GR 1235          PÜROS

H 0726            ה ד ו ר פ

Concept of root : grain

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ד ו ר פ

pěruda

grain

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

 ה ד ו ר פ

pěruda

grain

p . r . d

Greek

πυρος

püros

grain

p . r

 

 

Hebrew PERUDA --- *PŪR- Indo-European

 

 

The similarity between Indo-European and Hebrew here is first of all based on the word found in Greek. This word "püros" means a "grain of wheat" as well as "wheat" and "cereals" in general. This brings it particularly near to Hebrew. Yet Hebrew uses also a third consonant D.

 

The Hebrew word in plural, "פ ר ו ד ו ת , perudot " is found in Joel 1: 17, as a hapax legomenon, with some uncertainty about its translation. . It is translated by some as seeds of grain, by others as grains, in the phrase " The perudot have shriveled beneath their clods... ". We opt for the translation as "the grain", as the phenomenon would be expressed in modern language.

 

Modern Hebrew uses this same word to say "molecule".

 

 

Note:
  • Greek. The last part "-os" of this word is a suffix for the shaping of a noun.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. A root "P R D" is also found in the word " פ ר ד ס , pardes ", that means " orchard" . We see this root narrowly related to several others, beginning with "P R", that talk about fertility, sprouting, flowers and fruits, in entries E 0665 (Hebrew 0714) , E 0335 (Hebrew 0715) and also E 0675 (Hebrew 0727).

     

    The two different meanings we find for the root "P R D" have not used the same vowels, and there lies the differentiation between them. The one of this entry, that of "grains" and "wheat", seems a participle of the passive form of an intensive version "perad" or "that what has been given as fruit". The other one, "pardes", seems related to a basic form "parad", with an added suffix S: "that which (has what) creates fruit". "Fruit" has here its general botanic meaning, not that of apples and pears. We cannot claim full certainty of course, but the probability is there.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. We have no indication from other Semitic languages that would help to formulate a hypothesis for Proto-Semitic.

 

Note:
  • English "furze", Old English "fyrs" and German "Furze" are often seen as related to the words of this entry, but they have a too different meaning.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. A unit "pir-" is found in words of Indo-European languages that indicate oven products made from cereals. With a vowel "U" as predecessor indeed a probable Indo-European form is : "*P Ū R-".

     

    Old Indian "pūra-" and "pūrikā-" stand for types of "cake".

     

    Slavic has a hypothesis of "*pīr-", followed by various vowels, for "wheat, spelt". In Russian a "пирог, pirog = cake, pie" and, interesting to see, a ""пир , pir = feast, banquet". Related is Byelorussian "bor = millet".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 30/12/2012 at 11.02.28