E 0195          COUPLE

The word " couple " is, via Old French, of Latin origin .

H 0498            ל פ ו כ , ל פ כ

Concept of root : making two

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ל פ כ

ל פ ו כ

kaphal

kophèl

to double;

to doubling

Related English words

couple

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ל פ כ ;

ל פ ו כ

kaphal; kophèl

to double;

doubling

k . p . l

Latin

copula;

-

-

copulare

copula;

-

-

copulare

any connecting means;

to couple

k . p . l

English

couple

couple

c . p l

Dutch

koppel;

koppelen

koppel;

koppelen

couple;

to couple

k . p . l

 

 

Proto-Semitic *KOPEL --- *KŌPEL- Indo-European

 

 

"To double" is not the same as "to couple", but both concepts lead to that of "making two", either out of "one" or by putting together "one" plus "one". There is a clear indication that the Hebrew root originally also stood for "couple", as there is a causative verb "hikhphil" with the same meaning as "kaphal" itself : "to double" . That implies "to make to be double", or even "to make into a couple".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is also found in Aramaic and Syriac "כ פ ל , kefal= to double". Arabic "kifl = the double". Ethiopian "kafala; kefel = he divided; part" gives a meaning of " to divide" which may be considered related. Less clear is Akkadian "kapalu = to twist". The root probably was present in Proto-Semitic "*כ פ ל , K P L".

     

    The middle consonant " P " is pronounced " PH " in Hebrew and Aramaic, Syriac and Arabic, but in the mentioned possibly related Akkadian word we see an unchanged " P " . This means that the change from " P " into " PH ", that anyhow also in Hebrew not conquered all forms ( doubled " P " does not change ), may have begun in Proto-Semitic. In the above comparison we maintain the original " P ":

 

Note:
  • Latin "copulare" is seen as derived from the word "copula" that is then seen as meaning anything that ties together and should have been developed out of "co" + "apio", or "with" and "to tie". But this is rather complicated with the disappearing of the A and the appearing of UL without any diminutive sense. Besides this, the function of a soldiers belt is not that of tying together, coupling things or beings. We must remark that the word "copula" is relatively new, first seen in Plautus. Therefore it may well have been shaped ( sharing the birth of "copulare") more simply after a root "K P L", as found in Hebrew. Anyhow the noun and verb are there and carry their clear meanings.

 

Note:
  • Dutch "koppel" has various meanings. First it says "couple" as well as a "means for coupling (a tie or rope used to that specific end)". The basic sense of the root is that of "two together" mainly of the same kind. Other specific uses have been derived from this, like that of a "koppel" of hunting dogs being a "pack", clearly more than two.

     

    The verb "koppelen", like German "kuppeln" indicates that the original meaning is that of the noun "koppel", in German "Kuppel". A quite acceptable development is that of indicating later also the instrument of "to couple" with the same word.

 

Note:
  • Latin and Germanic. Latin " copula = belt " is considered as living on as a loanword in German " Koppel " and Dutch " koppel ", that are used a.o. to indicate the belts of soldiers , a meaning that easily may have been transferred out of Latin from the similar word "copula". But "Koppel" in Germanic carries a number of quite different meanings, for example a group of hounds or a group ( covey, bevy ) of wild birds , a couple of human beings and many others . These meanings have no link to the Latin noun at all and have their Germanic origin. For the perhaps typically Roman soldiers belt of Latin "copula" the rather similar sounding existing German word may have been used. It it useful to see that German still has two words, "koppel = " and "kuppeln", though it is difficult to distinguish them and their origins. Old French " cople " and "copler" are the certain predecessors of Modern French and English " couple , coupler, to couple", but it should have a common Germanic predecessor with at least one of the two German versions, " Koppel, koppeln " and " Kuppel, kuppeln" that already in Middle High and Low German have been used for very many and far from all clearly related meanings.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Predecessors of modern words for "couple" are seen in Middle English, Middle High German, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch. We have no evidence of older languages and this means that, however feeble the existing hypothesis about Latin "cupola" as predecessor is, our supposition of an original Proto-Germanic "*K O P e L" still lacks complete foundation, but remains highly probable.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. In both cases, "couple" preceded by "copula" and "couple" and "copula" being independent from each other, they are Indo-European and a hypothesis for that language has solid elements: "*K O P E L-".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 25/01/2013 at 15.09.32