0178__arag___irreg page

E 0485 IRRIGATE

The word "irrigate" is of Latin origin .

"Rain" instead is of Germanic origin .

H 0178 ג ר ע

Concept of root : sprinkle

Hebrew word		pronunciation				English meanings
ג ר ע		‛arag, ‛irreg				irrigate, sprinkle

Related English words				rain, irrigate, Old English regn

Comparison between European words and Hebrew
Languages	Words		Pronunciation		English meanings		Similarity in roots
Hebrew	ג ר ע		‛arag, ‛irreg		irrigate; sprinkle		‛a r . g ‛i r . g
Greek	αρυω, αρδευω; βρεχω -		aruo, ardeuo brekho -		irrigate, sprinkle; to rain, wet, make humid		a r u ; b r . kh
Latin	rigo,irrigo		rigo, irrigo		irrigate, sprinkle		(i) r . g
English	irrigate ; rain				irrigate ; rain		(i)r . g ; r (i) n < *r .g . n
Old English	regn, ren				rain		r . g . n
German	Regen		régen		rain		r . g . n
Dutch	regen		réghen		rain		r . g . n
Middle Dutch	regen , regenen		réghen ; réghenen		to rain		r . g ; r . g . n

Proto-Semitic ‛ARAG --- R Ē G Indo-European

Of the three consonants seen in Hebrew, in Greek are found the first two, in Latin and Germanic the last two.

Then in Greek, regarding the concept : "to give water" there is the interesting fact that one finds both combinations of two, in "aruo" "A + R " and in "brekho" instead "B + R G". We believe that in all cases with A + R, the initial vowel may have been added to a previous root. The same may have happened with the B in "brekho".

The overall picture is rather complicated, but leaves hardly any doubt about the common origin of a number of roots.

Note:

Greek. The " A " in "aruo", is a prefix that has been added later. This shows that "aruo" may be akin to another word, "ρεω , reo" saying "to flow". One recalls the philosopher Heraklitos, who teached us that "panta rei", or "all flows, moves." It is plausible that "to irrigate, to sprinkle" in Greek are based on the same root as " to flow", but with the addition of an extra vowel A as prefix. Remains the fact that in this case there is no G added, as in Hebrew "arag".

Greek "brekho" is considered a development of "mrekho". The "KH" can find its origin in "K" or in "G". The perfectum "bebregmai" may indicate that Greek had a " G ", just like Latin and Germanic.

Note:

Germanic. From Middle Dutch one sees that the original root for the words for "rain" did not have a final N, but only R + G. It is the general view that " N " here is a suffix. It may have been chosen to indicate continuity or iterativity.

In Modern English "rain" the G has disappeared, but this sound often has had a problem of survival in English. Frequently it becomes a Y-sound, as in fact is the case in the pronunciation of "rain".

Note:

Germanic and Hebrew. Here the comparison is somewhat easier. If the Ayin with the intitial vowel, be it A or I, is a later prefix, the similarity becomes stronger. There is another Hebrew root, "ר ו ה , R W I " that in the form " rawé " stands for "irrigated", besides " satisfactorily watered (cattle )". And in the form " riwwè " it says "to wet thoroughly", besides "to water to satisfaction (cattle )". This other root does not have the final G , but it confirms that R+ G in "arag" carry the concept of wetting that is found in German "Regen".

Note:

Greek and Hebrew. The Hebrew root mentioned in the previous note, "R W I" that can also be read as " R U I", offers a clear answer to the question why Greek "aruo" does not have a final G either.

Note:

Hebrew. There is some limited evidence that the two-consonant combination R.G would already bear the message here expressed by Ayin.R.G : R.GH.TS means " to wash" and its Akkadian sister " raghasu" says as well " to overflow".

Note:

Proto-Semitic. This word, or rather words with the same root, are found in Aramaic, Syriac and Akkadian and probably Proto-Semitic had it as well : "*ע ר ג , Ayin R G" .

Note:

Proto-Germanic. Nearly all Germanic languages, older and newer have the elements "R - G - N", with the exception of English "rain" and Old Frisian "rein". Besides this, Old English has both "regn" and "rēn" and Middle Dutch has "reghen, rein, reen". As is known, the "G" in English had changed into "I" to form "rain" out of "regn". But then a possibly important indication comes from Middle Dutch, that besides the verb "regenen = to rain" also uses "regen = to rain". The last part, "-en" is the suffix with which an infinitive has been shaped on basis of the "root" (R e G). In the case that this extended root is a remainder of older Germanic, Proto-Germanic may already have had a newer "*R E GN-" besides an anyhow present older "*R E G-" . A different vowel is found in Gothic "rign".

Note:

Indo-European. There is a hypothesis of "*rek-" or "*reg-". Outside Latin, Greek and Germanic we have little or no useful information. The Indo-European form probably was "*R Ē G-", though we can not exclude "*R Ī G-" .

Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 22/12/2012 at 16.54.54