לֹא כִי and Mishnaic Hebrew Interference to Biblical Hebrew

Abstract

Abstract The five cases of לֹא כִי in the Hebrew Bible (1Kgs 3:22–23 [3 times]; 2Kgs 20:10; Isa 30:16), which are contrasted with the more usual cases of לֹא כִּי, should not posit an additional meaning for כִי (i. e., »so« or »thus«) but be considered to have resulted from Mishnaic Hebrew interference to Biblical Hebrew. Two factors are discussed: that interference occurred between Biblical Hebrew and Mishnaic Hebrew and that לֹא כִי in Mishnaic Hebrew means »Not so«.