E 0001          ACARO

The word "acaro" comes, via Latin, from Greek

H 0054           א ק ר י ת

Concept of root: small spiderlike animal

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א ק ר י ת

aqerit

mite, little spider

Related English words

acaro

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א ק ר י ת

aqerit

mite, little spider

a q . r

Greek

ακαρι

akari

mite, acaro

a k . r

English

acaro

acaro

a c . r

 

 

Hebrew *AQERIT --- *AKARI Greek

 

 

The mite, also called acaro in English is in fact a very small arachnid , usually parasitic. The Hebrew word indicates also an arachnid that is parasitic. A clear similarity, but....in reality we have just a modern Hebrew word, based on loan from Greek. So there is in this similarity no indication of common origin at all.
Yet, besides this, it must be added that in Biblical Hebrew a "spider" was an " ע כ ב י ש " , akkawish, with a word that recalls the same initial sound of "aqerit" and Greek "akari". Therefore it is not impossible that the words "akkawish" and "akari"are yet originally related, though we have no further indications to confirm any hypothesis in that sense.

 

Note:
  • Greek. It is said that Greek "akari" has been formed from a denying "A" plus the root "kero" meaning to cut. It may have to do with the word "ακαρης (akarès), which means "small, thin , brief" and is also used for "short" in the case of the hair of the head. As an example of research of etymology this may be interesting. Scholars say that "akarès" has been put together from "A" = "not" and "ker" 0= "cut". So it says "non-cut" . Reason : this short hair which has too little natural growth, does not need to be cut, so we call it "non-cut".

     

    This kind of tentative etymology is rather far-fetched we find. And it does not take into account the other meanings we gave for Greek "akarès", and that have nothing to do with any non-cutting.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 25/09/2012 at 15.16.27