GR 1195          KEIMAI

H 0795             ם י ק

Concept of root : existence

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ם י ק

qayam

existing, existence

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      ם י ק

qayam

existing, existence

q . y . m

Greek

κειμαι

keimai

to exist,

be there

k . (i) m

 

 

Proto-Semitic *QAYAM --- KEIM-AI < *KEIM-ÜMI Greek

 

 

The similarity seems perfect and so it is. But there is also some aspects that might create some confusion. For that we look into Greek and then make a comparison with Hebrew.

 

But first we point out that the root of this entry, "ק י ם , Q Y M", with messages regarding "existence", is found in Post Biblical Hebrew. This does not mean that it was newly born then. It did not come out of the blue and it must have existed in Biblical times, even if it has not found its way into the written texts of the Bible.

 

 

Note:
  • Greek has a verb "κειω , keio", also "κεω , keo", that means "to want to lie down, go to sleep". Our verb "keimai" looks very much like a medio-passive form of one of those verbs, though it then should have had an O in between, for example "*keomai". It does not have that O, but it means "to lie down, be lying". The complication is that the same, or better an identical word "keimai" means "to exist, be there", a message that cannot be explained as a passive or medio-passive form of "to lie down".

     

    There is another verb in Greek, "κοιμαω , koimao", that is related with "keimai" and carries the message of "to lie down" as well as "to lay down" or "to make lie down" as well as some figurative meanings. In modern language this verb continues only in the medio-passive form "κοιμαμαι , kimamè" that stands for "to sleep".

     

    This second verb has obviously a root that is identical to the Hebrew one of "qayam". We can only conclude that in "keimai" we see a get-together of two very similar roots, in which the medio-passive form of one, handling about lying down, has met the standard form of the other. "Keimai" coming from "keio" and dealing with lying down should have been "*keiomai". " Keimai" the independent standard form , dealing with existence, should have been "*κειμ(υ)μι or *κειμμι , *keimmi". This kind of adventures may happen in languages. The similarity with Hebrew shows us that this has happened in Greek.

 

Note:
  • Greek and Hebrew. There is another very interesting aspect to this confrontation of developments. We see both languages with the root "Q Y M" or "K (I) M" that can be considered identical and covering the important meaning of "existence".

     

    Then we see Greek with a rather similar root, this time with "K (O) M" treating the subject of lying down. Can we find this in Hebrew as well ? Upon rereading entry E 0186 (Hebrew 0786) "qom" we see that the two concepts of coming and going, as well as those of going up and going down, in older cultures were expressed by one root. Apparently the same goes for Greek "K (O) M" is "to lie down" and Hebrew "Q O M" is "to get up". We recall that both concepts were expressed by one and the same verb in Middle Dutch and Old High German ! The ways of language sometimes are nearly unscrutable.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is present in Aramaic and Syriac "ק י מ א, qayamà = living, existing, enduring, lasting". This root may well have existed in Proto-Semitic: "*ק י ם , Q Y M".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The so interesting similarity between Greek and Hebrew does not seem to find much further support. In a couple of cases the concept of "existence" is linked to that of "living". The first one is Armenian.

     

    Armenian has "keam = live" as a verbal form.

     

    Old English says "lively" with the words "cwic, cwicu, cucu" that have led to Modern English "quick" and have sister words in many Germanic languages. In modern Dutch "kwiek" still says "lively". It is quite possible that the second consonant "K" in these words is the result of a doubling, as for example Gothic is given without it. But there is no consonant "M", that seems to be an essential element in Greek and Hebrew. Also in other related Indo-European words this "M" lacks, as in Old Church Slavonic "zjivū" and Old Indian "jiva", both saying "lively".

     

    Consequently we have no solid basis for a hypothesis for Indo- European.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 24/11/2012 at 17.57.01