E 0391          (TO)  GRATE

 

The word “ grate “ is, via Old French, yet of Germanic origin .

The word “ scratch” is, from Middle Dutch , as well of Germanic origin .

 

H 0374         ד ר ג

 

Concept of root : to scratch

 

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ד ר ג

garad

to scratch

 

 

Related English words

to scratch, grate

 

 

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ד ר ג

garad

to scratch

g . r . d

Proto-Germanic

*kratton

kratton

to scratch

k r . t

German

kratzen

kratzen

to scratch

k r . tz

Late Latin

gratare, cratare

gratare,

cratare

to scratch

g r . t
c r . t

French

gratter

gratté

to scratch

g r . t

English

to scratch ; to grate

 

to scratch ; to grate

sc r . tch ;

g r . t

Middle English

scratten; cratch ;

cracchen

 

to scratch

sc r . t ;

c r . tch ;

c r . cch

Middle Dutch

kratzen

kratzen

to scratch

k r . tz

 

 

Proto-Semitic *GARAD --- *KĀRĂT- Indo-European

 

 

The first obvious thing is that the European languages, in order to pronounce three consonants, insert just one vowel. Hebrew instead wants two vowels.

 

The similarity in this entry is between Germanic and Hebrew. Late or Medieval Latin has taken this word, like many others, from the Germanic-speakers that had entered and conquered part of the Empire.

 

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is seen in Phoenician "מ ג ר ד", for "flesh scraper". Aramaic and Syriac have "ג ר ב , gerad = he scraped". Arabic as so often has changed this initial "G" into "J" : "jarada = to peel, scratch away".

     

    It is probable that this root was already used in Proto-Semitic: "* ג ר ד, G R D".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. As shown in the table, for Proto-Germanic there is a hypothesis of a verb "*kratton". This is probably right. It is not clear if Proto-Germanic also had already a root with an extra initial "S", that as usual was added without bringing through this a change in meaning. So Proto-Germanic probably had "*KR A T-" and perhaps also already "*SKR A T-". or even a lengthened version "*SKR A TSH-"

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. We have only limited information from other language groups to venture an independent hypothesis for Indo-European different from Proto-Germanic.

     

    Greek has an interesting verb, that is "χαρασσω, kharasso " or in Attic "χαραττω, kharatto". They carry various related meanings, among which "to scratch". Others are mostly of actions with instruments for agriculture or for cutting: "to grave, to furrow, to sharpen" etcetera. This is in harmony with the remark in entry 0387 (Hebrew 0376), about the use of dentals instead of labials to express more mechanic actions related to "scratching".

     

    This verb shows two vowels with the three consonants, just as in Hebrew. It is difficult to establish if this may have been the case also in Indo-European or not.

     

    Thus a form "*K Ā R Ă T- or "*K R Ă T-may have been present in Indo-European.

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 20/10/2012 at 18.22.55