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T A B L E : R O O T S
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WORD
IN
DUTCH
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ENGLISH
MEANING
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QUALITY
OF
ROUNDNESS
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DIFFERENT
IN
ORIGIN
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HYPOTHETICAL
INDO-EUROPEAN
ROOT
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OLD/
MIDDLE ENGLISH
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BaaL
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bale
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round
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bhel
to blow, swell
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bale
(M E)
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BaL
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ball
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round
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bhel
to blow, swell
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bal
(M E)
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BeL
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bell
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round
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bhel
to cry out, yell
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bell(e)
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BeL
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bubble
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round
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bulla (Latin)
bubble, button
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BeuL
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executioner
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not round
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BoDeL
(usher)
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?
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bydel
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BijL
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axe
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not round
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BiHeL
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bhei
to strike
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bill
(sword)
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BiL
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buttock
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round
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bhau
to strike
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N.A.
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BoeL
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(a)
lot
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not round
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BoeDeL
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?
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N.A.
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BoL
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sphere, ball
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round
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bhel
to blow, swell
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bolla
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BuiL
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bulge
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round
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bhelg
to swell
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būla
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BuiL
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bag
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not round, roundish
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BuiDeL
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belg
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BuL
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bull
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round
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bulla (Latin)
seal
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bulle
(M E)
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BuL
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bull
(steer)
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round
part
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bhel
to blow, swell
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bula ;
bulluc
(young steer)
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The first group of clear conclusions from this list is that :
1.
there is an original root "*B . L", meaning
roundness
2.
the differentiation between round objects in Dutch is created by
inserting different vowels
3.
similar words, composed of B and L with an in between vowel, but not indicating roundness, also have a different original root, like "BD L" or "B H L".
4.
English has deviated further from this origin. This is the case already
in its predecessor.
FURTHER COMMENTS RE TABLE ROOT " B . L "
The essential point is as we have seen that there has been a root of two consonants, a B and an L , that stood for the concept of " roundness " . The various hypothesized Indo-European roots , also shown in the table, are not very convincing , as in part already noted in the text " ROOTS " .
BULL in the meaning of " steer ", that also has a related word in English " bullock", is seen as having been loaned from Old Norse or Norrøn , that called a steer a "boli". The intermediate forms were Old English or Anglo Saxon " bula " and Middle English "bule " or "bole ". It does sound improbable . Why would "boli " become " bula " ? The two versions in Middle English show that in all probability there were two tracks : boli - bole - and bula - bule -bull . The first track then finished and "bull" had the field to itself . In Similarity Hebrew 0984 (E 0871) the adventures of "steer" are looked into .
Dutch has the word " bul " for steer from Middle Dutch "bulle" and "bolle" . It is believed that the word is related to " bal = ball " and as such a "pars pro toto" construction. It would then have cognates in Greek "φαλλος, phallos" and Latin " follis " , that stands for " scrotum " but more basically for any leather bag . The Irish ( Celtic ) word " ball " that means " penis " is added to this series to make that type of construction "The part gives the name to the whole" more probable. It may be useful to take into consideration that the bull's balls do not swell, nor does the scrotum. The phallus of course has that function , like that Irish penis called " ball ".
The argumentation continues with deriving " bull " from one of several Indo-European roots "*bhel ", specifically a root "*bhel" for "to blow " as well as " to swell". Also the other words mentioned in the previous paragraph, would be based on that root. We think that there must have been one specific root for "roundness" , one for " blowing " and one for " swelling ". They in all probability were distinguishable for Indo- European speakers.
BULL in the meaning of a seal or document , comes from Latin " bulla ", also according to Webster's and others . This Latin word was used as the name for various round or rounded objects , from a (water)bubble to round knobs . It is related to the noun " bulbus ", still found in English " bulb ". Latin " bulbus ", like Greek "βολβος , bolbos" indicated rounded plant-parts, such as onions .
In Lettish " bulbes " and " bulvas " , like Lithuanian "bulbe , bulvis " we have words for " potato ". This is then seen as coming from an old Polish word " bulba ", today " bulwa " , but that does mean " tuber " . Yiddish has the Lettonian word " bulbes " for potatoes . Naturally, in the sixteenth century , when potatoes became known and began to contribute to the growth of the population ( be it with the deplorable exception of the great Irish famine centuries later ) , either they were called by their American Indian name or one had to use or invent a different word . It is hard to perceive how the Lets took a Polish word with a very different meaning to indicate the newly acquired potato . Without knowledge of the Baltic languages we cannot give a further opinion . The fundamental importance of the above results is a that also Latin, Greek and Baltic have roots " B . L " that indicate " roundness ".
BLOW and BLOW UP, sometimes causing SWELLING , hypothetically expressed in the before mentioned Indo European root "* bhel- " are often seen as lying at the origin of words for round or rounded things . It must be pointed out that we see in Dutch another word and root , in the verb " puilen " for " to swell ". This is related to the word " buil " in the table "B . L" , but has nothing to do with blowing as such . Nor is roundness intrinsic here .
For " to blow " there are Anglo Saxon " blawan ", Old High German " blasan " , Old Norse " blasa " , Middle Dutch "blasen ", besides Gothic " blesan " . But also , very interesting , Latin " flare " .
One must presume that the three concepts " round ", " blowing " and " swelling " are independent from each other . It is improbable that words to express these concepts have one single and identical origin
HEBREW and ROUNDNESS. We pointed out that Hebrew, instead of "B.L" shows a two-consonant-root " G . L" . But that root has its cognates in Indo-European, as seen in Similarities
Hebrew 0354 (E 0402)
Hebrew 0359 (E 0995)
Hebrew 0365 (E 0375)
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