GD 1094          SCHENNEN

H 0926                  נ ה י נ ש

Concept of root : sarcasm

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

נ ה י נ ש

sheninà

sharp derision, sarcasm

Related English words

sceon Old English

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

נ ה י נ ש

sheninà

sharp derision, sarcasm

sh . n .

Old English

sceon , scien

to defame, revile, insult

sc n

-

Middle Dutch

schennen , schenden

sghènnen ,

sghènden

to defame, revile, insult

sch . n ;

sch . n d

 

 

Hebrew SHENINÀ < Proto-Semitic *SHANÀ --- *SKÈN- Proto-Germanic

 

 

The noun “sheninà” is based on the Hebrew root “ SH . N . N” and represents a figurative meaning of that root. The concept of “sharp verbal derision” is not far from those the Dutch root stands for, “ reviling, insulting”.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . The root "SH N N " for "to sharpen" is found in Aramaic and Syriac, and has cognates in Arabic "sanna, sannana" . It was probably present in Proto-Semitic ש נ ן, SH N N" and it may have carried the figurative message of "sharp words" expressed in this entry.

 

Note:
  • Dutch. There is some slight confusion. In Middle Dutch there are two verbs “schenden”, one related to this entry, the other referring to physical damaging. They are easily distinguished though if we look at the past tense and the participle. The verb “schenden” that says “to violate, damage”, has there “schond, geschonden”. The verb “schenden” that refers to the concepts of this entry, has “schendde, geschendt”. Yet this diversification probably occurred with the intention of differentiating between the physical and figurative meanings and use of what originally was one root.

     

    It is certain that “schenden” with the weak conjugation is a development of “schennen” without the dental D. This can have occurred under the influence of the verb “schenden “ with the strong conjugation, or just possibly followed the frequent tendency in Germanic languages to add a dental to a root even without changing the basic meaning of it. This is a difference with Latin, where the adding of a T to a root brings an intensification of the meaning.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. On the be it limited basis of Old English and Dutch a hypothesis of Proto-Germanic "*SK È N-" may be ventured.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. We have no information from other branches of Indo-European about possible cognates. The comparison stays between Semitic and Germanic.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 02/01/2013 at 14.52.10