E 0757         SAME , -SOME

The word " same " and the wordpart " –some " are of Germanic origin .

H 0915             ם ש

Concept of root : identifying

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ם ש

shem

name, fame, reputation, designation

Related English words

-some, same

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ם ש

shem

name, fame, reputation, designation

sh . m

English

-some ;

same

-some ;

same

s . m

German

-sam

-sam

-some

s . m

Swedish

-sam ;

samme

-sam;

samme

-some ;

same

s - m

Dutch

-zaam

-zaam

-some

z . m

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHUM --- *SĀM- Indo-European

 

 

We are not the first to suppose that this important Hebrew word, "shem" for "name", but also "fame, reputation, designation" in its origin indicated the concept of "to identify". We know that the " SH " has had a function regarding the idea of "to be" and the " M " regarding that of "to belong, come from". It is not unlogic that the two combined would carry the notion of "to identify". We confirm that this is a hypothesis .

 

The similarity we suppose with some suffixes, among which English "-some", is not in line with the usual idea, according to which "-some" is the ‘same(!)’ as "same". But then why is it "some" ? The reasoning puts together, if we look at German, several words, such as "sammeln = to gather", "samt = together"and the suffix " –sam = -some ". There is agreement that this suffix stood for "being like ". But this would be a quite different idea from " to be together". All would be based on a root in Indo European, " * sem ", related to Latin "semel = once ", "semper = always", simplex = simple" and "similis = alike ".

 

Adding the suffix "-some" or defining with "same" are two ways in which identification takes place. An object, idea or person is identified as being alike with , respectively identical to something or someone. Between Germanic and Hebrew the identifying is not expressed exactly alike, because in one there is an example indicated, in the other an independent name is given. But the basic concept remains that of identifying.

 

We realize that this is a little bit audacious as a reasoning. It is worth while to have another look at the difference between the Germanic languages. We see the suffix " –some " and its sisters in all four mentioned tongues. But English " same" has sisters in Nordic, but not in German and Dutch, that use the words "selbe " and "zelfde". These again are cousins of English "self", another identifying word.

 

Our interface is narrow, but strong on the basis of this concept of "to identify". And we find some help in another Hebrew word : " ע צ ם , 'etsem". This means "self" and we believe it is related with English "same". This closes a circle perhaps. The word "‛etsem" we see as having had the first letter, the ע , called Ayin, as a reinforcing prefix for the original root "* TS M", that carried similar meaning. Another indication for this hypothesis lies in the verb " צ מ ד, "tsamad =, to join, unite, "seen in entry E 0848 (Hebrew 1014)", in German and Dutch "zusammenstellen", respectively "samendoen", both with the same root of English "same".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Some scholars hypothesize : *Aleph I SH I M". This is based on the fact that Arabic has "sim", "ism" and "usm" for Hebrew "shem". We find it more probable that the Arabic initial " I " and "U" are prefixes, and not part of a Proto-Semitic root. Another possibility lies in a metathesis in Arabic. The picture is as follows :

     

     

    "SHUM" in Akkadian, Biblical Aramaic e.o. branches, Jibbali

     

    "SUM" in Harari

     

    "SEM" in Ethiopic

     

    "SHIMM" in modern Aramaic

     

    "SHEM" in Hebrew, Soqotri, Aramaic

     

    The conclusion from this is that the root in Proto-Semitic probably had a "Waw" : "*ש ו ם , SH . W . M", with possible pronunciation as "shum". Interesting remains the initial "S" in some southern languages, like the "S" in Indo European .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . The existing hypothesis is "*S Ā M-" for both "same" and "-some", that indeed has various sister words that still have that vowel "Ā".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European Besides the very clear contribution from Germanic, there is some more information.

     

    Old Indian "samá = -some"

     

    Greek "ομος‛, homos = same"has been derived from an older "*somos" in a very common Greek development

     

    Slavic has a hypothesis of "*samu", with a Russian "самый, samŭ = same".

     

     

    Indo-European probably had the form "*S Ā M-".

     

 

 

 

 
"...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 16.17.16