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GR 1165 ELLOS
H 0028
ם ל א
Concept of root: mute
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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אלם
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illem
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mute
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Related English words
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none
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Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
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Languages
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Words
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Pronunciation
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English meanings
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Similarity in roots
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Hebrew
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אלם
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illem
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mute
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i ll . m
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Greek
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ελλος
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ellòs
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mute
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e ll
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Hebrew *ILLEM --- *ELL-OS Greek
In Greek the last part, -os, is just a suffix to form a noun. In Hebrew the third consonant of the root, the "M", may have been added in the development of this root, after the separation from the origins of Greek. We are not fully without doubt as to a common origin behind this similarity. But that can not be surprising, as one will rarely find really identical roots after many centuries or rather millennia of development. One is lucky to detect similarities that reveal a common origin.
Some link the word for "widow" of Entry GR 1187 (Hebrew 0027) , that is "almanà", to this root for "mute", reasoning that a widow cannot speak for herself. This is a bit far off. Widows, sure, should not remain alone, but for different reasons. Firstly, they should give (more) children for the tribe, and rules were established to ensure that they would. And secondly they simply needed protection. In Biblical times, if possible, they had to be married by a, mostly younger , brother of the deceased (levirato).
Note:
- Hebrew. The word "illem" is a nominal form of the verb "illem" that is the intensive of the verb "alam", which means "to be(come) silent".
Note:
- Proto-Semitic.
There is insufficient information to establish a hypothesis for an original root. An identical root "Aleph L M" carries the message of "to be strong" and another one that of "to bind". It is possible that the Hebrew root "Aleph L M" existed with the meaning "to be silent, dumb" in Proto-Semitic, but we have no confirming indication from outside Hebrew
Note:
- Greek. The word ellòs means "mute" or "without voice", and is also used as an epithet for fishes. Our uncertainty about a common origin of these Greek and Hebrew words is also based on the fact that there is a second word, "έλλοψ (ellops)", which says "mute", but is also used for "scaled", as fish. This may be just a consequence though. True, the Hebrew "M", in getting an "s" behind it, may easily become the "ψ ( ps )" we see in this word "ellops". But some doubt remains.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 24/09/2012 at 11.08.16 |
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