E 0519         LAME

The word " lame " is of Germanic origin .

H 0248        ם ל ב

Concept of root : inhibiting

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ם ל ב

balam

to restrain, inhibit

Related English words

lame

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ם ל ב

balam

to restrain, inhibit

b . l . m

English

lame

lame

l . m

Old English

lemian ;

lama, loma

to lame ;

lame

l . m

Old Saxon

bilammian, bilamon ;

lamo

to lame

-

lame

b . l . m

l . m

Middle Dutch

belemmen

-

-

lam

belemmen

-

-

lam

to restrain, lame,

inhibit ;  

lame

b . l . m

 

 

Hebrew *BALAM < Proto-Semitic *LOM, *LAM --- *LAM, *LOM Proto-Germanic

 

 

This similarity looks well-nigh perfect if we compare Hebrew and Dutch. But we should anyhow look into some details. And with English there is the difference that the first syllable " be- " is not present . This first syllable is in fact a prefix that is much used in Hebrew, but is especially frequent in German and Dutch composed verbs . Here we see it in Old Saxon as well, be it as "bi-" instead of " be- ".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew perhaps helps us out of the problem. We find another verb, "א ל ם, illèm" , that means "to bind", and in its passive form "to be tied up" or figuratively "to be dumbfounded". The conclusion is that the roots " ב ל ם B L M" and " א ל ם Aleph L.M", in a process of diversification, both have been shaped on the basis of an older two-consonant root " ל ם, * L M", identical to the root "L M" of English "lame".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. There is not much information to permit a solid hypothesis. But Aramaic has "belam = he muzzled, checked", which is in line. Arabic "'ablama = he was silent " is too far off.

     

    Then, with reference to the information in the previous note regarding Hebrew, one sees that an older two consonant root "* ל ם, L M", probably existed, and obviously in Proto-Semitic. And, as so often , the root may have been preceded by "*" ל ו ם, * L W M, LOM".

 

Note:
  • Modern Dutch has abolished the word "belemmen" and uses only the iterative form "belemmeren", that already existed as well in Middle Dutch ; this tongue also had a verb "lemen" or "lemmen", meaning "to lame". In Modern Dutch it is a verb "verlammen" that expresses "to lame".

 

Note:
  • Germanic. Of the other Germanic languages only German has a verb "belemmern" which has the original message of "to embarrass", which could be considered a figurative inhibition or restraint . But we find regularly sisters of English "lame" and "to lame". In the Dutch verbs, and also in the less used German one, "be" at the beginning is a prefix. Other Germanic languages do not, or more rarily (like English) use this prefix. But if the B is from a prefix, the basic root remains only "L-M" as in English "lame". The meaning of "inhibiting" remains in line with that of "laming".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Most Germanic languages, like Old Norse "lami" , Old Saxon "lamo", Old English "lama" and Old High German "lam" have identical roots. In Old Frisian "lom" and a second version in Old English "loma" we see a vowel "O". In verbs like Old English "lemian = to lame, disable, subdue" and Middle Dutch "lemen", also lemmen" that says "to lame, maim", the vowel "E" indicates that function. Probably Proto-Germanic had "*L A M-", besides "*L O M-" that lived on in Old English.

     

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. This is one of many cases in which a similarity is seen between Semitic ( Hebrew ) and Germanic, but without further support in other Indo-European languages. Sometimes words like Greek "κλαμβος, klambos = mutilato, maimed" or Latin "claudus = cripple " are seen as cognates, but this is uncertain as they are rather far off in their combination of sound and meaning. Also Old Church Slavonic "lomiti = to break" and Old Prussian "limtwei" with the same meaning are off in message. The basic meaning of the root of "lame" does not lie in "broken" but in impediment of moving. Therefore we have no hypothesis for Indo-European outside 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: 23/12/2012 at 15.49.22