E 0160          (TO)  CHANGE

The word " change " is a loanword from French .

H 0923                 ה נ ש

Concept of root : change

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה נ ש

shaną

change

Related English words

change

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה נ ש

shaną

change

sh . n .

Italian

cangiare

candzyare

to change

c . ng .

French

changer

shanzyé

to change

ch . ng

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHANÀ --- *CHANG-ER French < CANGI-ARE Italian

 

 

At first sight the possible reactions are two. If one has no knowledge of etymologies, one may say that the two words look rather alike and may well have a common origin. But if one has some more knowledge he will say no : this English word comes via French "change" from Latin "cambiare", and that is too far from Hebrew "shaną". So we must try to have a better look into this.

 

Latin "cambiare" is not an old classic word with a known Latin root. On the contrary, it is seen first in Apuleius, second century Common Era. And various scholars say that it is of Celtic origin. French is basically Latin, pronounced by Celts and then Germans or a mixture of them, and with a host of Germanic words and also some Celtic ones. Would "change" be one of them? It is certainly odd that a Latin word "cambiare" would become " change" in French.

 

Also Italian can show us something. It is always nearer to Latin of which is a natural development, be it not without foreign influence. Well, in Italian we have, besides the Late Latin word "cambiare", an equivalent old-fashioned "cangiare". If we recall that French regularly has made a "CH" ( pronounced SH ) out of Latin C, also before an A, than we conclude that "changer" does not come from "cambiare", but is related to "cangiare". And then it is quite possible that this Italo-French couple of verbs is of Celtic origin.

 

Consequently we put French "changer" and Italian "cangiare" in our table. Regretfully for now we have no found any elaboration on the supposed Celtic origin.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . This root is present in Aramaic "ש נ א, shen'ą =he changed". Also Syriac uses the same root, but adds some stronger and negative meanings regarding the kind of changes. Akkadian "shanū = to change". This root was probably in use in Proto-Semitic "* ש נ ה , SH N Hé (accentuated vowel)".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew and the Year. The verb "shaną" , besides "to change" also has the meaning of " to repeat, do again". Often the two meanings are considered as belonging to two independent but identical verbs. Hebrew calls a year a "shaną", just like the verb for " to change " and " to repeat". It is quite possible that the two words are based on the same root. The Hebrew Year, shaną, then means a period between moments of change or periods that repeat themselves . Such changes or repeating can refer to a new complete cycle of the position of the sun as observed from the earth, or a year. It can also indicate the changing from summer to winter, or even between the four seasons. Finally it might refer to the changing of the aspects of the moon as it appears from the earth. This may help explain the problem of the counting of the length of the life of people like Metushelah . The word "shaną" is often used in singular , like in Germanic tongues . It should be noted that anyhow the word "shaną" for "year", in pre-Biblical language had a suffix indicating a feminine noun : "shanat".

 

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 04/12/2012 at 11.26.34