GD 1074          RANK

H 0825             ק ר

Concept of root : thin

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ק ר

raq

thin, meager

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      ק ר

raq

thin, slim meager;

only

r . q

Dutch

rank

rank

thin, meager

r . nk

 

 

Proto-Semitic *RAQ --- *RĂNK Proto-Germanic

 

 

In transcribing we follow the habit of many to use the Latin letter Q for the Hebrew letter ק , named Qoph. There are two remarks on this. First, that it is practical to distinguish between two different sounds. One is the K-sound that according to its position or to the letters it meets, can change into KH or S or TSH. The other is the Q-sound that never changes.

 

The second remark is that the letter Q or q is the graphic descendant of the Hebrew ק. It has just been turned around when people began to write from left to right instead of the other way as the Jews did and do. And the letter C or c , the K used in Latin and many modern languages ( in English much more frequent than K ), is just a turned-around Hebrew Kaph : כ, the K-sound that changes. There would be much more than these two essential facts to say about this and there is some confusion about the matter, but that is out of the subject this list. The turning around of the two letters can be explained as a consequence of the writing from left to right instead of from right to left as was done with the original.

 

The principal meaning of the word "raq" in modern language is that of "only", but also the other ones ares still there.

 

In comparing the words we note that the Germanic word, in this case Dutch, has been nasalized, that is an N-sound has been introduced before the K.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew and Dutch once more share an old root.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic is seen with the same root, that continued thus into Hebrew. This root also has been extended into "R Q Q" to shape a more practicable verb, that is a three consonant verb, saying " to be thin". It must be noted that an identical root is also used for "to spit".

     

    With one Q and Aleph as a prefix it is found in Syriac "א ר ק , areq = he made thin, thinned". In Arabic "raqqà" says " to be(come) thin", using a doubled Q, but not two Q's. Again Syriac "ר ק י ק א, raqqiq'à = thin", and also Ethiopian "raqaqa = was, became thin" and Akkadian "raqāqu = to be thin" have the root with two Q's.

     

    Proto-Semitic probably had "*ר ק , R Q ." and also already "*ר ק ק , R . Q . Q".

 

Note:
  • English "rank" for "relative position" has nothing to do with this root. Nor had Old English "ranc" that stood for "haughty" and might be related to the just mentioned English word. The other English word "rank" with botanic and "tasty" messages is also of different origin. It has sisters in other Germanic tongues.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . The comparison between Hebrew "raq" and Dutch "rank" is obvious. Middle Dutch and Middle Low German share the position with modern Dutch, but similar words in other Germanic languages have far different messages, such as Old English "ranc = proud, brave, strong". To us it also seems clear that the word "rank" of this entry has no relation at all with the words of the entries E 0716 (Hebrew 0066) and E 0879 (Hebrew 0826), that deal with the concepts of "to reach " and " to stretch out".

     

    There is a Dutch noun "rank" that means "tender and slim branches".

     

    Then there are Germanic words that use instead of a vowel "A" an "I". Modern German and Dutch have "gering = small, slight". In Old and Middle High German as well as in Middle Low German the word is found without the prefix "ge-" : "ring(e) = small, light, of little value". A similar "ring" is found in those languages, but also in Middle Dutch and Old Frisian, with the message of "fast, soon, quick". It is quite uncertain if these words are related with those indicating "smallness, insignificance". Proto-Germanic for the concept of the actual entry probably had already a nasalized version of "*rak" , as "*R Ă NK-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European . We are without useful information regarding possible cognates in other Indo-European branches. The comparison remains between Germanic and Semitic, as frequently is the case

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 31/12/2012 at 16.19.27