Number 8
The number 8, when written in the Aramaic form תמן tmn, puns with טמן ṭmn for “hidden”, and with תמן t-mn for “likeness” & “depiction”.
Semitic eight
The 8 is not a very straightforward pun. The main problem of finding the right pun-connection is that in the Semitic languages (and Egyptian), the spelling & pronunciation of “eight” starts with a different fricative in each case: š, t, θ, s, ḫ.
- Hebrew: שמונה — šemōnā
- Aramaic: ܬ݁ܡܳܢܶܐ — tmānyā
- Arabic: ثَمَانِيَة — θamāniyat
- Akkadian: 𒐆 — samānat
- Egyptian: 𓐍𓏠𓈖𓐁 — ḫemen
So, while searching for our pun, we may chose more or less freely among these fricatives, and even others. My pun-choice here is Aramaic-Arabic tmn, which makes the number 8 pun with ṭmn meaning “hidden”.
Semitic tmn for “eight”, ṭmn for “hidden”, t-mn for “likeness”.
The Aramaic T form is used in both Aramaic and Hebrew scripture. If we accept the fact that the pun works mostly in Aramaic, and not so well in Hebrew, then “eight” puns with “hidden” & “likeness”:
eight = tmn ≈ ṭmn = hidden
eight = tmn = t-mn = likeness
Hebrew, Aramaic tmn = eight
Hebrew, Aramaic ṭmn = hidden, concealed, buried
טמן ṭmn : to hide, to conceal, to store; to have hidden, to cache — Aramaic (CAL)
מטמון mṭmwn : hidden treasure — Aramaic (CAL)
טמן ṭmn : to hide, store away, preserve; to be hidden, hide one’s self, to be stored up; hide, keep; to hide one’s self, lie in wait — Hebrew (Jastrow)
טמן ṭmn : to hide, conceal; hidden, concealed, buried; Aramaic-Syriac טְמַר (= he hid under the earth, covered with earth), whence prob. Arabic ṭamara (= he buried, covered with earth), Akkadian ṭamāru (= to cover with earth). — Hebrew (Klein)
Hebrew, Aramaic mn, t-mn = kind, shape, likeness, depict
מין myn : kind; species; sex, gender — Hebrew (Klein)
מין myn : to furrow, split; to invent, fabricate, lie — Hebrew (Klein)
תמונה tmwnh : likeness, image; form; description; geometric figure; According to most scholars formed from base מין, מון (= to furrow, split; to invent, fabricate, lie) — Hebrew (Klein)
תמן tmn : to picture, depict; he pictured, depicted — Hebrew (Klein)
תמונה tmwnh : form, shape — Hebrew (Jastrow)
מין myn : kind, genus, species; something like, in the shape of, of the nature of — Hebrew (Jastrow)