Use of the Root ‘dhr’ as ‘Roaring’ in Eastern Piyyut

AbstractThe Hebrew root ‘dhr,’ although attested only twice in the Bible, occurs frequently in Eastern piyyut (liturgical poems). Regarding the biblical use of the root, we find two streams of interpretation: on the one hand, as ‘rapid movement, galloping’; and, on the other hand, as ‘production of roaring noise.’ However, when it comes to the many occurrences of the root within piyyut, scholars have limited their interpretations to the first sense and to other derivative senses thereof. In this study I demonstrate that the second sense—that of ‘roaring noise’—also significantly impacted upon the Eastern Hebrew poets’ usage of the root ‘dhr.’