RU 1267A          OROSHATJ

H 0828             ס ס ר

Concept of root : sprinkling

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ס ס ר ;

ס ס ר ו

rasas;

roses

to sprinkle;

sprinkling

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

     ס ; ס ר

     ס ס ר ו

rasas;

roses

to sprinkle;

sprinkling

r . s . s <

*r . s

Greek

ερση

ersè

dew, drop, sprinkle

. r . s .

Russian

орошать;

роса;

oroshatj;

rosa

to sprinkle;

dew

r . sh ;

r . s

Latin

ros;

rorare;

ros ;

rorare

dew;

to dew, sprinkle

r . s ;

r . r

French

arroser ;

rosée

arrozé ;

rosé

to sprinkle ; dew

r . s .

 

 

Proto-Semitic *RAS, *ROS --- *RŌS- Indo-European

 

 

The similarity between Russian and Hebrew is clear and simple. More complicated the relation with French "arroser". First we may presume that this is a composite verb, with the basic form being "*roser" and the root " R . S ", present in Latin. Not clear is how come this French composite verb has maintained the "S". This was present in the first case of the Latin noun "ros" for "dew", but not in the other cases nor in the related verb "rorare" or in another, more popularly used Latin verb "irrorare = to dew, sprinkle".

 

 

Note:
  • Russian. The initial O is a prefix that confirms or refers, without any basic change in the meaning of the existing root. Related to the verb "oroshatj" we find the noun "роса, rosa = dew". Dew typically shows an effect that is comparable to that of artificial sprinkling.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew for "dew" uses the word " ט ל , thel ", and a "resisi thel" is a "dew-drop". In modern language an intensive form of rasas is used : "rissès".

     

    The same root, or an identical one, is also used to express "atomizing" and "small pieces" into which something is broken.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Proto-Semitic probably had the basic two consonant root "*ר ס , R S", but not yet the extended three consonant root "*ר ס ס , R S S". Aramaic shows three consonants in "ר ס ס , resas" , but Syriac still has a two consonant "ר ס , R S". In Arabic there is a cognate with "SH" instead of "S" : "rashsha = to sprinkle, spray".

     

    Important is that an old two consonant root might have used also a vowel " O " instead of " A ". This happens frequently, though in this case we have no specific indication. In the comparison we have the two alternatives.

 

Note:
  • Greek "ersè" has in common with the others the meanings of dew and sprinkle. It also has in its root "R S". There can be little doubt about a common origin. This means that the initial vowel, in this case an E (more frequently we find an "A" in such cases ), is just a confirming one, chosen for reasons of pronunciation or "speaking pleasure". This happens also in other languages. Italian sometimes does so in popular speaking.

     

    Obviously the supposition that Greek "ersè" came from a hypothetical predecessor "*wers-" is highly improbable in view of the similarity with the other languages. Nor is there any reason to relate to words like "urine".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Old Indian has "rasā = moisture, humidity" , that seems to be of the same origin as the other words of this entry.

     

    Slavic The hypothesis of "R O S Ā " should be right.

     

    Latin has this "ros, roris" with a verb "rorare", but also an older "rosare" and the origin was certainly "R Ō S-".

     

    Greek. The shown word is certainly related, with its meaning of "dew, drops of water, light rain", but it has an initial vowel that should be neutral. Yet some see it as coming from an earlier "wers', supposing that it would be related to the verb "oureo = to urinate". This seems improbable. Also difficult is the certainly existing relationship with the noun "drosos = dew, freshwater". The "D" at the beginning has no explanation.

     

    In all probability there was a basic "*R Ō S-" in Indo-European.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 27/11/2012 at 8.32.26