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E 0833 SKELETON
The word " skeleton " is of
Greek origin .
H 0902 ד ל
ש
Concept of root : skeleton
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ד ל ש
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sheled
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skeleton
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Related English words
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skeleton, from Greek
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Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
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Languages
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Words
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Pronunciation
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English meanings
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Similarity in roots
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Hebrew
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ד ל ש
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sheled
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skeleton
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sh . l . d
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Greek
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σκελετον
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skeleton
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skeleton
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s k . l . (t)
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English
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skeleton
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skeleton
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s k . l . (t)
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Proto-Semitic *SHELED --- *SKELET-ON Greek
Indo European scholars say that Greek "skeleton" is of a root "*skel", that is identical to or the same as the root "skel" of the Greek word "σκελος , skelos = leg ". The word "skeleton" should then be a past participle of the verb "σκελλω , skello = to dry (out)" and have the original meaning of "dried out".
It is not clear why a human frame of bones should be named a "dried-out". One might also consider that only a limited part of skeletons, that is those that are not buried, will have a typically dried-out aspect, and that only after a very long time.
A further aspect to think over is that in Germanic languages the words for "leg" and "bone" are the same. In German, as well as already in Old High German, this is "Bein", in Dutch "been" that is old in both senses as well. The same goes for Norwegian, Swedish and Danish "ben". There is no indication that any of the two meanings, leg or bone, would have been earlier than the other.
To this we add that a skeleton is in German also "Gebein", in Norwegian and Swedish "benrangel", in Danish "benrad" and in Dutch "gebeente", but also "geraamte". One should know that a "raam" is a "frame", one of the meanings of Hebrew " sheled" .
Our conclusion is that Greek "skeleton" has two meanings, based on two different roots. The first is that of "dried out". The second one is like English "skeleton, (human) frame" and should be considered not as derived from the verb "skello" that says "to dry", but as related to "skelos" that stands for "leg". This idea is strengthened by the existence of another Greek noun, that is "σχελίς , skheĺs = rib ", another important part of the human skeleton. Consequently there is no reason at all to suppose that Greek has loaned "skeleton" from Syriac "sheladà". Nor is there any reason to suppose that the Hebrew word "sheled" would come from Akkadian "shalamtu = the whole corpse". This last word has a root "SH L M = to be(come) complete" and is thus like "one's whole self", that has little to do with a skeleton.
Note
- Proto-Semitic .
This root is present in Syriac "ש ל ד א, sheladà = skeleton". Some see this as loaned from Akkadian shalamtu = corpse", but thios may be unrelated as it seems to be based on the root "SH L M " found in Akkadian "shalamu = to be complete", a root found in Hebrew as well. The root of this entry may well have been in use in Proto-Semitic: ש ל ד , SH L D". In the comparison we have the vowels " E + E ", as in Hebrew and that may have been in use in Proto-Semitic.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: Sunday 3 February 2013 at 11.31.27 |
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