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E 0880 (TO) STRIKE
The verb " to strike " is of
Germanic origin .
H 1000 ק ר ט
Concept of root : to hit with hand
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ק ר ט
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tharaq
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to hit,
strike
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Related English words
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to
strike, stroke
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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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ק ר ט
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tharaq
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to hit, strike
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th . r . q
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English
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to strike; stroke
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to strike ;
stroke
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s t r . k
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Swedish
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stryk
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strük
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beating (more strokes)
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s t r . k
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Old Norse
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strjuka
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strjüka
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to strike
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s t r . k
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German
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streichen ;
Streich
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streikhen;
streikh
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to strike ;
stroke
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s t r . k
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Proto-Semitic *THARAQ --- *STRĪK- Proto-Germanic < *TRĪK- Indo-European
There exists a considerable number of applications of roots that have "S T R" and several that add a K : "S T R K", all filled up with some vowel or vowels of course. It is very difficult to link them to one and the same origin and we will not try to do so. We may remark that some of these cases refer to specific actions of the human hand , as in English "to strike" and "to stroke". Often they are thrown on one heap, though the actions seem too fundamentally different for that. The chosen solution is that the meaning of " to hit, strike" is the older one and that "to stroke" has developed from there.
In sister languages of English we find even more different meanings of roots with these same four consonants. But anyhow that couple of two meanings is also seen in some of them. Swedish "stryka" is "to stroke" plus many comparable things, but a "stryk" is a "beating" as shown in the table. And in Old Norse "strjuka" we find both meanings of "to strike" and "to stroke". An identical verb is used to say " to go hurrying". In German the verb "streichen" carries both meanings : "to strike" and "to stroke". But the noun "Streich" says only "stroke". Dutch, mostly more near the old origin of roots, in this case does not participate in the conservation of tradition. Already Middle Dutch was concentrated on the messages around " to stroke".
Our supposition of common origin with Hebrew is based on the assumption that the initial S has been the very common prefix S, that in Germanic does not change the meaning of a root. Thus we remain with the three consonants "T R K", that correspond with Hebrew "T R Q".
The Hebrew root of this entry is not found in Biblical texts. In Medieval Hebrew it had with the intensive form "thereq" the referred meanings of "to strike, to hit", perhaps especially done in a loud way. Modern Hebrew uses it also to say "to slam", like a door.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. This root is present in Aramaic " ט ר ק , theraq = to slam, hit". Arabic "tharaqa = he knocked, hit". This root was probably in use in Proto-Semitic: "* ט ר ק , TH R Q".
Note:
- English "to strike" , in the mid 19th century acquired that specific meaning of organized interruptions of work in factories. This meaning soon conquered more Germanic languages, where the workers began to follow the leading example of their English colleagues.
Note:
- Germanic. The following older and newer Germanic languages can be compared:
Old Norse : strjuka, strykja , strykva : to strike, to stroke
Old English : strīcan, strācian; stroccian : to strike; to stroke; stroke(n)
Middle Dutch : striken; strijcken; streke; streken : to strike; to stroke; stroke, blow, streak
German : streichen; streicheln; Streich : to strike; to stroke; stroke(n)
Note:
- Proto-Germanic. The combination "STR-vowel-K"in Germanic languages is used to express many concepts, obviously in several cases with different vowels. Modern Dutch is by its nature the best example to demonstrate this versatility of "STR-K": "strak = tight, taut, firm, set, intent"; "straks = soon"; streek = stroke, dash, point (of compass), region, district, trick; "strek(ken)= to stretch, extend, reach"; "strijk(en) = to strike, stroke, lower, smooth, spread (ointment), iron"; "strik= knot, bow, snare, trap";"strik(t)=strict"; "strok(en)= to tally, fit"; "strook = strip, slip (of paper), stub, label, tape"; "struik = bush, shrub"; "struik(elen)= to stumble, trip". This situation advises us to go very carefully in defining similarities also with Hebrew.
Proto-Germanic. As the original meaning regarding the words of this entry is seen that of "to strike", from which then " to stroke" has developed. This would explain that the first meaning is not always found, even in some older languages. In Old Norse and even modern German it is present, but in Old English not. And oddly especially in Old English there is some confusion or abundance of vowels, with the use of "A", "I" and "O" that are not strictly linked to specific forms: "Strica = stroke, line, mark, streak" and "strican = to stroke, pass lightly over".
It is hard to define which vowels were used in Proto-Germanic, but probably the basic form was "*ST R Ī K-", with "E" and "O" used in specific verbal forms and nouns.
Note:
- Indo-European. There is a hypothesis of "*STRIG-", with possible other vowels in various forms, such as "*STREIG, *STROIG-". We would prefer to amend this into "*TR Ī K-", at least in the older version, and naturally again with alternating vowels in various forms.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 13/12/2012 at 17.45.55 |
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