E 0836       SLEET

The word " sleet " is of Germanic origin .

H 0903            ג ל ש

Concept of root : snow, sleet

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ג ל ש

sheleg

snow, sleet

Related English words

sleet

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ג ל ש

sheleg

snow, sleet

sh . l . g

Middle Dutch

slegge

slegghe

snow, sleet

s l . g

English

sleet

sleet

s l . t

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHELEG --- *SLÈG- Proto-Germanic

 

 

The similarity between Hebrew and Middle Dutch words and roots is amazing, many times, and also here.

 

Probably English "sleet" that in Middle and probably also in Old English was "slete", is related, but it has acquired a T. This may even have eliminated the original G, via an intermediate "slegte", but that is for the moment guessing. Old English itself has a question mark for "slete". Middle Dutch besides "slegge" also has "sleye", in an English looking development.

 

 

Note
  • Proto-Semitic .

     

    This root, "SH L G" is also found in Akkadian. As is the case more often, it corresponds with Aramaic and Syriac that have an initial " T ", in "ת ל ג א, talgā = snow". In Arabic we see then a cognate "thalj", with initial "TH" and with as often the "G" changed into "J". It is the similarity with Indo- European that makes for Proto-Semitic more probable the Hebrew version "*ש ל ג , SH L G". In our comparison we use two vowels " E ", that may have been present in Proto-Semitic.

 

Note
  • Proto-Germanic . We have not found much further information regarding words similar to Middle Dutch " slegge" that could confirm the particular similarity with Hebrew. Middle Low German, that in fact is very near to Middle Dutch, had "slagge" with about the same meaning. The information is limited but it needs an explanation. Proto-Germanic may have had this "*SL È G-".

 

Note
  • Indo-European. We have not found information regarding possible cognates in other branches of Indo-European. The comparison remains between Semitic and Germanic.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: Thursday 7 February 2013 at 16.09.16