The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the BibleGAM...........................................................................................................................
The earliest known pictograph for this letter is G and is a picture of a foot. The Modern
Hebrew name for this letter is “gimel”, an adopted root. The original name to this letter
is most likely “gam”, the parent root of “gimel”. This letter is the origin of the Arabic
letter “Geem” and the Greek “gamma” supporting the theory that the original name for
the letter did not include the “L”.
The word “gam” means to gather together as a group of animals gathering at the water
hole to drink. The pictographic script for the word “gam” is QG. The G is the foot
representing “walk” and the Q is “water” (See Mah below). Combined these mean
“walk to the water”.
The letter G has the meanings of walk, carry or gather. The sound associated with this
letter is a “g” as in “go”.
The Early Semitic G became ' and G (a turn of 180 degrees) in the Middle Semitic
script. This letter further developed to G in the Late Semitic script. The Late Semitic
script further developed into the Modern Hebrew G. The Middle Semitic script became
the Greek Γ (a reversal of the letter due to direction of writing) as well as the Roman C
and G. The Late Semitic G became the number 3.
DAL............................................................................................................................
There are two possibilities for the original Early Semitic pictograph for this letter - ,
a picture of a fish and H a picture of a door. The modern Hebrew name for this letter is
“dalet” and means “door”. The word “dalet” is a derivative of the parent root “dal” also
meaning “door”. The Arabic name for this letter is “dal” giving support to the parent
root as the original name. As the Hebrew word for a “fish” is dag, it is unlikely that the
pictograph is the pictograph for this letter but, rather the pictograph H.
The basic meaning of the letter H is “door” but has several other meanings associated
with it. It can mean “a back and forth movement” as one goes back and forth through
the tent through the door. It can mean “dangle” as the tent door dangled down from a
roof pole of the tent. It can also mean weak or poor as one who dangles the head down.
The sound for this letter is a “d” as in “door” as it is with the Greek and Arabic
equivalents.