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GD 1103 SMACHTEN
H 1015 א מ צ
Concept of root : thirst
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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א מ צ
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tsam’ŕ;
tsam’é
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thirst;
to be thirsty
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Related English words
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none
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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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א מ צ
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tsam’ŕ
tsam’é
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thirst ;
to be thirsty
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ts . m (‘) .
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MiddleDutch
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smacht ; smachten
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smaght
; smaghten
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great thirst ; to be very
thirsty
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s m . gh
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German
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schmach-ten
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shmakhten
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to languish
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sh m . kh
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Proto-Semitic *TSAM'À --- *SMĂKH- Proto-Germanic
This is a rather clear cut similarity. The guttural interruption of the flow of sound in Hebrew has become a real guttural GH in Dutch.
Note:
- Dutch and sister-languages. The Dutch word "smachten" and its composite "versmachten = to be parched with thirst", understandibly also are used in metaphorical and figurative senses. As "smaht" we see a noun in Middle High German, but in modern German there has remained also an adjective "schmächtig , shmekhtikh " that has a meaning shifted into " badly fed, meager, thin". The same root is also found in the Nordic languages.
Note:
- German. The languishing expressed by "schmachten" can be of thirst, hunger, desire etcetera, but the original meaning should be that of being very thirsty .
Note:
- Proto-Semitic is considered to have had this same root we see in Hebrew : "* צ מ א , TS M Aleph".
It is useful to note that this Semitic root expresses also very great thirst, as in the intensive, but grammatically causative form "hitsm'i" and "hutsm'a" in Hebrew, and in "going without water" in Mehri. The root is also found in Ugaritic with a root "DZ M Aleph" and in Arabic "dzami'ŕ", but in Ethiopian again with TS in "tsam'a", all meaning "= was thirsty, thirsted". Akkadian "tsamū" means "to thirst, be thirsty".
Note:
- Proto-Germanic. First of all, when looking at Old High German "gismahteon" that means "to be very thirsty", some make a comparison with a word "smahi = small", and conclude that the verb would mean "to become smaller". There is no semantic link at all though. A root "*SM Ă KH" probably existed in Proto-Germanic indicating a concept of great thirst, that later expanded to comprehend great hunger and after that also "to pine along" by other causes.
Note:
- Indo-European. Indications for cognates in other groups of Indo-European seem not to be available. The comparison remains between Semitic and Germanic.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 14/12/2012 at 12.47.12 |
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