E 0743          RŌW

The Old English word " rōw " is of Germanic origin .

H 0811           ע ג ו ר  ; ע ג ר

Concept of root : peaceful rest

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

; ע ג ר

ע ג ו ר

rag‛à;

rogé‛à

to rest;

calm, peaceful

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      ע ג ר ;

ע ג ו ר

rag‛à ;

rogé‛à

to rest ;

calm, peaceful

r . g . (‛) . ;

r (o) g (‛) .

German

Ruhe

rue

rest, peace

r (u) . (‘) .

Old High German

rawa,

ruowa

rawa,

ruowa

rest, peace

r . w .

r (uo) w .

Old English

rōw

rest, peace

r (o) (w)

Middle Dutch

 rouwe, roe

r(ou)we,rowe

rest, calm

r (o) (w) .

Faeroese

 rogv

rogv

rest, calm

r (o) gv

Greek

 ερωη

ερωη

withdrawal, cessation, calm

r o (è)

 

 

Proto-Semitic *RAG‛À --- *RŌW- < *RŌGW- Proto-Germanic < *RŌGW- Indo-European

 

 

The Hebrew adjective " rogé‛a" is Modern Hebrew, but the root "rag‛à" is classic language. Its message " to rest, repose" is also expressed by the causative form "hirg‛i", though that form also maintains the more real causative " to give rest to, to make repose".

 

There are some very particular aspects to this root or group of roots, in Greek "ερωη" and in Middle Dutch "roe". See our notes here below.

 

But the basic similarity in this case is seen with Old High German . The key points are :
  • 1. the Hebrew G once more corresponds with a Germanic W, that then in modern language has disappeared.

     

  • 2. the accent on the last part , emphasized by the use of Ayin in Hebrew, is not found in Germanic. But in Hebrew it had a special function in order to distinguish this root from a cousin, " ר ג ש , R, G, SH", that stands for the opposite of rest and quiet : " restlessness, agitation".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. There are in older languages roots that express two concepts that modern people see as opposites. This is also the case with the root "ר ג ע , R G Ayin", that in Hebrew on the one hand is used for "to be at rest, repose", "quiet, restful" and "moment", but on the other hand as "to move, set in motion, disturb", "instantaneous", suddenly". The original meaning in such a case can be that of a change in a given situation , position or attitude. In the actual case this might be "to change one way or the other between rest and movement". Regretfully we do not have much information for this root from other Semitic languages, besides Arabic , that shows "raja‛a = he returned to his position" and "ra‛aja = he disturbed". In these words the "G", as so often in Arabic, has become "J". A fair hypothesis seems that Proto-Semitic anyhow had the root "*ר ג ע , R G Ayin", with two contrasting messages.

 

Note:
  • Greek "ερωη , eroè" means two practically opposite things. The first one indicates "bolting, launching, impetus", the second " withdrawal, cessation (of battle)". This last induces us to insert it in our table, even supposing also that the initial E is not part of the original root. But the double meaning may create doubt. Then comparing with Hebrew "ר ג ע , R G Ayin", we see approximately the same couple of contrasting meanings. So our Greek word should be in the table, especially as we will see that it has a similarity with the older forms of "rest" without final "ST".

 

Note:
  • Middle Dutch "roe" belongs in our table, but the odd thing is that "roe" was also used for "savage, indomitable". This we believe cannot be explained by its similarity to the little word "ro", that says "raw".

 

Note:
  • Gothic and Nordic tongues use the words "rasta" and "rost" also to indicate a distance, obviously between two rest-points, as is done in French "étape" and Italian "tappa".

 

Note:
  • Germanic languages have developed as well a different root on the same basis: "R . S T", found in English "rest", German "Rast" and Dutch "rust", with the same message. The U in Dutch is a classical "WAW", that has become a vowel, as we find it also as " O " and " I " in the dialectal words"roste" and "riste".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. One finds in Germanic languages mostly "RO", a couple of sounds that in the Nordic languages, with the very important exception of Faeroese "rogv", is also the complete word. If we compare this short word with Old English "row" and Middle Dutch "rowe" and "rouwe" it becomes clear that we encounter an adventurous letter/sound "W", that as so often is seen developing many forms, like "OW", "OUW" "UW" , but also can remain or return to be "W", asking help from a vowel for pronunciation This is seen in Middle High German with "ruowe, ruo, rouwe, rawe" just as in Middle Dutch and Middle Low German that have "rouwe, rowe, rawe".

     

    Can any importance be given to that "G" found in Faeroese? We think so, and we give another example, another case in which a root has been shortened in Scandivian/Nordic languages, but in which Faeroese maintained a G-sound not present in other Germanic tongues. A verb "se" for " to see" is present in many older and newer Nordic languages, but Faeroese has "siggja = to see". And Faeroese as a Germanic language normally must have inherited those G's in "rogv" and "siggja" from Proto-Germanic. In the case of "see and "siggja" it has to be remarked that the past tense of "to see" Dutch has a " G " in "zag = saw "! Consequently one may hypothesize for Proto-Germanic an older form "*R O GW-" besides a newer already developed "*R OW-".

     

    It must be remarked again that Germanic languages, and Proto-Germanic as such, have extended and adapted the root of this entry, adding a (double) suffix "ST", as seen in English "rest", German "Rast" and Dutch "rust". This last word remains nearer to the origin, with the vowel "U" that is a development of "W". Proto-Germanic may well have had already this "*R U ST-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The Greek word "ερωη , eroè" shows great similarity with the older Germanic forms, as for example seen in Middle Dutch. The initial vowel "E" is a prefix of confirming character that does not change the basic meaning. Outside there is not much information about possible cognates. Welsh "araf = quiet" may be related though, also with a confirming prefix, in this case a vowel " A ".

     

    The information is not abundant, but points at an Indo-European form without final "ST" and without a vowel-prefix : "*R Ō W-". Yet this does not explain the absence of the " G " as shown under Proto-Germanic and present in Semitic. One may surmise, be it with some doubts, that the " G " was present in Indo-European, but disappeared as it did from Proto-Germanic. Here we have again that problem about the similarity between Semitic and Germanic being greater than with what should be the preceding Indo-European.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 31/12/2012 at 15.44.06