GD 1046          GEWRICHT

H 0717            ק ר פ

Concept of root : articulation

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ק ר פ

pereq

joint, articulation

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ק ר פ

pereq

joint

p . r . q

Dutch

gewricht

ghewrikht

joint

w . r . kh

 

 

Hebrew *PEREQ --- *BRÈKH- Proto-Germanic

 

 

In both languages it is hard to define an origin as such, but the two seem well related, though the similarity is not that of identicity.

 

Note:
  • Dutch "gewricht" certainly consists of "ge-" and "-wricht". This second part has an added T, and the "CH" is an aspired K-sound. Thus the root has three consonants "W R KH". There is no clear indication of sisterwords in Germanic tongues. But older Dutch versions are "ghewerchte, ghewerfte, ghewerf". The final "te-"is a suffix. "-fte" instead of "-chte" is a specific alteration, frequently found in Germanic languages. The basic part "-wčrch-" is related with the root of "to break" and, just as in Hebrew, has a vowel "È". The form is "wrčkh" < "brčkh".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew "pereq" does not find a clear link to any of the various other messages expressed by the combination "P R Q". But " ב ר כ י ם , birkaim " are the knees. This is an indication that in choosing the spelling for words with the meaning of "articulations", when alphabetic writing began in Israel some 3.800 years ago, not everybody has made the same choice between " Q " and " K ". The task was indeed very difficult.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. "P R Q" as a root is found in Aramaic, Syriac, as well with F : "F R Q" in Arabic and Ethiopian , but all in meanings that point more at dividing and breaking loose than at that of " to link, join". Two opposite concepts may be expressed and often have been expressed by one and the same root in old languages, but there is no certainty on which to base a hypothesis for Proto-Semitic.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. The problem with the Dutch word "gewricht" is that no etymology has been found. There has been in Middle Dutch a version "gewerft", but such a final "-FT" is sometimes a development out of earlier "-CHT" that is still present in "gewricht". On the other hand there is Dutch and Middle Dutch "wervel = vertebra" and also "swivel". This leads to the supposition by various scholars that the basic meaning is that of "turning point, center of rotation". But vertebrae do not have much of a turning function.

     

    The initial "WR" corresponds with "BR in the other languages, as can be seen also by a nice comparison. Norwegian has the verb "brekke", that has regularly been developed out of Old Norse "brekka". But then Old Norse also has a noun "brekka" that means a piece of terrain with specific destination, as a mowing-field. And in Middle Dutch a "wrechte" is the defining closure or fencing of such a piece of ground.

     

    The final "T" of "gewricht" is a suffix that is very common in Germanic languages and does not change the meaning of the root. Proto-Germanic probably continued also to use for "joint, link" an old root that also meant an interruption or break-off : "*BR È K(H)-."

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. We lack any indication for possible cognates in other Indo-European groups. The comparison stays between Hebrew and Germanic.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 19/11/2012 at 16.30.58