I. Name

The consonants lʾk in the Semitic languages signify ‘send’, with a more focused nuance in certain languages of specifically ‘send with a commission/message’ (Cunchillos 1982). The mēm- prefix and a-vowels of Heb. malʾāk conform generally to what is expected for an instrumental noun (maqtal) identifying the vehicle or tool by which the action of the verb is accomplished (in this case, the means by which a message is sent, hence ‘messenger’). Because the verb is n…