E 0003          (TO) ACQUIRE

The verb " to acquire " is, via Old French, of Latin origin .

H 0506            ה ר כ

Concept of root : to obtain, acquire

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ר כ

karą

to obtain, acquire

Related English words

to acquire, from Latin

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה ר כ

karą

to obtain, acquire

k . r i

Latin

quaerere ;

acquirere

querere;

aquirere

to (try to) obtain

q u . r

English

to acquire

to acquire

q u . r

Dutch

krijgen

kreighen

to obtain

k r i g

German

kriegen

krigen

to obtain

k r i g

 

 

Hebrew *KARÀ --- *KRĪG- Proto-Germanic < *KĒR- Indo-European.

 

 

There is an interesting link between this entry and number GD 1061 (Hebrew 0770 "qerav"). In German, but more obviously in Dutch, a root "K R I G" is used both for "to obtain" and for "war, battle". This has led to the conclusion that there is one root, that says "to obtain through fight, battle". We are not so certain of this. We believe that also in the oldest times people did not obtain most things through fighting with others. War and fight are and have been frequent, but not omnipresent.

 

Hebrew clearly offers a difference. We find the root "K R I" for "to obtain, acquire" and a "B" in "Q R B" for "fight". Also the concept of nearness is expressed by "Q R B".

 

Note:
  • Latin and Germanic show a metathesis amongst them . Hebrew has the same root as Germanic. The "I" as the third element of their roots corresponds to the "U" in Latin. Both in all probability find their origin in a "W". Latin pronunciation is in fact "W", and Latin does not differentiate in spelling between "U" and "V", nor does it use a specific sign for "W".

 

Note:
  • Latin besides "quaerere" also has a verb "quaesere" that says "to ask, request, seek ". This verb is considered as an older form, and even as a predecessor. But we do not think so. It does not cover the range of meanings that "quaerere" has. Obviously they are both old co-existing verbs with differentiated consonants ( R and S ) and meanings. "Quarere" can be compared and shows similarity with Hebrew and Germanic, but "quaesere" can not. In the development the two verbs have partially amalgamated or flowed together, as can be seen in a number of important forms like "quaestio, quaestionis" that has led to English "question".

     

    Interesting is then a related group of words in Latin, among which the noun "querela" and the verb "queror", with a diversification in which the "try to obtain" becomes an asking a third party ( judge) through complaints and laments. They indicate us an original "QUER-".

 

Note:
  • Germanic and Hebrew still have the difference that the first one has extended this root with a G, that in older Middle High German still was a K-sound. The addition of this fourth sound in the root does not eliminate the fact of basic or original similarity.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. We have insufficient information for a hypothesis, different from Hebrew.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. In the sense of "to obtain, acquire" there is Middle High German "krīgen", Old Frisian "krīga" and Middle Dutch "krīghen". The territory is limited to a part of West Germanic . Yet there is an origin and that may well be in a Proto-Germanic "*KR ī G-.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The available information is limited to Latin and Germanic, but the two groups are rather far apart. As mentioned above, there is a metathesis of the consonant " R " between the two. Latin has "Q + vowel + R -" and Germanic "KR + vowel + G". The third consonant " G " in Germanic should be a development in that group and the common basis can be hypothesized with some courage as "*K Ē R-".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 01/11/2012 at 16.50.34