E 0574           (TO)  MEAN  , AMEN

The verb "to mean" is of Germanic origin.

The word "amen" is a loanword from Hebrew

H 0035          א מ ן  ,  ה א מ י ן

Concept of root: to believe

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א מ ן   ;

א מ ן   ;

 ה א מ י ן

amen ;

 omen;

he'emin

certainly;

 faith ;

 to believe

Related English words

to mean ; amen  

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א מ ן  ; 

א מ ן  ; 

ה א מ י ן

amen ;

omen ;

he'emin

certainly ;

faith ;

to believe

a m n

o m n

e m n

Greek

ωιμην

oimèn

(I) believed

è m n

Latin

omen

omen

believe

(to happen)

o m n

English

to mean ;

amen

to mean ;

amen

m . n

Middle Dutch

menen

menen

to believe, intend

m . n

 

 

Proto-Semitic *AMEN --- *MĒN Indo-European

 

 

We can see a strong similarity between the European classics, Greek and Latin, and Hebrew. In the Germanic tongues the initial vowel lacks. This may mean that the Mediterraneans have added a so-called confirming vowel to shape an original common root : "*A . M" .

 

 

Note:
  • Amen is the word with which Christians end their prayers to God. It is used to confirm their belief in Him. The word is Biblical Hebrew already .

 

Note:
  • Hebrew offers an a bit complicated picture. The original verb "*AMEN" already in Biblical times had gone out of use. Instead the Jews used the complex verb "he'emin", that basically should have been a causative form, to express the normal active form "TO BELIEVE". Another complex verb, "NE'EMAN", which should be a passive form, was used instead to express the concept of " BEING FAITHFUL or TRUSTWORTHY, STABLE ". We excuse ourselves with the reader for this complicated picture, but it is important to see how this different use of verbs indicates that the Hebrews saw the Hand of God , His Action in making them believe and be faithful. A fundamental way of thinking.

     

    Meanwhile the root "Aleph.M.N", with the filling-in of different vowels on the place indicated by the Aleph, had given birth to various words, such as "aman" (certainly, sure ), "omen" (faith, fidelity), "emun" (loyalty) and "amana" (stable pact).

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. A root "Aleph M N " is found in various Semitic languages with the meanings of " to believe, be faithful" and also " trust , trustworthiness" and " confidence, faith". And finally, a bit further off, "firmness, steadiness". A hypothesis of Proto-Semitic similar to Hebrew is justified : "א מ נ *Aleph M N ".

 

Note:
  • Similar roots in Hebrew. There are, already in the Bible, two more basic concepts that have a similar root, "A M N", to that of believing. They express respectively "education" and "art". One might construct reasonings to have an explanation for this similarity that might be not fully incidental.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. . There is a hypothesis of Proto-Germanic "*main-", but Germanic languages seem to have a vowel "E", not "A", though of course the pronunciation of German "meinen" comes very near to "mainen". Old English spells "mænen" and the pronunciation is a long "è". So we opt for Proto-Germanic "*M Ē N", in which the "E" is long.

 

Note:
  • Greek. The similarity in sound and meaning between Greek and Hebrew at first sight is obvious, but there is in reality quite some uncertainty. The Greek verbal form " ωμην, omèn = I believed, in reality belongs to the medio-passive version of the :verb " οιομαι, oiomai= to believe, have the opinion" , of which the active form is "οιω, oio = to think, presume, believe". This means that the consonant "M" is not part of the root and the similarity with Hebrew remains only that in meaning . We have left the Greek word in the Table for this explanation.

 

Note:
  • Latin. The Latin word "omen", with the meaning of "to presage" and either consequently or previously "to believe ( to happen), is considered as having had an older predecessor "osmen". This is then considered developed out of a hypothetical "*ouismen", a supposition that allows to link it to Greek "oiomai". It is hard to believe that a medio-passive form stands as common origin between Greek and Latin. It is also just a guess that Greek would have had that "S" in the root, as it belongs instead to aoristic verbal forms. Doubts remain anyhow about a common origin of Latin and Hebrew.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The existing hypothesis is "*M EI N-", influenced by German "meinen", but this "EI" is a specific German development within Germanic. So indeed a long "Ē" is more probable : "*M Ē N-".

     

    Old Indian in an as usual rich variation has "manuté, mányate pf. "mamne with doubling of the initial "M", inf. "mantum, ptc.matá" for "to believe, think". The indication is here "*M A N". Old Indian has a liking for the vowel " A " also where other branches use different vowels.

     

    Slavic. There exists a hypothesis of "*mēniti" for "to think". Cognates are found in Slavic languages. Russian has "мнение, mnjenje = opinion, mind, view". The indication is "M E N", with some uncertainty as to the length of the vowel "E".

     

    Celtic. The usually cited Old Irish "mian = wish", in modern language "intention", is too far off in meaning.

 

 

 

 
"...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: Thursday 10 January 2013 at 19.36.46