Harry R. Schwartz

Code writer, sometime Internet enthusiast, attractive nuisance.

The author at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris, November 2022. hacker news gitlab sourcehut pinboard librarything 1B41 8F2C 23DE DD9C 807E A74F 841B 3DAE 25AE 721B

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Behemoth

hrs

Published .
Tags: books, language, old-dead-white-guys.

While reading through Borges’ Seven Nights, I came across a reference in his discussion of the Kabbalah in which he mentions that “Behemoth” is actually plural, meaning “the animals.” Looking this up in the ever-reliable Wiktionary, I learned that

It may be an example of pluralis excellentiae, a Hebrew method of expressing greatness by pluralizing a noun; it thus indicates that Behemoth is the largest and most powerful animal.

Behemoth is so big that it has to be plural. Language is great.


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