On 18 Nov 2005 00:58:25 -0800, izzy
<cohen.izzy@gmail.com> wrote:
>> (on Usenet people will often ask for someone to cite
>> their sources, beaning to back it up with where they
>> get the information).
>
> Of course Chris meant to say "meaning" and not "beaning". I think this
> is a linguistic event, not a mechanical typographical error, that
> deserves analysis. Chris was already producing/generating the phrase
> "Back it up" while he was typing the intended word "Meaning."
Possibly; the two letters are not very far apart thoght so it's not
certain (and I certainly don't remember by now).
> But there is more to it than that. Hebrew words that begin with B are
> sometimes cognate with words in other languages that begin with M. For
> example, Hebrew BoGeR (to become an adult) and Latin Major (reach
> majority), Hebrew BeiS 3oLaM (house of eternity) and Mausoleum.
In Celtic languages (both Q and P forms) 'b' and 'm' often mutate into
each other, and into 'v' and 'f'. The name Mhairi (Mary) mutates to
'Bhairi' (pronounced 'vairy'), 'bach' to 'fach', etc.
> And so it is that the Hebrew word BiNaH means "meaning, understanding,
> wisdom". This word is found transliterated as "beans" in the English
> idioms "to spill the beans" (to tell/reveal the meaning) and "he
> doesn't know beans about ...". The word "bean" is also used as an
> informal term for the human head. Someone may tell you to "use your
> bean" meaning "to use your head, to think". In baseball, if the batter
> is hit in the head by a pitched ball, he is said to have been "beaned".
Hmm, it looks like back-formation to me. In partcular 'bean' for 'head'
is related to the supposed size of the head and the brain in it (small
as a bean) and it's shape. I can't find any references which relate
'bean' to 'BiNaH', what is your reference? Does it tie into the UK term
"old bean", meaning an aquaintance? Or "full of beans" meaning having
much energy (and for children often referring to them being unable to
sit still)? And then there's the more common "use your loaf", from
rhyming slang ("loaf of bread" => "head")...
(It reminds me of G.K. Chesterton's story "The Flying Inn", in which a
person of Islamic origin tries to convince everyone that everything is
of Arabic origin. Amusing plays on words, but not at all convincing,
like most back-derivations...)
Chris C
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