Re: Judge

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Torsten" <tgpedersen@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Torsten" <tgpedersen@> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Paul Wexler
> > Explorations in Judeo-Slavic Linguistics
> > p 47, n 201
> > (discussing interchange of /n/ and /m/ in loans between Hebrew and
> > Slavic)
> > '... See also OCz Sephyn 'Judges' (late 14th-early 15th c) < He
> > šoft.īm (Schröpfer 1971:358, line 40) vs. B(ela)r(usian) Softim ~
> > Šoftimъ (1519) (Skaryna's forewords to 1 Kings and 1 Judges
> > respectively). I have no evidence of the confusion of the two
> > nasals from any Jewish source; nor is it clear yet whether the
> > unetymological n or m became lexicalized.'
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francysk_Skaryna
> >
> > Isn't it more likely that the OCz Sephyn is related instead to
> > this/these words for "judge"
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6ffe
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schepen
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89chevin
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89chevin_(Luxembourg)
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0epmistr
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scabino
> > ?
>
> The alternative is that all three words are related.


I looked up Wexler's reference for Old Czech sephyn "judges":

Johann Schröpfer
Ein Stuttgarter alttschechischer Bibelprolog und die Orthographia Bohemica
in
Festschrift Dietrich Gerlach

The prolog in Old Czech and German on opposite sides

Old Czech text
'druhe kniehi prorocſke ſlowu żidowſki Sephyn řecſki Stopyn· latinie Judicum· ċeſki Sudcowe'

German text
'Das zweite prophetische Buch heißt judisch Sophyn**, griechisch Stopyn, lateinisch Judicum, tschechisch Die Richter.'

footnote:
** = hebr. šōfĕţîm "die Richter", gr. κριταί

No Old Czech sephyn "judges" here, as far as I can see.

Torsten

It looks like Hebrew shofet, pl. shoftim "judge(s)" i.e. suffete