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