E 0475          HYLO-

The first wordpart " hylo- " is of Greek origin .

H 0128            ה ל ע

Concept of root : foliage

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ל ע

‛alé

foliage

Related English words

hylo- , from Greek

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה ל ע

‛alé

foliage

׳a l

Greek

ύλη;

-

αλσος

-

-

-

αλσωδης

-

hülè;

;

alsos

-

-

-

alsodès

-

foliage, wood;

small bush, sacred bush;

rich in foliage

-

hü l;

-

 a l s

-

-

-

-

-

English

hylo- ;

hylozoism

hylo- ;

hylozoism

 

 

Proto-Semitic *‛ALA --- *ALS-(OS), *HÜLÈ Greek

 

 

Greek "hulè" besides foliage also means bush or wood and even material. The composed English word " hylozoism " the only to use this prefix or first wordpart " hylo-" stands for the theory that life is a property or derivative of matter .

 

This is one of these instances in which there is similarity to be seen between Hebrew and Greek without clear links to other Indo-European tongues.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew "’alé" is Biblical. In Modern language the word for foliage has become " ע ל ו ה", "alәwà". With a comparable root, but an Aleph instead of the more expressive Ayin, we have "allà" and "élon" for a big tree in the Bible. Already somewhat nearer to the second meaning of the Greek word in this entry. In Modern language there is "allon" voor an oak-tree.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Proto-Semitic used the same root "* ע ל ה still present in Hebrew. It is also seen in Akkadian with the usual suffix "U" in "‛alu".

 

Note:
  • Greek shows more clearly the link with an original root: saying "to grow" implying to (make) become high. The word "hulè" means foliage as well as "tree" or "wood" and gives birth to words for "wooden". But an etymology has not been found. It has been tried to link this Greek word "hülè" to the very different Latin "silva" = "wood", but that remains unconvincing.

     

    "Alsos" has maintained the mostly used vowel "A", that is also found in other words on the same basis.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. There are no known links with other Indo-European groups. We once more have to limit ourselves to the similarity between Greek and Hebrew.

 

 

 
"...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: 22/12/2012 at 14.24.38