other hand, it may
> be a mistake not to inqure also at the Academy.
>

Yes, I will do that, thanks.

-- 
Dotan Cohen

http://gibberish.co.il
http://what-is-what.com