# מארת



## Holop

Hello, 

Could you please give me the list of all definitions for this word - *מארת*? No cotext yet.

Thanks!


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## kishmish

מארה=קללה 
a word used in the bible for curse
מארת האלים= in costruct state, God's curse.


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## origumi

The context is important. *מארת* can also be the stars in the sky.


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## Holop

That's why I am puzzled. Is it true that the same word can mean "curse" (Proverbs 3:33) and also "light" (Genesis 1:14)? How come and how does it work?


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## origumi

In some Semitic languages (e.g. Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic) there are only few vowels (if at all) in the written text. Therefore one should "guess" the word pronounciation and accordingly the meaning. This guess is based on context.

"meerat" is curse of ...
"meorot" is lights, stars

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added: in some of these languages (including Hebrew, Arabic) there are systems of diacritics that instruct how to pronounce the word. However, diacritics are usually not present in written text unless it's for children or if it's the Bible.


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## Holop

1. Could you explain what is the difference between these two words (assuming it is "light")? 
*מארת
**מא**ו**רת

*2. Also, as I understand "curse" is מארה. Therefore my second question is what is the difference between these (assuming it is a "curse"):
*מארת
**מאר*ה

Thanks!
*
*


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## origumi

meorot - lights (it's plural)

* the spelling *מארת* appears in Genesis but would usually be מא*ו*ר*ו*ת, where *ו* is equivalent to vowel *o*.
* the spelling *מאורת* is improbable. It seems inappropriate to add a vowel on a non-stressed syllable but omit it on a stressed one. Therefore it becomes another word, "meurat", which means den of..., lair of..., as in Isaiah: _the den of [the basilisk]_.

Meera - curse

* The word is "meera" *מארה* = curse
* "meerat" *מארת *is a "construct state" = the curse of (something)


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## amikama

origumi said:


> * the spelling *מארת* appears in Genesis but would usually be מא*ו*ר*ו*ת, where *ו* is equivalent to vowel *o*.
> * the spelling *מאורת* is improbable. It seems inappropriate to add a vowel on a non-stressed syllable but omit it on a stressed one.


See Genesis 1:14 and 1:15.

The spelling in the Bible is not always consistent. Another example is the word for "sounds/voices" which has at least three different spellings in the Bible:

קֹלֹת (Exodus 9:23, 28)
קוֹלֹת (Exodus 20:14)
קֹלוֹת (Samuel I 12:17)

(In modern Hebrew the only standard spelling of this word is קוֹלוֹת. AFAIK this spelling does not appear in the Bible.)


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## origumi

This is interesting: In the Gemara the situation is exactly the opposite. קולות is always spelled with two *ו*, never with one or none (as far as I could see), unless the Bible is citated, for example בבלי ברכות:

איני והא כתיב (שמות כ) וכל העם רואים את ה*קולת* אותן *קולות* דקודם מתן תורה הוו


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## Holop

Thank you friends!

1. Which of three is used in the modern hebrew for "lights" (or more likely to be used...in a newspaper for instance)? 

*מא**רת*
*מא**ו**רת*
*מא**ו**ר**ו**ת*




origumi said:


> * the spelling *מאורת* is improbable. It seems inappropriate to add a vowel on a non-stressed syllable but omit it on a stressed one. Therefore it becomes another word, "meurat", which means den of..., lair of..., as in Isaiah: _the den of [the basilisk]_.


 2. Why would it be inappropriate to add a vowel? As I understand it is originated from *א**ו**ר* (light), therefore it makes sence to be *מאורת* , doesn't it?

3. How would you translate the word *מא**ו**ר*? A "light"? Then does *ת *make it plural - "lights"?


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## amikama

Holop said:


> 1. Which of three is used in the modern hebrew for "lights" (or more likely to be used...in a newspaper for instance)?
> 
> *מא**רת*
> *מא**ו**רת*
> *מא**ו**ר**ו**ת*


In modern Hebrew, only מאורות (the third one).



> 3. How would you translate the word *מא**ו**ר*? A "light"? Then does *ת *make it plural - "lights"?


A light, or more exactly, a light source such as the Sun, the Moon, a candle, etc. And yes, the suffix ות- makes it plural.


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## origumi

Holop said:


> 2. Why would it be inappropriate to add a vowel? As I understand it is originated from *א**ו**ר* (light), therefore it makes sence to be *מאורת* , doesn't it?


As demonstrated above for another word, קולות, the assumption that a stressed syllable is more likely to get a vowel in written text requires deeper statistical analysis. I take it back for now.


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## Holop

Just want to thank *origumi*, *amikama* and *kishmish* for your brief, precise and very informative answers. You guys helped me a lot! Keep up a good work.


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