E 0135          CADRE

The word " cadre ", via Italian and French, has come from Latin

H 0481          ר ד כ

Concept of root : to surround

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ר ד כ

kadar

to surround

Related English words

cadre

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ר ד כ

kadar

to surround

k d r

Latin

quadrus

kwadrus

cadre

q . d r

English

cadre

cadre

c d r

 

 

Proto-Semitic *KADAR --- *QUADRUS Latin, GĀDER Proto-Germanic

 

 

This entry is strictly linked to number E 0134 (Hebrew 0418). "K D R" seems a variation of "GH D R", both related to Latin "quadrum", English "cadre" and Proto-Germanic "gāder".

 

We repeat the first part of that other entry: "Different from entry E 0357 (Hebrew 0350) we see no metathesis here. As a case of similarity this one is a bit intriguing. The English word "cadre" has come from Latin "quadrus, kwadrus " via Italian and French.

 

An English "cadre" is a framework, something that surrounds, and is not per definition rectangular. Also the related words in French and Italian do not necessarily mean "square". But a general opinion reigns : "cadre" comes from, or at least is related to Latin "quattro" which is "four, 4". And our Hebrew root does not say 4, which is "arb’a", quite different.

 

Latin has a word for "triangle", "triquetrus" that comes from "tri-quadros". The second part in no way means "four", but must be akin to the Hebrew root of this entry "ghadar". The link with the number "quattuor" is that it would be a bit odd to form , like triquadros, as "quattuorquadros". It is nearly inevitable that such an obbrobrium becomes abbreviated. We may add to this that composed words with Latin, that begin with "quadr-" all refer to "four", but that the basic words "quadra" and "quadro" have kept a somewhat wider range of meanings. For example "quadro" says "to round off", not too terribly far from the "surrounding" of "kadar".

 

Consequently the similarity between Hebrew "kadar" and Latin "quadrus" is evident.

 

This entry is linked as well to number E 0136 (Hebrew 0518) that can be read together .

 

Note:
  • Hebrew This root is found in Isaiah 29.3 in the word "kadur", that says " roundabout" or "around you". The same sense is found in Job 15.24 in "lakkidur". It is indeed useful to read the Note on Hebrew in entry E 0134 (Hebrew 0418) regarding a number of related roots. The same root is also used to express the meanings of "to make round" and "to be round".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. In Biblical Hebrew, that is in the part of the language that is found in the written texts that came to us, this root is seen in the noun "כ ד ו ר, kadur = ball, globe", which indicates more "roundness" than "around, surround". And this meaning has conquered modern language.

 

 

Note:
  • Hebrew here opens an interesting window on the way it may form its spelling. The concept of surrounding, enclosing, is found in the following roots :

     

    ג ד ר G D R, gadar, entry E 0357 (Hebrew 0350), a root also found in Aramaic and with a cognate in Arabic "jaddara"
    ח ד ר GH D R, ghadar, entry E 0134 (Hebrew 0418), a root seen in Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic and Akkadian
    כ ד ר K D R, kadar, entry E 0135 (Hebrew 0481), a root referred to also for Aramaic and Arabic
    כ ת ר K T R, kittèr, entry E 0136 (Hebrew 0518), a root present in Aramaic and Syriac
    ק ר ת Q R T, qeret, entry E 0197 (Hebrew 0780), a root used in Aramaic, Ugaritic and Phoenician

     

    The explanation we see for this is either a very refined diversification among the first consonants or local differences in pronunciation of what basically was one sound, found by the scholars who registered the alphabetic spelling of the word.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This Hebrew root might thus be a specific development, and is part of a group of interrelated roots, that probably were all present in Proto-Semitic. In this case with : "*כ ד ר , K D R".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Latin. We have no clear evidence of cognates in other Indo-European groups of languages and our comparison remains limited to Semitic, Latin and Proto-Germanic.

     

    Yet we must refer to entry E 0136 (Hebrew 0518) , where one reads the following note:

     

    Note:
    • Indo-European. Proto-Germanic "gater" may be related to Latin "quadrus", but a hypothesis for Indo-European is difficult. There must have been a initial consonant from the group "G, GH, K, Q", a second consonant "D" or " T " and a third consonant " R ". The first or main vowel should have been " Ā ". A hypothesis "*G Ā D Ĕ R-" may be right, but remains uncertain".

       

      For the important word "quattuor" = "four", there is a hypothesis of "*quetuor" that may be right. There are many cognates , as Old Indian "catvārah", Avestan "cathwāré", Old Irish "čethir" and Old Church Slavonic "četyre".

     

     

 

 
"...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: 29/10/2012 at 8.45.21