[Avodah] Hebrew and Aramaic

[Jonathan Baker]

From: "Micha Berger" <micha at aishdas.org>
> On Mon, May 21, 2007 2:51 pm, ramiller500 at aol.com wrote:
> : 1.  In the Kaddish, when, where, and by whom was the earliest known
> : use of these word forms? (pardon my layman's orthography)---
> : a.  Yisgadeil  b.  V'Yiskadeish  c.  Tiskabeil  d. other tzeirei
 
> As far as I know, c and d are errors caused by (a). IOW, someone is
> about to give some reason I never heard for them.
 
Hm.

I was thinking the other day about Echod Mi Yodea.  Now, not all the 
verses rhyme.  However, some do, and do so by switching Aramaic.
The numerals are Hebrew, not Aramaic, and the first 6 are Hebrew.
Then you get  7 "yemei Shabata" Aramaic
              9 "yarchei leida" Aramaic yarchei not chodshei, which would
                    scan just as well.
             10 "dibraya"
             11 "coch'vaya"
             12 "shivtaya"
             13 "midaya".

Is it known who wrote it?  Why the shift from Hebrew to Aramaic?

It doesn't only seem to be for poetic reasons: rhyme/scansion.  While the
last four rhyme and scan, they would scan just as well with two syllables
for the Hebrew plurals.  9 doesn't seem a necessary switch, as noted.

--
        name: jon baker              web: http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker
     address: jjbaker at panix.com     blog: http://thanbook.blogspot.com