In re (a), is "sphagnum" related, by metathesis?
As for (b), I have heard it conjectured that the proto-Indo-Europeans lived near the proto-Hamito-Semites, as there are several words shared across the language families. Possibly this might explain this root (though you'd need to look into what the Hebrew root corresponds to in other Semitic languages to make a conjecture on firm ground)...
Re "sphagnum" - the site that I quoted:
http://www.takeourword.com/Issue099.html
seems to think that there is a connection.
and what about "pontshke(s)" the only word for those "donuts" in ashkenazic yiddish speaking world? the word seems related to the root "panx".
you say that two gammas are a digamma, and that is not true: a digamma is another character, called "vaw", pronounced "w", and a relative of hebrew vav.
Two gammas are just, well, two gammas. The pronunciation "ng" is due to metasthasis.
This is a real exchange of emails
-----Original Message-----
From: H. Barbara
Sent: Tuesday, 5/12/06 5:42 PM
To: 'askjafi@jafi.org.il'
Subject: Chanukah Query
Hi Eli,
I'm doing some research for our holiday issue and I'm trying to find out about the origins of the Jelly Doughnut and particularly how and why it came to be a Chanukah staple. Please advise. I would appreciate any help in this matter.
Thanks so much.
Best,
Barbara H
From: EliBir@jazo.org.il
Sent: Thu 7/12/2006 8:07 AM
To: BarbaraHuber@nick.com
Subject: RE: Chanukah Query
Dear Barbara
I sent your query to our education department for an answer but in the meantime......
You ask what is the link between the jelly doughnut and Chanukah - I'll tell you . Around the year 1727 (give or take a year) there was a cotton shortage throughout Poland.
No place was more worried then the small town of Chaloshis. People ran around searching throughout the town having no idea where to purchase wicks for the Chanukah. As Chanukah came closer they tore out their hair ( which wasn't very useful since it burned too fast) and finally in desperation turned to their venerated Rabbi. Reb Motke listened carefully, stroked his beard and after looking into the holy books proclaimed to the whole community that since it was not a wick-ed town, God would provide.
Each day the holiday grew closer and still nothing . On the very day before the holiday Shmerl the baker was frying up his normal batch doughnuts and forgot to keep a high flame under the oil. The result was a very soggy and oily doughnut. In his anger he tossed them into the fire. Much to his amazement he watched as they began to slowly burn. They burned for 8 days, but that is a different story and different custom. Anyway Shmerl ripped off his apron, scoped up the burning doughnuts and rushed over to the Rabbi who proclaimed it a miracle and instituted the custom that we should eat doughnuts each Chanukah.
Ahh but how did they come to be filled with Jelly? Good question, you see Shmerl had a good for nothing brother in law Yankel, (and who doesn't, you may ask?) who when he wasn't hanging out in the local tavern used to make jelly. Unfortunately, since he was so busy drinking he had little time to sell his product. This naturally resulted in jars and jars of sticky jelly filling up his living room leaving no place for his poor wife and their 7 children to sit. One day during a visit to his sweetly suffering sister, Shmerl sat on a broken jar of jelly, ruining his pants which cost 23 kopeks to clean at the local Chinese laundry. But being a good brother in law, and to show he didn't bear a grudge, Shmerl invited Yankel to the tavern . According to Avrumshka the slightly inebriated eye witnesses, over one drink, albeit a long one, a deal was made. Shmerl would buy Yankel's jam for a 50% discount and Yankel agreed
the end of the story was cut off
Shmerl would buy Yankel's jam for a 50% discount and Yankel agreed to use the money to buy his wife a nice fur coat. And so one more good Jewish tradition was now set which will probably last for the next few hundred years.
When question about his actions Shmerl would only shrug and reply " Nu, so what are relatives for?"
Smile and have a great Chanukah!
Yankel - the Yiddish word comes from the Polish paczki, which has a different etymology:
http://209.10.134.179/61/72/P000...2/
P0007250.html
Amit - I based my understanding of digamma from the two issues of "Take Our Word For It" that I linked to.
Eli - That's quite a story!
I believe the added "n" in the transition from Sofeg to Sponge is very common. Probably not too unlike Shok to Shank.
A suggestion for a post: Chashmonaim
Mottel - It's in the works...
Nice to know.
I linked you http://myrightword.blogspot.com/...nukah-
gelt.html
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