E 0246          DEEM

The word  " deem " is of Germanic origin .

H 0318            ה מ ד

Concept of root : to look alike; to liken ; likeness, image

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה מ ד;

ה מ ד;

ת ו מ ד

damā;

dimmé;

demut

to look alike, liken ;
to compare, think over ;
imitation, image, figure.

Related English words

to deem ; dummy

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה מ ד

-

ה מ ד

-

ד מ ו ת

-

-

damā

-

dimmé

-

demut

-

-

to look alike, liken ;
to compare, think over ;
imitation, image, figure

d . m .

English

to deem ;

dummy

to think, consider;

look-alike

d . m

Old English

dēman

to think, consider;

judge

d . m

 

 

Proto-Semitic *DAM --- *DŪM Proto-Germanic

 

 

This similarity is not too obvious. For that reason we specified some meanings of "to deem" and "dummy". These show the relationship between the English and Hebrew roots. In fact we have two far from identical concepts with the same roots in each language. The relationship is striking when one considers "dummy" and "demut".

 

Note:
  • English "dummy" seems a flowing together of two different concepts, one that of alikeness and the other that of dumbness. The two are not connected at all, only the final result "dummy" is the same. Some reciprocal influence may have existed, but the origins remain separate ones. Scholars often see "dummy" as shaped after "dumb", and advance the Scottish versions "dummie" that is sometimes varied into "dumbie". Well, this is just confusion in speaking the English language.

 

Note:
  • English "to deem" has conserved its old meaning, whereas in other Germanic languages, from Gothic "domjan" to Dutch "doemen", verbs with the same root but with an O-sound have come to mean "to judge, sentence". Old English "dēman" covered both concepts, the one of "to think, consider" that has remained in Hebrew and the one of "judge, sentence" that has conquered the root in other Germanic languages, and to which in fact belongs the other English verb "to doom", related with the Old English noun "dōm = judgment, law". Old Norse "dæme" , like Old English, does not limit its meanings to those of "judging and sentencing", but also says "to establish,define, decide" more in general.
 

Note:
  • Hebrew has also another word worth noting, "dimәon" that stands for "alikeness". But the combination " ד ם , *D M", in roots also is used in quite different messages, linked to "calm, non-movement, stopping" and as well " blood, murder " and finally even "half".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Proto-Semitic probably used the same root we see in Hebrew. But we find also a different hypothesis, in which an Aleph precedes the "D". This is based on an Arabic root "Aleph D M", expressing the concept of "example, model". But this must be a later development, as Arabic also uses the same root we find in Hebrew. A root " "*ד ם , *D M", was probably used in Proto-Semitic.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. The material clearly indicates that a Proto-Germanic "*D Ū M-, with a message of "judgment, sentence" has existed. It is unclear if the meaning of "to consider, think" was expressed by a sister root with a different vowel, like a long "Ē", but the similarity between Old English and Hebrew, with some support by Old Norse, gives an indication in that direction.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Information regarding possible cognates in other groups of Indo-European languages seems not to be available. The comparison remains as so often between Semitic and Germanic.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 24/12/2012 at 14.32.36