E 0066          BALANCE

The word " balance " is of uncertain origin .

H 0697            ש ל פ ,ס ל פ

Concept of root : to level, balance

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ש ל פ ,ס ל פ

pillès;

peles

to level, balance;

a balance

Related English words

balance

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ש ל פ ,ס ל פ

pillès;

-

peles

to level, balance;

a balance

p . l . s

English

to balance;  balance

to balance;

balance

b . l . ns

 

 

Proto-Semitic *PALAS --- *BALANCE French < BILANX Vulgar Latin

 

 

This entry is related to number E 0338 (Hebrew 0698)

 

There is a particular problem with this entry. We see a current opinion that explains how it sees the word "balance" finding its origin in Vulgar Latin "bilancia" that came from a Late Latin "bilanx" , composed of "bi" + "lanx" . A "lanx" in Latin is a plate or scale, and two scales make a balance. Others more prudently say that this is unattested. The word "bilanx" has been used as an adjective by Martial in the first century E.V., but as a noun did not exist in Latin, that spoke of "duas lances" referring to the scales of a balance that had the name "libra". Anyhow, from an adjective may still come a noun.

 

Perhaps the encounter with Hebrew should influence the opinions. We see two non-decisive differences: a P versus a B and an N in front of the S, which is a possible nasalization.

 

Functionally a balance with two scales is used by levelling out on one scale the material that has to be weighed with the established weight that rests on the other scale. Exactly these two meanings we find in the Hebrew root "P L S". A choice has to be made between two possible coincidences:

 

The first one is that by coincidence Hebrew "P L S" and English "balance" have the same meanings. The second is that by chance Hebrew "P L S" and the very seldomly used Late Latin adjective "bilanx " have the same sound. We choose for the second supposition. This means that "bilanx" has come up and has influenced but not fully changed the flow of events of "balance".

 

Note:
  • English. The verb "to balance" has various meanings, some of which are very near to that of the Hebrew root.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew uses the intensive verb, but it is difficult to establish with certainty the exact meaning of the basic form "*palas". One remarks how there are two spellings, one with ס samekh , and the other with ש , sin. Apparently not everybody upon defining the spelling had the same opinion about the sign to use.

 

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is also there in Phoenician and it may have been in use in Proto-Semitic as "*פ ל ס , P L S", or, with the consonant Sin instead of Samekh "*פ ל ש , (also) P L S".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The problem is that we find a very good similarity between on the one hand the old Biblical Hebrew words, the verb "pillès" ( after "*palas")= "to smooth, to balance" with two meanings and the noun "peles" = "balance, scales", of this entry and modern European words, such as English "to balance" and "balance", but with a very recent past in a composed word in Vulgar Latin, "bi-lanx", that really was an adjective. Things do not square up nicely.

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 16/11/2012 at 17.48.20