[Lexicog] A prototypical blessing

[Mali Translation]

Wayne,

Whether one is a believer or not, the word "blessing" is widely used.
In English and French "to bless" can be used in the following way:

1) God blesses a human being
2) A human being blesses God
3) A human being blesses another human being

The second use is less common in modern Bible translations, where
"to bless God" is replaced by "to praise God." In the African
languages in which I have worked I have never found that a human
being can bless God (it does not work in German either) which
corresponds to the prototypical meaning of "blessing", viz.
"enrichment, empowerment". The inferior cannot bless the
superior which is perfectly biblical.
In arabicized African languages I often find the semitic root BRK
(in the concept BARAKA) for a blessing coming from God (ultimately
every blessing, spiritually or materially comes from God). For a
blessing pronounced by a human being I often find DUBA or DUGAWU
or another similar form transliterated from Arabic. This often
means "prayer", too. So a human "blessing" is a prayer or wish that
God may bless/enrich/empower another person.
As in Hebrew the root BRK can be used for the three above-mentioned
uses (maybe also in Arabic?), I wonder what the common thread for
speakers of semitic languages is. But I am also interested what
speakers of other languages perceive to be the central/prototypical
meaning of a "blessing."

Blessings,

Fritz Goerling




> From Fritz Goerling to Dirk Geerarts:
>
> Thank you very much for your article which you sent as an attachment to
the
> list instead of to me
> personally. You said "Sorry" to the list but maybe some found it as an
> enrichment to read it. I did.

Yes, I agree, Fritz, I'm actually glad that Dick missent his message, so I
could read over your shoulder!

> By the way:  What is a prototypical "blessing" in the cultures and
languages
> represented on this list?

I cannot think of any such verbal blessing for Cheyenne, but there is a
paralinguistic blessing, with hand motions waved over the body of the person
being blessed.

> Here is my attempt: It is an enrichment or empowerment.
>
>   Here it comes !

I couldn't find it!

Wayne Leman
Cheyenne project






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