|
E 0995 WHEEL
The word " wheel " is of
Germanic origin .
H 0359 ל ג ל ג
Concept of root : wheel
|
Hebrew word
|
pronunciation
|
English meanings
|
|
ל ג ל ג
|
galgal,
gilgal
|
wheel
|
|
|
|
Related English words
|
wheel
|
|
|
Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
|
Languages
|
Words
|
Pronunciation
|
English meanings
|
Similarity in roots
|
|
Hebrew
|
ל ג ל ג
|
galgal,
gilgal
|
wheel
|
g l
|
|
Russian
|
колесо
|
koljeso
|
wheel
|
k . l
|
|
English
|
wheel
|
|
wheel
|
wh l
|
|
Dutch
|
wiel
|
wìl
|
wheel
|
w . l
|
Proto-Semitic *GAL --- *WÈL- Indo-European
In many cases , within European, a Germanic W corresponds with a Latin G. Wales in Italian is Galles and William in French is called Guillaume. But the general idea that each Germanic W also must have been derived from Indo-European G is simply a wrong generalization. Setting fixed rules for language development can be a dangerous game . We do not think that an English wheel stems from an Indo-European root "kwel", as if to force K and W together.
Invention of the wheel. Even less probable is that Indo-Europeans, when they invented the wheel, as seems to have been the case, called it a "qweqwlo", violating their tongue. And passing it on towards a Proto-Germanic "khwekhula", that then became "khwegula" and from there was simplified. One must presume that the Indo-Europeans were not so contortionist in their wordshaping and speaking.
An initial " H " in front of a " W " is found in several Germanic languages. It has been added and later disappeared, also in words in this entry. It should not be seen as a development out of an older stronger guttural " K " or " G ".
The special thing is that we have here a Hebrew G corresponding with a Germanic W and a Slavic K.
Russian belongs to Indo-European and one may wonder why there is a " K " in Russian "koljeso" = "wheel". This is not an isolated case. A колодеч, kolodetsh is a "well". Nobody seems to doubt about the originality of this " W ".
Note:
- Hebrew, having to use the root "G L" so often already, in order to name a wheel has recurred at doubling it. This makes a wheel very round indeed.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. According to the general view the wheel was invented around 3500 a.E.V., when Proto-Semitic and Indo European already had split up into several languages. The doubled root "ג ל ג ל , G L G L " , came from Proto-Semitic "* ג ל , G L", that had a common origin with the Indo European words.
Note:
- Proto-Germanic.
There is a division between West Germanic and North Germanic. The three Scandinavian languages have "hjul" for "wheel". This is nearly the same as Old Swedish and Old Danish "hiul". But if we look at Old Norse we see "hjól" developed out of still present "hvél" and "hvel". This is very similar to Old Frisian "hwel". We note that the initial "H" is a Germanic addition to an older root beginning with "W".
Very interesting is then Old English, that with words beginning with "HW" also shows doubling of syllables or word parts in the way seen in Hebrew with the word "galgal = wheel". One finds "hweohhol, hweowol, hweogol, hweol". Some scholars see this doubling as having been present in Proto-Germanic, but that remains uncertain. There is no explanation why a doubling would have persisted just in Old English. It is probable that Proto-Germanic had, with a long vowel "E", "*W Ē L-" or already "*HW Ē L-".
Note:
- Indo-European enjoys a hypothesis of "*KW E L-", that does not seem right. We substitute it with "*W Ē L-".
|
|
|
| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 24/12/2012 at 16.44.45 |
|