GL 1104A          SPAHHAN

H 0702            ח ק פ

Concept of root : opening widely

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ח ק פ

paqagh

to open widely

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ח ק פ

paqagh

to open widely

p . q . gh

Italian

spaccare

to open widely, split

sp . c

Lombardic

spahhan

spahhan

to open widely, split

sp . hh .

 

 

Proto-Semitic *PAQAGH < *PAQÀ --- *SPĂK- Proto-Germanic < *PĂK- Indo-European

 

 

A well-known word on the basis of this root is "spaccata" in ballet and gymnastics. In English it is called a "split", but the Italian word is the one most used in Europe in general. It is a wide opening , about 180 degrees with the legs on the ground. In this word there is question of splitting, but only and specifically resulting in opening widely.

 

We have given here besides Italian also Lombardic, because this word, like hundreds more in Italian, is of Longobard origin. For a long period in the Middle Ages the Longobards, of Germanic origin, dominated much of Italy. It left the region of Milan with its name Lumbardy.

 

Apparently the Germanic word has a confirming prefix S, not found in Hebrew, and the Hebrew root has a third consonant GH, comparable to the "HH" in

 

Note:
  • Hebrew has a sister root with a range of meanings like "to split, cleave, open wide, penetrate" in " ב ק ע, baq‛à ". This root has also given its name to the well known Beqa’a-valley in Lebanon.

     

    The "opening widely" of this root is found in Genesis 3:5 . It refers to the eyes, but does so figuratively. The snake, as is seen from the words like "‛eineikhem = your eyes" in plural, reveals that upon eating the fruit of the tree, the eyes of Eve and Adam will open up to the knowledge of good and evil. Another related verb is " פ ק ע, paq‛à = to split, burst (open)".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is found in Aramaic and Syriac "פ ק ח , peqagh = he opened the eyes (A); it blossomed (S)". Arabic has "faqqagha; faqagha = he opened the eyes; it blossomed". The root may well have been in use in Proto-Semitic : "*פ ק ח , P Q GH".

     

    The presence of the mentioned sister root "פ ק ע, paq‛à = to split, burst (open)", is an indication that there was an earlier two consonant unit "*P . Q", that should have carried already the basic meaning of wide and brusque opening found in this entry : "*פ ק ה, P Q H (accentuated vowel), paq'à ".

 

 

 

 
"...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: 17/11/2012 at 13.35.56