E 0822         SIGHT, SAW

The words " sight " and " saw " are of Germanic origin .

H 0893            ח י ג ש ה , ח ג ש *

Concept of root : to see and view

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

;ח ג ש *

ח י ג ש ה

*shagagh;

hishgiagh

to view;

to oversee, observe

Related English words

saw , sight

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ח ג ש * ;

ח י ג ש ה

*shagagh ;

hishgiagh

to view ;

to oversee, observe

sh . g . gh

English

sight

sight

s . gh (t)

Dutch

(ik) zag ;

zicht

zagh;

 zight

(I) saw ;

 sight

z . gh (t)

German

Sicht

zìkht

sight

s . kh (t)

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHAGAGH < *SHAG--- *SĀG-, *SĀH- Proto-Germanic

 

 

This entry is related to number E 0821 (Hebrew 0849 , "sakhà") , that also deals with seeing and viewing. And therefore also the related European words are the same. The Hebrew root of this entry, "SH G GH", shows a not very common doubling of the middle consonant G, in that the added consonant is not identical to the second, but is a "GH". Further different words dealing with the concept of "to see" also present various different gutturals, respectively G , GH, K and KH . This is all possibly due to local differentiations of pronunciation .

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. The standard active form of this verb was already not written in the Bible. This does not necessarily mean that it was out of use, but just that there is no written testimony about it . In order to define its meaning, we have two options. Starting point is the verb "hishgiagh" that normally is a causative form. The overseeing refers for example to the way God , from where He is , oversees all mankind.

     

    In this case it is more probable that there is not a causative action as to the mankind He oversees, but more that He makes himself see and view as He wants, from where He sits. This is comparable with the composite verb "to oversee" in English. Thus the meaning of the standard verb is "to view".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is also found in Aramaic "ש ג ח , shegagh = he looked, gazed at" and may well have been present in Proto-Semitic: "*ש ג ח , SH G GH". An older two consonant version may have existed in Proto-Semitic: "*ש ג , SH G ".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. The probable forms in Proto-Germanic are "*S Ă G-", "*S Ă H-", and "*S Ĭ HT". In older languages there are for "saw" to be seen : Gothic "sahw", Old Norse "sa", Old High German sah", Old English "seah" and Middle Dutch "sach". For "sight" there are Old English "sihth", Old and Middle High German "siht" and Middle Dutch "sicht".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. There seem to be no indications for possible cognates in other branches of Indo-European. The comparison stays between Germanic and Semitic.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: Thursday 7 February 2013 at 16.05.35