Name of God

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:28 AM -0400 9/14/07, Wilson Gray wrote:
>An oddity, FWIW: The Hebrew  _HWHY_, in large brass letters that
>"shine like Klondike gold," to quote a blues line,

There's also the rainbow 'round Taj Mahal's shoulder that "shine like
silver/baby look like Klondike gold", in his wonderful cover of
"Corinna".  Not sacred, perhaps, but evocative.

LH

>  are over the
>entrance to the Catholic Old Saint Louis Cathedral in Saint Louis -
>not to be confused with the Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. I
>have never in my life heard even the slightest breath of rumor as to
>why this should be the case.
>
>-Wilson
>
>On 9/13/07, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>>  Subject:      Re: Name of God
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  At 9/13/2007 07:55 PM, Gerald Cohen wrote:
>>  >The explanation I was once given is that it's inappropriate to spell
>>  >out the entire word, since the piece of paper it's written on might
>>  >later be thrown away or otherwise destroyed. And that would be
>>disrespectful.
>>  >
>>  >Gerald Cohen
>>
>>  _The Jewish Book of Why_ says it comes from the 3rd commandment, and
>>  then asks "But what is God's name?"  Yehova is never to be pronounced
>>  (except by the High Priest when officiating at Yom Kippur) or written
>>  out.  Adonai is only to be spoken in prayer.
>>
>>  >________________________________
>>  >
>>  >From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Charles Doyle
>>  >Sent: Thu 9/13/2007 7:03 AM
>>  >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  >Subject: Re: X marrying Y <> Y marrying X?
>>  >
>>  ><snip>
>>  >
>>  >I still have an occasional Jewish student who will write the word
>>  >"God" as "G-d."  As if "God" is really the unutterable and
>>  >unwritabale NAME, when H- said H-s name is "- -m" . . .
>>  >
>>  >--Charlie
>>
>>    _Why_ continues:
>>
>>  "In the last few decades [published 1981], a new practice has come
>>  into vogue: that of not writing out in full the _English_ names "God"
>>  or "Lord".  Most authorities consider this to be without foundation
>>  and no more than a passing fad."
>>
>>  Joel
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>--
>All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
>come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>-----
>                                               -Sam'l Clemens
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org