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E 0318 FAG
The word " fag " is of
unknown origin .
H 1040 ע ג י
Concept of root : tiredness from hard work
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ע ג י
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yag‛à
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to
be(come) tired
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Related English words
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fag
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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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ע ג י
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yag‛à
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to be(come) tired
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y . g (‛) . <
*w .
g (‛) .
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Low German
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fakk
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fakk
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tired, weak
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f . k
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English
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fag
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fag
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f . g
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Dutch
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vaken
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vaken
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to be(come) sleepy
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v . k
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Proto-Semitic *YAG‛À < *WAG‛À --- *VĀK- Proto-Germanic
English "fag" for fatiguing work and "to fag" for working also to exhaustion, and perhaps also "fag" for a poor remnant of cloth or cigarette, are related to Low German "fakk", but in most other languages this root/meaning combination has disappeared. In Dutch it has shifted to "sleepyness", that is a rather normal consequence of exhaustion.
In sister languages it seems to be absent.
The origin of English "fag" is considered to be totally unknown, but the similarity with Hebrew enlightens somewhat the situation. And as seen in this entry, there are cognates in West-Germanic.
Note:
- Hebrew uses this same root and verb also to express "fatigue, hard work, earning by work". This is mentioned in entry E 0971 (Hebrew 1041).
Note:
- Proto-Semitic is supposed to have had already the same root still present in Hebrew, "* י ג ע , Y G Ayin", but anyhow still must have had the older version "* ו ג ע, W G Ayin" , as a root with "W" as the first consonant is present in Arabic "waji'a", in which the "J" is the usual development out of "G". It must be remarked that Akkadian had neither the "W" nor the Y" in "ēgu = to grow weary". This may have been a specific development after Proto-Semitic.
Note:
- Dutch with the shift of meaning form tiredness to sleepiness, with the verb "vaken" has come into an odd contrast with another verb, "waken = to be awake, alert", related to English of course. One wonders if this contrast has its origin in a very far past of language, when opposite concepts could be expressed by on and the same root, the real meaning of which was the concept of "change from to" like " to change of height" can imply "to ascend" or "to descend. "To change place" can imply "to come" or "to go".
Note:
- Proto-Germanic It is useful to know that the Middle Dutch verb "vaken" , also spelled "vaecken", is surrounded by a number of other words. We name "vakeren = to slumber", "vakerich = sleepy", "vakerheit = sleepyness" . Modern Dutch "vaak = sleep" has become rather isolated. Middle Low German had "vāk = sleep". In Dutch "Mister Sandman" is called "Klaas Vaak", the man who puts some sand in the eyes of the kids to make them fall asleep.
Proto-Germanic may wel have had a form "*V Ā K-".
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 15/12/2012 at 15.23.40 |
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