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GD 1059 KWETSEN
H 0783 ה צ ק
H 0783 ץ צ ק
Concept of root : make
go to pieces
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ה צ ק
ץ צ ק
ץ צ ק
to-
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qatsą, qitsą;
qatsats;
qitsčts
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to cut
off;
to cut
off;
to cut to pieces, break, shatter
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Related English words
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cassation
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Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
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Languages
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Words
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Pronunciation
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English meanings
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Similarity in roots
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Hebrew
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ה צ ק
ץ צ ק
ץ צ ק
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qatsą, qitsą;
qatsats;
qitsčts
-
-
-
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to cut off;
to cut off;
to cut to pieces, break,
shatter
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q . ts . ts <
q .
ts
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Latin
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quatere;
quassare
> cassare
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quatere;
quassare
> cassare
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to shake, pound, shatter
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q . t . ;
q . s .
> c .
s .
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German
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quetschen
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quetshen
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(to squeeze) pound,
shatter
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q w . t sh
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Dutch
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kwetsen
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kwetsen
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to wound, damage, shatter
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k w . t s
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Proto-Semitic *QATSATS < *QATS --- *KWÈTS- Proto-Germatic < "KWĂTS- Indo-European
This entry deals with violent and thorough breaking of things. In Latin "quatere" several ways of going at something are comprised , from violently shaking and pounding to shattering. The second verb "quassare" is an intensive form of "quatere" that just reinforces the various meanings that basically remain the same.
The Hebrew root allowed for the use of a cutting instrument and in modern language this root has acquired the specific message of "to cut, cut off, reduce" also figuratively, like with expenses. Thus it has taken some distance from its Latin cousin.
The Latin root instead, brought forward only in the form "cassare", lives on in French "casser = to break" .
Note:
- Proto-Semitic is seen as having a root "*Q . TS" . This is quite understandable. Our Hebrew root "Q . TS . TS" is the result of the doubling of the second consonant as seen in Proto-Semitic. Hebrew itself even has another verb that carries the same meaning : "ק צ ה, katsą, = to cut off", with a root "Q . TS . Y".
The root of this entry is found with either two consonant or three consonants in Aramaic "ק צ ץ , qatsats" and Syriac "ק צ , qats" , both meaning "he cut off; he decided". Akkadian "qasatsu = to hew off". This was probably present in Proto-Semitic in both forms, "*ק ץ , Q TS" and the lengthened "*ק צ ץ , Q TS TS".
Note:
- Latin and Germanic. There has been for centuries a strong tendency among etymologists to define Germanic words as derived from Latin as soon as there is a similarity. So is done also with the verbs of this entry. But Latin did not use the combination TS, like Hebrew and Germanic. And the Germanic meaning of "to wound" comes nearer to Hebrew that comprises in this root damages by cutting instruments.
Note:
- English, French and Italian. France has the "Cour de Cassation", the highest court in the country, that can , and does annul decisions of lower courts not on the basis of different factual findings, but only on grounds of the right application of the law. Its function is called to "casser". But this verb is not the same as the "casser" of this entry. Instead it is related to a root meaning "void", found for example in Latin "cassus = void". The highest Court voids, makes null and void the lower decision. The same is seen in the Italian "Corte di Cassazione".
Note:
- Germanic. Both German and Dutch have a small range of meanings for these verbs, as was in fact the case with Latin and Hebrew. All converge on the final "shatteringly destructive " action. In modern German "squeezing", in modern Dutch " wounding" are the specializations developments have led to. We have placed the German meaning "to squeeze" between brackets, because it may have a different origin. See our note below on English and German.
Note:
- English and German. "To squeeze" comes from Old English "cwyzan" . The S in front of the root has been added to emphasize the action. Others say it intensifies the action. We have put the German meaning "to squeeze" for "kwetschen" between brackets, as it is perhaps just coincidental and related to Old English "cwysan". We note that Dutch "kwetsen" , also in Middle Dutch, does not cover the concept of squeezing, nor do Hebrew and Latin. Consequently we have left "to squeeze" out of the table as well.
Note:
- Proto-Germanic. The various words found in Germanic languages, have an initial "KW", followed by a vowel "E", with some exceptions. Danish "kvęste = kweste" may come from an older vowel "A" . The consonants after the vowel are "TS" in Old Frisian, Middle Low German (also simplified "SS"), Middle Dutch( also simplified "SS") and Dutch. Middle High German has "TS", and already also "TSH" that remained in German. "ZZ" was present in Old Frankish "quezzon = to hurt" . "ADD" instead of "ETS" is seen in Low German "quadderen" and Southern Swedish dialectal "kvadda", but with more limited meanings as " to break to pieces". Therefore the probable Proto-Germanic form is "*KW E TS -".
But there is also another group of Germanic words, that have a vowel " I " followed by the combination "ST". Gothic "kwistjan = to destroy, torment", Middle Low German "quisten; quist = to destroy , waste; destruction, torment", with similar words and meanings in Old and Middle High German. Middle Dutch "quist" has a more bland message of "( go to) waste" and "(go ) lost". Thus in Proto-Germanic there probably was a sister form of earlier mentioned "*KW E TS-" in "*KW I S T-".
Note:
- Indo-European.
Latin has the mentioned basic verb "quatio, quassi, quassum, quatere ". In composite verbs ""quassi" becomes "-cussi", as still seen in English "concussion". The intensive form is "quasso, quassare". This indicates that Latin, that does not like "TS" , made its own choice, using either " T " or " SS ". Comparable simplifications we have seen in the Note on Germanic. From "quassare" came "cassare".
Information about cognates in further Indo-European groups of languages seems to lack and a hypothesis for Indo-European may be "KW Ă TS-".
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 23/11/2012 at 17.21.22 |
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