E 0646          OSTEO -

The prefix "osteo-" is of Greek origin .

H 0206            ם צ ע

Concept of root : bones, strength of body

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ם צ ע

‛etsem;

‛otsem

bone, body;

bodystrength

Related English words

osteo-

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ם צ ע

‛etsem ;

-

‛otsem

bone, body ;

body-strength

‛e ts m

-

‛o ts m

Greek

οστέον

osteon

bone

o st

Latin

os < *ost

ost

bone

o st

English

osteo-

osteo-

o st

 

 

Proto-Semitic *‛ATSEM --- *ĂST- , *ŎST- , Indo-European

 

 

The difference between Hebrew and European is mainly that between TS and ST , which is not necessarily too significant. It might also have been caused by a metathesis between T and S. The third consonant " M " in Hebrew probably is an addition , useful to distinguish between various meanings expressed by roots that have the couple of consonants "Ayin TS ". This has then taken place already in Proto-Semitic.
The root ע צ ם besides meaning " bone " also indicates " body " and " strength, power ".

 

A root " ע צ ל" , says " lazy, hesitant ". Interesting is then that the root " ע ץ indicates a tree (‛ets) and " ע צ ב " to shape ( "‛itsèf" ). Clearly a basic meaning of structure is already present in the combination " ע ץ". The bones are the structure of the body . Thus, with the message of " bone " in the various words of this entry, a common origin may be hypothesized .

 

 

Note:
  • English uses "osteo-" in a number of words, such as "osteomyelitis", "osteopathy" and "osteoplasty" .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is present in sister words in Aramaic and Syriac "ע ט מ א ; ט מ י א, ‛athema ; themiya= thigh; bones" and Akkadian "etsemtu = bone" . If, as is usually believed, this root also carries the meaning of " strength " , Phoenician, Ugaritic and Arabic are to be added. One may safely suppose that Proto-Semitic used the root we see in Hebrew: "*ע צ ם .

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. As so often one finds mostly an initial vowel " A " in "eastern" groups and " O " in "western" groups. An existing hypothesis chooses "*O ST-" or "*O STH-".

     

    Tocharian "āsta = bones"

     

    Hittite "hastai- = bones"

     

    Old Indian asthi = bone"

     

    Avestan "ast-, asti- = bone"

     

    Albanian "asht, ashte = bone"

     

    Greek, besides the mentioned "osteos" also has words with a vowel "A", as "αστραγαλος, astragalos = small bone, nuckle, phalanx, vertebra, ankle".

     

     

    Indo-European. There is little chance of a reliable choice between an initial vowel " A " or an " O ", especially as we see both still used in Greek. It is quite possible that also in Indo-European existed alternatives : "*Ă ST-" and "*Ŏ ST-"

 

 

 

 
"...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: 23/12/2012 at 9.36.26