E 0492          JACKAL

The word " jackal " is of not exactly defined Indo European origin .

H 0888            ל ח ש , ל ע ש

Concept of root : smaller canine

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

  ל ; ע ש

ל ח ש 

shu‛al ;

shaghal

fox ;

jackal

Related English words

jackal, from Persian  

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ל ע ש ;

ל ח ש

shu‛al ;

shaghal

fox ;

jackal

sh . (‛) . l ;

sh . gh . l

English

jackal

jackal

Persian

sciaghal

shaghal

jackal

sh . gh . l

Sanskrit

srigāla

srigala

fox,

jackal

shr g . l

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHA‛ÀL --- *SRIGÂL-A Sanscrit

 

 

We have here rightaway quite a problem, because some consider the word "shaghal" in the Bible to mean "lion". And in fact in Modern Hebrew it has come to say "lion". There are many other names for lions, such as law’ą, law’ģ, laģsh, ari, arič . Some, perhaps for that reason, translate "shaghal" as "young lion". A young lion already is a "kefir" or a "gor". So there certainly was no lack of words to design these important animals. In Biblical times lions still lived in Israel, like in Greece. And both Simson and Hercules had to fight them. As to the word "shu‛al", this is also spelled with a letter waw , "ו", as mater lectionis.

 

The word "shaghal" in Psalm 91:13 is translated by some as "lion", by others as "jackal". The question boils down to the dilemma if the Psalm says " you will step on the lion and the snake, you will trample the lion-cub and the drake ", or instead " you will step on the jackal and the cobra, you will trample the lion cub and the (ordinary) snake." We will not pretend to know things better, but the second phrase has a logical advantage.

 

Another point is that there is a verb " ז ח ל , zaghal " meaning "to crawl" whereas our rather similar verb " ש ח ל , shaghal " means " to sneak". Jackals do sneak. Lions do so a bit less.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. We encounter another problem , with the hypothetical Proto-Semitic (* T Ayin L" instead of the Hebrew one " SH Ayin L". The hypothesis with initial T is based on the fact that it exists in Aramaic and Arabic. In southern languages the situation is mixed and in Akkadian we see the "SH". The comparison with the Indo European words may induce us to suppose that the Semitic version with "SH" as initial consonant already existed in early Proto-Semitic : " *ש ע ל , SH Ayin L". It is difficult to establish when the root with "T" came into life . In our comparison we use two vowels " A ".

 

Note:
  • English "jackal" has it sisters in many modern languages, from German "Schakal", Dutch "jakhals", Italian "sciacallo", modern Greek "tsakali" to French and Spanish "chacal". Also the Russians say "шакал , shakal". Modern Greek "tsakalia" is also used to indicate packs of wild dogs that , as in the greater part of modern southern Europe, make the territory very dangerous for children, on beautiful Greek islands as in the countryside of Italy.

     

    There is agreement among many on the origin , that is seen as Turkish "ēakal" from Persian " sciaghal (shaghal)" identical to Hebrew , but coming from Sanskrit , in which the word " srigāla " that stood for "jackal", also meant "fox".

 

Note:
  • Greek and Latin. The classic Greeks had quite a different word for "jackal" : "θως , thos". And the Romans spoke of the "Golden Dog", "canis aureus".

 

Note:
  • Sanskrit, Persian and Hebrew . Here the ends meet. There has been much contact between Persian speakers and Hebrew speakers during the Persian Empire, after the forced exile under Nebuchadnezzar . Therefore it looks as if words might have been loaned. But as the Sanskrit word meant both jackal and fox, and Hebrew diversifies between the two animals by applying either a Ghet ( for the jackal) or an Ayin ( for the fox ) as middle consonant, the common origin seems clear from there, between Indo European ( represented by Sanskrit ) and Hebrew. No wonder if the two small canids were identical or very near in name.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Words in Indo-European languages like English "jackal" are generally considered as having their origin in Sanscrit, through loaning. The comparison remains in this case between Sanscrit and Semitic.

 

 

 

 
"...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: Thursday 7 February 2013 at 16.04.55