[Mesorah] Meaning of m'tim

[D&E-H Bannett]

As Rashi said, the word means people.  It is obviously 
connected to m'tei mispar, i.e.,  a number of people, 
meaning a small number.   Similarly, m'tei m'at.

One that always interested me is in Iyov, m'tei sodi or 
sodo. It means, people who are in on the secret. What 
interested me is that the word sod also means a closed group 
of people. B'sodam al tavo nafshi, bik'halam al teichat 
kvodi. The parallel, sodam = k'halam.  See also, sod 
m'sachakim on Yirmeyahu 15 and Radak and others there.

The man sitting next to me in shul asked me the same 
question last Shabbat and, afterwards, I checked in Even 
Shashan who informed me that mt with various vowels means 
man in a few Semitic languages and also in Egyptian. No 
mention of connection with death.


David