E 1019          XENO -

The first wordpart " xeno- " is of Greek origin .

H 0900         ן כ ש

Concept of root : person from elsewhere

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ן כ ש

shakhèn

neighbour,  person from other town

Related English words

xeno-

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ן כ ש

shakhèn

neighbour, person from town nearby

sh . kh . n

Greek

ξενος

xenos

stranger

ks . n

English

xeno-

xeno-

ks . n

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHAKEN --- *XENOS Greek

 

 

This Hebrew root has a basic message of "to settle down", with also "to remain, live", also referred to the placing of tents. It certainly thought of third parties that come to live, as the noun "shakhèn" refers clearly to neighbours, near or a bit further off.

 

Greek "xenos" has found its way in many modern languages, in derivations as "xenophobia". A xenos is a stranger, but basically one that is welcome, that is readily received in friendship.

 

The supposition of common origin means that somewhere along the road of development of one or the other a metathesis has taken place, through which Greek " K S " may correspond with "Hebrew" "SH K". We have no indications to demonstrate such a metathesis with other words in one of the two tongues. Anyhow it would imply something we think is true :

 

Note:
  • Greek "xenos" is not related to Latin "hostis", via some supposed common ancester "*ghostis". Also the meaning of both words is different. A Latin "hostis" is a stranger, but the word is nearly exclusively for "enemy, adversary ". A Greek "xenos" is a welcome guest. Latin "hostis" is related to English "guest". We see that the development versus enmity as seen in Latin, not has taken place in Germanic.

     

    In Ionian the word is "ξεινος, xeinos". An older form "*xenwos" is a hypothesis, but further certainty is not available.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew in modern language has a "shakhèn" just as a "neighbour"

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic is considered as having used the same root present in Hebrew "*ש כ ן , SH K N" . The root is seen in Phoenician "ש כ ן , SH KH N" , in Aramaic "ש כ י ן , shekhèn" and in Syriac "ש כ ן , shekhèn", all saying "to dwell".

     

    Ugaritic uses the same root for the same meaning. With "S" instead of "SH" there is Arabic "sakana = he rested, dwelled". Again "SH" in Akkadian "shakānu = to set up a dwelling". Indeed this root was probably in use in Proto-Semitic. In the comparison we indicate the vowels " A - E ", one of the versions that may have been present in Proto-Semitic.

     

    It remains uncertain if the opening consonant was " SH "or " S " or if it even varied between both. The central consonant certainly knew its original pronunciation as " K " .

 

 

 

 
"...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 16.07.20