E 0277       CARE , CURE , CYRE

The Old English words "cyre" and "caru" , with "care " , are  of Germanic origin.

English " cure " is,  via Old French, of Latin origin .

H 0258            ר ק ב

Concept of root : careful attention

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ר ק ב

 biqqèr

to take care of, inspect, control

Related English words

Old English ; cyre

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ר ק ב

biqqèr

to take care of, inspect, control

b . q . r

Latin

curare

curare

to take care of

c . r

Old English

cyre ,

c(e)aru

inspection ;

care

c . r

English

care;

cure

care ;

cure

c . r

Dutch

keuren

-

bekeuren

k(eu)ren;

-

bek(eu)ren

to inspect, control

to summons

k . r

 

 

Hebrew *BIQQÈR < Proto-Semitic *BAQAR--- *KUR Indo-European

 

 

In the two European roots we find the meanings that are combined in the Hebrew one. We deal with this last root also in entry GR 1154 (Hebrew 0257). The differences between Q, K and explosive "C" are not significant in this respect.

 

 

Note:
  • Hebrew already in the Bible no more used the basic form "*baqar", but as seen in entry GR 1154 (Hebrew 0257), the noun "baqarà" meant "care, cure" , in Latin "cura". This shows a rather evident similarity if , as we see it , the "B" in Hebrew is a prefix that has been added later to an older root "*Q R".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. In Aramaic and Syriac is seen the word "ב ק ר, B Q R, baqar = to examine, investigate". Ethiopian "baqala= he examined" has changed the "R" into "L", something the Chinese might like. Proto-Semitic for the same meaning probably used already the root "^ב ק ר, B Q R".

 

Note:
  • Germanic has used the root "K R" we see above, also to indicate a special way of "choosing", as done by the old Germanic tribes when electing their King. This sense has been maintained during the Sacred Roman Empire of the German Nation, where the Emperor was elected by the numerous "Kurfuerste" or "(noble) Electors". Main avenues of cities in Germany are still named after those gentlemen. But English "to choose" does not have an "R" and we will find it in entry E 0169 (Hebrew 0259)

     

    In West Germanic, we find German KUR and older "KUER", Dutch KUUR and KEUZE and English CURE or CARE and CHOOSE, all couples which carry the respective meanings of CURE/CARE and CHOOSE.

 

Note:
  • Dutch "keuren" has the same message as the intensive form of Hebrew "*baqar", which is "biqqèr". But it lacks the B, which it has added to form the word "bekeuren" or "to summon(s)". Also this makes us suppose that the Hebrew B may have been added to an original root "Q R".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . In the sense of "care" we find Gothic "kara", Old English "caru" and Old Frisian "kara". There are in various languages similar words with different meanings, such as Old High German "kara = sadness, lament". For the meaning "care" we may presume Proto-Germanic "K A R-".

     

    In our comparison with Hebrew in this entry and number E 0169 (Hebrew 0259)we have distinguished between on the one hand the meanings of "cure" and "care" ( roots K . R), and on the other hand "choice, to choose" ( roots K. S). But we see in Germanic languages how roots with the R express also the meaning of "choice". Swedish "kora" means "to choose". Comparable are Old Saxon, "kuri", Old English "cyre", Old High German "churi", Old Frisian "kere", Old Norse "kør". Then we have Middle Dutch that with its versions "coor, core, coire (core), cuere, keure" makes it more easy to hypothesize Proto-Germanic, that probably was expressing the concept of "to choose" with the form "*K O R-" and as shown in the next paragraph, as well "*K O S-".

     

    We note that there is some confusion as to the relation between the roots with "K . S" and "K . R". Obviously the supposition that the words with "S", like English "choice " and Dutch "keus " have been created ( later), influenced by the verbs "to choose" and "kiezen ( Dutch)", is off the mark, as they just have a common origin with these. This is confirmed by the fact that in older languages both roots "K . R" and K : S" are used to express the concept of choosing. Old Norse "kjosa" , Middle Dutch "kies, cose, keuse", Old High German "kiosan", Gothic "kiusan". The most probable form for Proto-Germanic would be "*K O S-"., that we thus find together with the already mentioned "*K O R-".

     

    Concept "cure". In Germanic languages we find words like English "cure", but the general opinion is that they have been derived from Latin, basically via Old French. This is not quite certain, as we find in Middle Dutch various meanings for a word "cure". 1. Cure; 2. Care; 3. Choice of an object" 4. Election of a person; 5. Sudden sickness. This indicates a wider basis. Interesting and a bit puzzling is the fact that the German word "Kur = cure" , given as loaned from Latin ( improbable without the final A) is anyhow rather new, known from the 16th century. So we should not exclude for the concept of "cure a possible Proto-Germanic "*K Ü R-", not derived from but a cognate of Latin "cura".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European . The available information remains limited to Latin and Germanic and a hypothesis is difficult to make. But similar to both groups and without any indication of different contents, Indo-European may have had a form "*K Ū R-".

 

 
"...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 16.16.50