E 0322          FARROW

The word " farrow " is of Germanic origin .

H 0703            ר פ

Concept of root : bovine

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ר פ

par

bull

Related English words

farrow, Old English fearr

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ר פ

par

bull

p . r

Greek

πορις

poris

young cow

p . r .

English

farrow

farrow

f . r .

Old English

fear, fearr

fear, fearr

bull, ox

f . r,

f . r

Old Norse

farri

farri

young bull

f . r;

Dutch

var ;

vaars

var;

vārs

young bull;

farrow

v . r;

v . rs

 

 

Proto-Semitic *PAR --- *PĂR- Indo-European

 

 

The Mediterranean P-sound corresponds here with the F or V in the North. Well, that is the situation of today, because geographically the predecessors of both groups were certainly much nearer to each other .

 

The meanings of the words all refer to bovines, be it more or less young, male or female, and this is sufficient to see their common origin. As often, among the nearest to each other are Hebrew "par" and Dutch "var", both bulls.

 

We consider the Hebrew word related to that of entry E 0330 (Hebrew 0704 , "par’ą" ). The bull has reserved the essence of the root that said "in the wild". The fascinating thing is that it is found in Greek and Germanic as well.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Proto-Semitic is seen as having in use the root still found in Hebrew. As to the comparison with Indo European words it is interesting to note that in several Semitic languages the first consonant has become a PH or F, like in Latin. So in Mehri, Jibbala, Soqotri and of course Arabic "farr = calf". It must be noted that the same root, or rather a lengthened one, is seen used for other animals, like in Arabic "farī = lamb" and "furār = young gazelle".

     

    Female forms of this root are made in more ways. Aramaic and Syriac have "פ ר ת א, paretą", that in Aramaic says "cow" and in Syriac "ewe". Also Ugaritic uses "P R T" for "cow". But in Hebrew a cow is a "פ ר ה , parą". This different way of shaping the female word is nearer to Indo European.

     

    Proto-Semitic probably had "*פ ר , P R".

 

Note:
  • English and Old English. The word "farrow" has acquired several meanings. There is the one we use in this entry, that is in fact a " barren young cow ", in a related Dutch word a "verwekoe". But it has come to express a rather opposite concept like "litter (of pigs)", related to Old English "fearh = (little) pig". Old English "fear" instead has remained a bovine, specifically a bull, young or not, and an ox.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Most Germanic languages have an initial "F", with Dutch being a common exception with "V". The vowel is normally an A, though in some cases it has, via "AE", changed into "E". The second consonant "R" is always present and sometimes an "S" is added , as in Dutch in order to diversify. It is to be noted that "F" is nearer to the Hebrew initial "P". Anyhow for Proto-Germanic are probable the forms "*F (A) R- "and perhaps also already "*F (A) RS- was in use.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Regarding animals like pigs, swines, there is considerable information, as seen in entry E 0102 (Hebrew 0706), that deals with names for swines in various languages. For bovines there is less. But in Germanic there is a clear "*F (A) R- " . The initial " F " may come from an earlier " P " and the Dutch " V " from that " F ". Then the Greek word "poris" gives a link to the " P " that is seen in Hebrew. So one may hypothesize an Indo-European "*P Ă R-" indicating bovines, originally in the wild. The length of the vowel " A " is uncertain. We hypothesize a short one.

     

    Old Indian "vŗsah = bull". In this word the ŗ functions as vowel. It is related to names for "stallion" and "ram".

     

    Baltic presents a Latvian "versis = bovine" and a Lithuanian "veršis = calf".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 17/11/2012 at 13.49.51