E 0012          ĘTHEL

The Old English word " ęthel " is of Germanic origin .

H 0073           א צ י ל

Concept of root: nobility

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א צ י ל

atsil

noble

Related English words

Old English : ęthel

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א צ י ל

atsil

noble

a ts . l

Greek

εσθλος

esthlos

noble

e sth . l

Old English

ęthel

noble

ae th . l

German

Adel

adel

nobility

a d . l

Old Frisian

ethel, ēdel

ethel, edel

noble

e th . l,

e d  . l

Old Slavic

athali

athali

nobility

a th . l

 

 

Proto-Semitic *ATSIL, *ATSEL --- *ATHEL, ETHEL Indo-European

 

 

This entry is related to number E 0010 (Hebrew 0012) through the meaning and the Germanic words. But the Hebrew roots are quite different between each other. We can see in E 0010 (Hebrew 0012) and E 0010 (Hebrew 0011) that the concepts of glory and nobility, that are strictly linked in social history , in Hebrew are carried by the combination of A ( or better initial vowel, thus indicated by Aleph ) and D. This is also seen in Germanic. But then we also find the dental T, sometimes becoming TH and or acquiring an S .

 

Note:
  • Greek and Hebrew. In comparing the words we see what looks like a metathesis between Greek and Hebrew: TS against STH. There is little agreement about the specific Greek origin of "esthlos", that is sometimes linked to "*esmi = to be" or to "eüs = good, valid, brave, noble". The identity of meanings with the Germanic and Hebrew words allows to consider "esthlos" as related to those.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. It is said that the etymology of the Germanic words not has been fully cleared. The similarity with Greek and Hebrew becomes clearer through the mentioning of Old Frisian. And a confirmation is found in Old Slavic The difference remains that the "S", present in Greek and Hebrew, lacks in the other languages.

     

    We see an opening vowel (Aleph in Semitic ) that mostly is an "A" , but in a number of important cases "E". As following consonant we see TH, DH and D. The "D" is present in German and Dutch, already in Old High German, as well as in Middle Dutch and Middle Low German. Gothic , Old Saxon, Old Swedish and Old English have "TH". Often an English "TH" has developed out of "D", but in this case things may be different. Thus the "TH" in Greek might help to indicate the root with "TH" as the Proto-Germanic one : "*Ā TH e L " or "*Ē TH e L, but the probability is that the territory was already shared with "*Ā D e L and "*Ē D e L.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The same word is found in Arabic . This may be related to the root "Aleph TS L that expresses the concept of "root". Thus the meaning "noble" would be a pregnant form of "(well-)rooted". It is well possible that Proto-Semitic already had this same root : "* א צ ל, Aleph TSadi Lamed." The pronunciation with "I" is less certain.

     

    One must note that similar roots "Aleph TS L " in Hebrew carry various different meanings. We find " to set apart, emanate " that may be related to the meaning " to ennoble" that lies at the basis of "atsil" in this entry . But also totally different things, like "armpit, elbow, joint", seen in entry E 0940 ( Hebrew 0072). And further " to lay aside, by the side of, near".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European . There is an interesting theory according to which the Germanic words of this entry have as origin a meaning of "born from one's father", as there exists in Hittite a word "atta- = father". It is not fully clear why Hittite is called in, though the reason may be that in Hittite no sisterword of "father, pater" seems to have been documented. In fact "atta" means "father" also in Latin and Greek and even in Gothic. The Goths on the basis of this word would have given "Attila" his name.

     

    In Old Indian "attā" reveals a meaning of "mother, older sister". And Irish aite says "foster-father". A comparable root is found in non Indo-European words like Hungarian "atya = father", Turkish "ata = father" and Basque aita = father". These words should not be considered as baby talk! It is possible that this theory is right. That would not change the basic similarity with Semitic.

     

    The limited amount of specific information makes a hypothesis different from Proto-Germanic hard to formulate. And Old Slavic confirms with "athali" that Indo-European may already have used the same form seen in Proto-Germanic.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 26/09/2012 at 15.11.04