random bits

[cellio]

I have book lust that I can't immediately satisfy. Imrei Madrich is a copy of the torah text that shows the root of every word. Because it's not always obvious, and it would be a big help. Google found me someone who wrote about it on a mailing list, but I haven't found anyone who's selling it yet. I guess I'll call the local Jewish bookstore and see what they can do for me. (Do any of you know this book? Should I be looking for it under a different name?)

Apropos of that, I love studying with both of my rabbis. It is so cool that I get to do this. With one (known as "my rabbi") I'm studying talmud (and occasional other stuff), and with the other I'm reading midrash in Hebrew and not completely sucking at translation. :-) (Though I still have a long way to go.)

Speaking of my congregation (sort of), we are having a talent show in January, and the song I'm writing/arranging for it seems to be going well. kayre rocks for giving me some really great feedback on the piano part. I was also trying to get a quartet together for a Salamone Rossi piece (the organizer encouraged me even though I'm doing the other thing), but altos (among congregants) seem to be particularly elusive at the moment, so that might not work out.

Also speaking of my congregation, we sell Giant Eagle gift cards at face value and get a cut. (I know other congregations do this too.) If you're local and inclined to help us out in this, and we see each other frequently enough for it to work out, I would be happy to turn your check made out to the congregation into gift cards. Just ask.

Speaking not at all about my congregation now, a question for the "Stargate: SG-1" fans out there: do we eventually get an explanation for why almost everyone on various distant worlds speaks English, or am I supposed to just ignore that? The conceit is that many of these folks are humans who were taken from Earth, but that was thousands of years ago. Just wondering, since this show doesn't bother with the conceit of a universal translator. (Which is fine, since the show that did didn't always use it correctly. :-) )

Comments

[matsujo9.livejournal.com]

According to one source, "The makers of the show have themselves admitted this on the main SG-1 site, stating that this is to save spending ten minutes an episode on characters learning a new language."

It's also not a stretch to say that since two of the four old "Great Races" can communicate in English that "...Earth is in actuality speaking Alien-developed English, and as the Asgard and Goa'uld are cited as the source of a number of other Earth languages, would seem to be the case."

Edited for typing fail

[cellio]

Oh, English as an alien language -- I hadn't considered that! Thanks.

(What is considered the "main" SG-1 site? I've been looking at Wikipedia, which I assume is not.)

[matsujo9.livejournal.com]

I would consider www.gateworld.net the main site but there's also stargate.wikia.com and MGM's site at http://stargate.mgm.com/

[geekosaur]

"Imrei Madrikh" got me a book list (http://aus.bookmaps.org/s/e/sef_5.html) and tracking down the publisher gets me something. Sadly it doesn't seem to be linkable, so it's screenshot time.

[cellio]

Thank you! I thought I'd gotten most of the transliteration alternatives, but apparently I missed an important one.

[geekosaur]

I suspect if needing to swot up a new language were that common, they could compress that 10 minutes to a line (tell, don't show, is the appropriate rule here). Then again, Star Trek used a transporter because they thought they would have to show a lot of the shuttle otherwise, whereas I think that too could have been assumed most of the time (stick a cardboard mockup in the background on the planet if needed).

That said, there are at least two characters on SG:U that can read the Ancients' language. Maybe it just took them a couple series to come up with that idea.

[matsujo9.livejournal.com]

Nah, Daniel could read it in the original. Of course, there weren't many languages he *couldn't* read.

[mbarr.livejournal.com]

I forwarded the name to my gf, who works in a judaica store. Also, the bst time to get stuff if it's expensive is the YU sefarim sale. It's normally Jan/Feb...

[lucretia-borgia.livejournal.com]

Oooh! I'll put it on my list of things to ask about at our local Jewish book store, but if you find copies would you post again?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I love playing with roots of words in Hebrew. The other week, I was helping one of the other Hebrew School teachers show the Torah off to the second-and-third grade class, and I was able to point out that "b'reishit" has, at its root, "rosh". They knew that "Rosh Hashanah" is the beginning of the year, and that a "rosh" is your head, and Mark told them that "Rosh Chodesh" is the beginning of the month, and I told them that I thought that it was cool that the first word of the Torah was also a kind of "rosh".

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Found it by Googling in Hebrew:

http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US317&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99+%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9A

The first hit is

http://www.zbermanbooks.com/Page.asp?ID=913866aaca735b055c48328a6c1074c7d146d2af85ba1e45c7fcf415dfe230e1&ProductID=155194&CategoryID=6501

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Actually, that Berman link was to the trei-asar. Here's the one to the Torah: http://www.zbermanbooks.com/Page.asp?ID=912766acca685b125c4832ab6c2474dcd157d28a85b91e5a&txtSearchString=%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99+%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9A+%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%94&searchCategoryList=&x=0&y=0

[cellio]

Thanks very much! (And hey, I didn't know there were other volumes too.)

The cover looks like the book I saw; wish there were a description or "look inside" page to confirm, but I can ask.

[cellio]

See the comments below from Andrew.

[hlinspjalda.livejournal.com]

I would consider www.gateworld.net the main site

Seconded.

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

It starts Jan 25th & runs about 3 wks. I'll be nearby enough days that something can be worked out if needed.

[zevabe.livejournal.com]

The concept of the book is interesting, because there are several places where there will be a weird word, and Rashi will say "it's root is XYZ, as in Verse and Verse" and Ibn Ezra will say "It's root is XYY, like Verse & Verse". What does it do then?

[cellio]

Yeah, the "that's the same word as what?" associations can be enlightening.

[cellio]

I don't know. If you can share a couple citations for places where this happens, I'll look them up when I have access to the book.

[crewgrrl.livejournal.com]

Ahoy, [Unknown site tag]'s gf here. We do run a comparable sale @ the same time, but special orders are rarely covered. I'll see what I can do...

[cellio]

Hi! Thanks for checking. I'd rather give the business to an independent store if it's feasible.

[crewgrrl.livejournal.com]

It's a relatively inexpensive book that I can get w/in a week or so. Would you like me to order it? If so, I'll need some RL contact info.