Saturday 7 October 2017

Where did I hide soul?

Here's an insight into the word I think is probably the most difficult to find an appropriate gloss for.

In the first 63% of the Bible that I have read in Hebrew and written in English, here is an analysis of my glosses for the notorious נפשׁ, nun-peh-shin, nephesh. I have encountered the word 505 times (so far). There are several hundred more to go.

It occurs in several different forms: with preposition such as בנפשׁ or לנפשׁ or with definite article הנפשׁ or with a pronoun suffix like נפשׁך or with combinations of enclitics e.g. בנפשׁך, לנפשׁתיכם

The individual gloss is determined by what I had for breakfast, what side of the bed I got out of and whether I am still tired or not. Just kidding. The one gloss I refuse is soul, not because it is not a lovely word, but it is a falsely read word. Soul is a lovely word. If we take its meaning from what is written here, is encompasses the whole human being, its time, its relationships in groups of other beings, its sensual capacity, its breathing (throat), its dead state (cadaver), singular and plural and corporate and so on. It is clearly not disembodied. 

So it would be OK to use the word soul as long as I put an explanation for every one of its many hundreds of uses. Instead I have used a variety of glosses only one of which is overlapped with another Hebrew stem. That one is being, which is also used with היה. I did not allow the stem to overlap with חיה (life) though that might have been useful. I felt that would be also confusing two significantly different connotations. I did allow an overlap with will also. This doesn't get noted in my algorithms since I do not control the usage of helping verbs and grammatical tenses in the software. Too bad - but one could spend several lifetimes in text processing and many have.

Here is a sample of the first set for בנפשׁ. It is in the Bible 17 times (not shown) of which I have read 11. I have rendered it 9 different ways so far.

נפשׁ 505
בנפשׁ against the very self
11 1


by throat

1


for integrity

1


in being

2


in the being

1


into the throat of

1


into the will of

1


selfish

2


to the throat of

1

This next combination I have encountered only once so far, but if I encounter it again, the computer will suggest this rendering tough I may or may not use it depending on the other aspects of the phrase and sentence it is in.
נפשׁ 505
בנפשׁך that you
1 1
Similarly these next three are used only once so far.
נפשׁ 505
בנפשׁם to their being
1 1
נפשׁ
בנפשׁנו ourselves
1 1
נפשׁ
בנפשׁתם against themselves
1 1

Here are a few more.

נפשׁ 505
בנפשׁו against himself
7 1
נפשׁ
בנפשׁו against itself
7 2
נפשׁ
בנפשׁו by his integrity
7 2
נפשׁ
בנפשׁו in its integrity
7 2
נפשׁ
בנפשׁותיכם in your integrity
1 1
נפשׁ
בנפשׁי on myself
2 1
נפשׁ
בנפשׁי within me
2 1
So far not too much of a problem. But one issue shows itself here. I began to use integrity as a gloss only about 6 months ago. And I started using being as a gloss quite early, long before I noted that it would overlap with both היה (is/be/was etc) and the frequent Hebrew verbless clause with the implied to be. (But the software strips and ignores helping verbs in any case.)

As I progress further, I will also work backward further, depending on where the automation takes me and what I note on the screens I use. Integrity may be worked into some completed chapters, but being is still acceptable now and in the future. These are some of the compromises I have to manage.

Hear are the 16 so far that have the definite article ה, without any other enclitics. (There is only one other in the rest of the list under the vav at the bottom of the post. You can find it by searching for הנ)

נפשׁ 505
הנפשׁ being
16 3
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ cadaver

1
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ group

4
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ integrity

1
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ that throat

1
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ the being

1
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ the group

2
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ the integrity

2
נפשׁ
הנפשׁ the self

1
In the above, I question the gloss that throat. I think, that gloss would come from הנפשׁ הזאת, and it probably doesn't. In fact that sequence of two stems does not occur at all in the text. My excuse here is emphasizing the definite article in the mouth-throat metaphor in Qohelet 6:7. It stands for now, but you can see how when changing the oil, the mechanic might notice a faulty gasket as well.

Here is the one line summary for נפשׁ. The first one is for Esau's household. This gloss is essentially untranslated. Along with 6 others I have left untranslated.

נפשׁ -hold(1), being - being(1), being(185), beings(8), cadaver(12), group(9), groups together(1), integrity(49), now being(1), now(1), o being(10), own self(1), own(3), regroup(1), regrouped(1), self(32), self-(1), selfish(2), selves(2), someone(2), such selves(1), throat(24), untranslated(6), very self(22), very selves(3)

And here are all the rest with their Hebrew words (so far) - note that the most common is נפשׁי at 142 times. The 88 my being may find themselves changed in a few places. A quick scan doesn't raise any other red flags for me at the moment.

It is interesting that my translation may create hapax legomena in the English where there is not one in the Hebrew. I wonder if that reveals the mind of the translator or what he ate for supper.

נפשׁ 505
כנפשׁך as your own self
1 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁ from a cadaver
8 4
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁ to integrity
8 2
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁ to self
8 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁ to the being
8 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁך for your throat
5 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁך to your being
5 3
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁך to your integrity
5 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁם for themselves
4 3
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁם to them
4 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁתם themselves
1 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁתיכם for your integrity
3 3
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁו in it
1 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי for me
10 3
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי for my being
10 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי my being
10 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי of me
10 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי of my being
10 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי that is mine
10 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי to me
10 1
נפשׁ 505
לנפשׁי to my being
10 1

נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ a being
86 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ a cadaver
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ a group
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ a group of
86 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ a self
86 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ any being
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ being
86 11
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ beings
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ cadaver
86 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ groups together
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ he
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ him
86 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ integrity
86 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ is the being of
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ of them
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ of you
86 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ one
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ self
86 7
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ someone
86 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the being
86 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the being of
86 4
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the integrity of
86 10
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the self
86 4
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the self that
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the throat
86 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ the throat of
86 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ themselves
86 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ those
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ throat
86 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ what it is to be
86 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁ you
86 2

נפשׁ 505
נפשׁה her being
3 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁה her throat
3 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁך you
47 8
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁך your being
47 32
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁך your integrity
47 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁך your self
47 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁך your very self
47 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁך yourself
47 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁכם your being
9 36
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁכם your integrity
9 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁכם your self
9 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁכם your selves
9 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁכם your very self
9 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם for themselves
26 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם their being
26 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם their beings
26 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם their cadaver
26 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם their integrity
26 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם their self-
26 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם their very selves
26 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם them
26 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁם themselves
26 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁנו our being
10 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁנו our being is
10 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁנו ours he is
10 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁנו ourselves
10 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁנו us
10 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁנו we
10 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁת their
1 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁתכם your integrity
1 7
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁתיכם yourselves
13 13

נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו for it
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו he
60 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו he was
60 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו him
60 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו himself
60 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו his
60 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו his integrity
60 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו his throat
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו his very self
60 9
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו integrity
60 7
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו is his being
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו its
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו its being
60 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו its integrity
60 3
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו its own
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו its throat
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו its very self
60 7
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו itself
60 9
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו now he
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו their being
60 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו their own
60 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁו to him
60 1

נפשׁ 505
נפשׁות beings
3 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁות the beings of
3 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁות those who
3 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁותינו ourselves
1 3

נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי I
142 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי I am
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי O my being
142 10
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי being - my being
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי is my being
142 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי me
142 17
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי my
142 6
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי my being
142 88
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי my integrity
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי my self
142 5
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי my throat
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי my very self
142 2
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי myself
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי now my being is
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי own
142 1
נפשׁ 505
נפשׁי that is mine
142 2

נפשׁ 505
נפשׂות such selves
1 1
נפשׁ 505
ובנפשׁי and in my being
1 1
נפשׁ 505
והנפשׁ but the self
1 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ and a self
12 2
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ and the being of
12 4
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ and the integrity of
12 2
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ and the one who is
12 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ but self
12 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ but the throat of
12 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁ but to a self
12 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁו and his being
6 2
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁו and its integrity
6 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁו and its very self
6 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁו but his being
6 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁו but it
6 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁות and
1 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁי and my being
5 3
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁי and myself
5 1
נפשׁ 505
ונפשׁי as my self
5 1
נפשׁ 505
וינפשׁ and regrouped
2 1
נפשׁ 505
וינפשׁ and will regroup
2 1


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