E 0726          RICH

The word " rich " is of Germanic origin .

H 0819            ש ו כ ר ; ש כ ר

Concept of root : acquire riches

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ש ו כ ר ,ש כ ר

rakhash; 

rekhush

to acquire;

fortune, riches

Related English words

rich

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      ש כ ר ;

ש ו כ ר

rakhash ;

rekhush

to acquire;

fortune, riches

r . kh . sh

English

rich

rich

r . kh

German

reich

reikh

rich

r . kh

 

 

Proto-Semitic *RAKASH --- *RĪK- Proto-Germanic

 

 

Capitalism in Hebrew , modern of course, is "rekhushanut", with the use of this root. A capitalist is a "rekhushan". In order to establish the kinship within this entry we must look into the ruling opinion.

 

English "rich", like German "reich", is considered to be not only related to, but to have been derived from the same root that has given Latin "rex = king". See entry E 0720 (Hebrew 0798). Certainly the root of the German noun "Reich = realm", that is not used in modern English, but was in Old English "rice", is related to "rex". It is identical to the adjective "reich = rich". The usual reasoning is that riches are acquired by rulers, therefore the word "rich" comes from "rex" , or perhaps more precisely Gothic "reiks = ruler, commander", though it does have this word for "rich". The statement is : "The meaning ‘being rich’ has been derived from the meaning ‘being king’ . We have to doubt this thesis.

 

First of all, from the oldest times, many more people than kings or commanders became rich. Also the prime characteristic of a king or prince was not that of being rich, but that of being powerful, and some powerful people even never became rich of their own. Another point is : How could the Germanic speakers derive a word (rich) from a substantive (rex, reiks) that they never used ? The Latin speakers loaned this word from the Germanic speakers, as in French "riche" Spanish "rico" and Italian "ricco". And now we see the same root present in Biblical Hebrew, without any reference to "rex" or "rosh" of entry E 720 (Hebrew 0798).

 

 

Consequently we must opt for an independent and not identical root for this entry. Remains anyhow the difference between Semitic and Germanic in this case, that is the third consonant " SH " in Semitic that is not seen in Germanic.

 

Notwithstanding our reasoning we must confirm that in for example Middle Dutch the word "riken" says "to make rich, to become rich" ( also spiritually !!), but also "to become, make powerful ( also spiritually)". Both concepts have become rather mixed in languages.

 

 

Note:
  • Dutch seems to be alone in having this root, that has a K-sound like Hebrew and offers similar meanings.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is seen in Aramaic: "ר כ ש, rekhash = to gather property, goods" and the basis for a hypothesis is narrow, but useful for a Proto-Semitic "*ר כ ש , R K SH".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic probably had a form "*R Ī K-." In order to distinguish safely between the meanings "realm" and "rich" it may be useful to look at some old words for "wealth, riches". Old Saxon "rīkidōm", Old Frisian "rīkedōm", Old English "rīcedōm" , Old Norse " "rīkdōmr" and Middle Dutch "rijcdom". This confirms our hypothesis.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. A clear road from Indo-European to Proto-Germanic has not been established. The comparison stays between Semitic and Germanic.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 26/11/2012 at 16.54.02