Menorah

🏷  Semitic pun · symbol   —   by Gerry · Jul 2021 · 191 words

The Menorah is the lampstand with seven arms which is used as the religious symbol for Judaism. The name mnrh means “lamp” and is derived from nr for “lamp” & “light”. Since the M is not needed for the “lamp” meaning, it’s probably needed for the spooky pun. I think m-nrh is supposed to pun with mn-rˀh which means “through appearances”. This is what spookery is all about: Aristocratic rulers are assuming an inconspicuous identity, through false appearances.

Hebrew m-nrh = lamp

מנרה mnrh : a lampstand; a chandelier — Old Hebrew (Strong)

Hebrew mn = from, by, through; rˀh = look, appear, appearance

מן mn : away from, from, of, out of; since, because; more than, than — Hebrew (Klein)

מן mn : from; of the immediate or efficient cause, in consequence of, at by; from, on account of, through — Hebrew (Klein)

ראה rˀh : to meet with; to see; to be seen, be visible; to appear; to seem; to be shown; to show one’s self — Hebrew (Jastrow)

ראה rˀh : to see; look at, behld; perceive; seen, visible; appear, show oneself; appear to be, seem; pretend, feign; cause to see, cause to look at; shown — Hebrew (Klein)

🏷  Semitic pun · symbol