[Avodah] ashtei-asar

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Wed, Jun 03, 2015 at 10:58:33AM -0700, saul newman via Avodah wrote:
: someone asked about the origin of  'ashtei'  and noted the this week
: mikshah  is  translated as eshet---   which  must mean one solid piece so
:  that must mean ashtei= on...

The Akkadian for 11 is ishteneshret, ishten (one) + shret (ten). It is
weird, though, that Hebrew would use a form of isheneshret without
also using ishten.

Then there's the idea in the Radaq (Mikhlol pg 140) that it was two
that was collapsed from "ashtei" to "shtei". Which would explain why
"shtayim" isn't "shesayim". The rule is that a sheva under the first
letter is a sheva na (pronounced schwa), the legacy of the missing "i-"
makes "shtei" an exception -- the sheva under the shin is nach (silent).

Along these line, but presumably without the knowledge of
Akkadian, the IE (Bamidbar 7:72, citing his own Sefer Me'oznayim)
writes that "ashtei asar" is like "eshtenosav" -- that which were born
from his thoughts. As though the 10 gave birth. "Vehu sod gadol".

He then goes on to dismiss R' Yonah haSefaradi's theory that it means
"el shtei asar". Because
1- "al shetei asar" would refer to the number AFTER 12, not before;
and
2- "asar" (masc) would get "shnei" (masc), not "shtei" (fem).

The gemara doesn't explain peshat, but interestingly R' Ashi's
example (Sanhedrin 29a) of "kol hamosif goreia'"  is how adding
an ayin turns "shtei esrei yeri'os" into "ashtei esrei".


Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             For those with faith there are no questions.
micha at aishdas.org        For those who lack faith there are no answers.
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