E 0694              POOL

The word "pool" is of Germanic origin

H 0003          א ב ל

Concept of root : retained or controlled water

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א ב ל

uval

stream, canal

Related English words

pool; Old English pyll

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א ב ל 

uval

stream, canal

b . l

English

pool

pool

p . l

Old English

pyll

stream, creek

p . l

Old Norse

pollr

polr

round stream, pond

p . l r

Lithuanian

balà

balà

swamp

b . l .

Italian

polla;

pollare

polla;

pollare

spring,pool;

to flow out

p . l

 

 

Proto-Semitic *BŪL -- *PŪL Indo-European

 

 

This a bit courageous hypothesis is not without support in the facts. The basis of this similarity lies in the supposition that the Hebrew first consonant, the Aleph, that in reality indicates simply that a vowel is to be pronounced, has been added as a confirming (athroistic) prefix to an older two-consonant root "B . L" or "P . L". The placing of a vowel in front of an existing root without changing its meaning is seen frequently in various languages. This hypothesis finds confirmation in the word פ ל ג, peleg" that stands for "canal, brook". See Entry E 0676 (Hebrew 0689).

 

The word "uval" is also spelled with an extra letter "waw" :" א ו ב ל , 'uval.

 

The retained or controlled water of this root can be either flowing or still. On the European continent it can well be muddy or swampy, as in Lithuanian "balà ". In entry E 0676 (Hebrew 0689) there are further comments on related words with "P L" in them, that regard still or swampy waters .

 

Note:
  • English "pool" has sisterwords in various languages, such as German " Pfuhl", that came from an older word "pul" with a long U . Another one is Old Norse "pollr". This language of the old Vikings had a habit of adding a final R to nouns, without changing their meaning this way. Modern Norwegians have again abolished all those numerous R’s, perhaps under the influence of their historic Swedish and Danish dominators. Important is that the meaning of this Viking word "pollr" is a bit nearer still to that of Hebrew.

 

Note:
  • Old English "pyll" is especially interesting as it has teh meaning of "creek, stream", which is more similar to Hebrew. The Severn estuary still is referred to as "pill".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew We note that Hebrew in "uwal" or "uval" uses a "B" , be it pronounced as "W" or "V" ( or between the two), while the Germanic words as in English "pool" have a "P". The real situation is more complex, as Hebrew also has the words "apiq" , of uncertain origin, that stands for "canal, river bed" as well as "awiq = pipe, tube", spelled "abiq".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew has an identical root that carries the meaning of " to mourn, lament".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic and Hebrew The Hebrew word "uval" has two sisterwords :
    י ו ב ל , yuval ="watercourse; heavy raining" and י ב ל , yaval = "watercourse, stream". Their presence makes the hypothesis that in "uval the initial Aleph had been added later, even more probable.

     

    There are two hypothesises for the Proto-Semitic predecessor of these sisterwords, respectively "*W.B.L" and "*Y.B.L.". The first one seems more probable, on account of the U-sound in both "uval" and "yuval". For "א ו ב ל , uval the hypotheses can be "*W.B.L" or "*B W L". "*W B L" has as possible pronunciation "*BŪL".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic German , or better High German, has an initial "PF" in "Pfuhl", with Old High German "phuol" and Middle High German living the change over between the two. All other languages have an initial P and final L, with in between generally a vowel "O", that may be long or short. Exceptions regarding the vowel are Middle Dutch that changes from "O" to "U", as usual spelled "OE" (poel) and of course Middle Low German that is nearly one with Middle Dutch. One notes that also as usual English "pool" is pronounced with a long "U"-sound. Nordic languages had "O" as in old Norse "pollr" ( suffix "R") and changed as so often to "pöl (Swedish)" or "pøl(Norwegian, Danish)". Neo Latin Italian has a word "polla" used principally in "polla d'acqua" that is of Germanic origin and indicates "stream of spring water", which , oddly, is somewhat nearer to the Hebrew word of this entry. Proto-Germanic probably had "O" in "*P O L-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Slavic. Russian "б о л о т о , boloto = marsh, swamp, fen, pool" . The hypothesis found for Slavic is "B Ó L-, that seems right.

     

    Baltic the hypothesis we found is "*B A L-", in harmony with the mentioned Lithuanian word.

     

    Albanian in "bal'te uses the same root "B A L".

     

    Celtic. Irish "poll, pull" might have been loaned from or influenced by English, but Cymric "pwll" seems original Celtic and points at a "P Ū L-.

     

    Considering also Proto-Germanic, for Indo-European a hypothesis "may be made of "*P Ū L-", though *P Ā L-", and *B Ŏ L-" can not be excluded. A possible overall picture is that Indo-European may have used a form "*P Ē L Ā G" for free and flowing waters, with a briefer "*P Ā L-" for marshy waters and with "*P Ō L-" or "*P Ū L-" for still but open waters.

     

    It is uncertain if the group of words that, with the meaning of "bath", comprehend a Greek root "B A L - N-", is to be considered related to the words of this entry.

 

 

 
"...the town, to which was given the name Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the language of all the world on the face of which He dispersed them. GENESIS 11,9"
 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 21/12/2012 at 9.44.47