semitic languages and the cognate accusative
Mr. Timothy T. Dickens (MDick39708@gnn.com)
Thu, 10 Oct 1996 22:56:22
>The cognate accusative is very common in Hebrew, because so much of
the vocabulary is developed from the verbal roots, e.g. "sacrifice a
sacrifice," "say a saying," "command a commandment," "pitch with
pitch," "brick (make brick) bricks," "white wash with whitewash,"
etc. The Greeks did not borrow the concept, however, it is a
linguistic phenomenon that results from the evolution of
>vocabulary in any language. The longer a language exists, and the
more loan words that are assimilated, the less you will see cognate
accusatives. We avoid them in English because we deplore redundancy.
The first three Hebrew examples above could be used in English, as
well as "build a building," "plant a plant," "straw straw," etc.
Thank you Lee for the ENGLISH examples you gave above. I
could you please give me some examples of the cognate accusative in
the Hebrew Bible?
Peace and Love,
Timothy T. Dickens
Smyrna, GA
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Simon Peter said to them, 'Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life,' Jesus said, 'I myself shall make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling male. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom
of Heaven."
The gospel according to Thomas, saying #114 from the Nag Hammadi Library.