E 0645          OSMATIC, OSMIC

The words "osmic" and "osmatic" have their origin in Greek

H 0191            ם ‛ ב ש ע

Concept of root : natural fragrance

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ם ‛ ב ש ע

‛assavim

aromatic herbs

Related English words

osmic, osmatic

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ם י ב ש ע

‛assavim

aromatic herbs

‛a s b

Greek

οσμη

osmè

fragranza, buoni odori

o s m

English

osmic, osmatic

osmic, osmatic

o s m

 

 

Proto-Semitic *‛ESHEB --- *OSMÈ Greek

 

 

Instead of the labial "B" pronounced "V" as seen in Hebrew, the Greeks have chosen the labial "M". The Hebrew word of this root is simply a plural of the word of Entry E 0316(Hebrew 0190) . We refer to the text in that entry.

 

It is quite possible that the, incomplete, similarity of this entry is simply fortuitous.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. The word "’assavim" is a plural. The singular "’'esev" means "herb" as well as "grass". Originally scents, at least pleasant scents, were known from herbs and flowers. And later the scents of herbs were used in the preparation of food. This may explain the development of meaning. Also in the Italian language the words "erbe", the same as "herbs" is used mostly without adjective to indicate herbs for flavouring food.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew also has another word for fragrant spices, without the initial vowel of "assavim" : ב ש מ י ם , "bәssamim". This word in singular, pronounced "bassam", " bossem" or "bessem", already in the Bible meant as well "perfume", like Greek "osmè".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Proto-Semitic certainly used this root or a similar one. Hebrew, Aramaic "ע ש ב א, ‛isb'à" , Syriac "ע ס ב א, ‛esb'à" and also Ugaritic "‛eshbet" have " Ayin S B " , Akkadian "ishbabtu" and Arabic "‛ushb" use an "SH" instead of the "S". Proto-Semitic may have used either "S" or "SH": "*ע ש ב".

     

    The final consonant " B " certainly had not yet changed into " V ", as later seen in Hebrew.

     

    Vowels are hard to define. There has been in Hebrew a frequent development into " E " from other vowels, especially " A ". Then also here the " A " is maintained in the plural "‛assavim", be it in an accentless position. In the above comparison we have kept a double " E ", but there may as well have been " A - A ", " A - E " or " E - A ".

 

Note:
  • Greek. This word "osmè" is without any solid etymology. It may be a "leftover" of the production from a basis "O S" or " O S M" that has gone out of use. Greek scholars sometimes suppose that our word "osmè" would have had an original version "od-mè". This idea has come about under the influence of Latin "odor". But a kinship with the Hebrew root makes that hypothesis less probable. We just remain without history for this word.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. An interesting word in Sanscrit is "ûshma-pa" that indicates the "imbibing of the steam of food", meaning the "intensive savouring of the perfume of cooked food". Then "ûshman" is "vapour, breathing" and "ushna" is "pepper". This is of course not enough for any hypothesis.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 22/01/2013 at 17.36.51