E  0011            ÆTHEL

"Æthel" is an Old English word of Germanic origin

H 0011          א ד ר

Concept of root : glorify

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

*א ד ר

א ד ר

*adar

iddèr

glorify

Related English words

Old English : aethel = nobility

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

*א ד ר

א ד ר

*adar

iddèr

glorify

a d . r

Greek

ύδω

hüdo

glorify

u d

Old English

aethel

nobility

a th l

 

 

Proto-Semitic *ADER --- *ATHEL, ETHEL Indo-European

 

 

This entry offers a not too obvious similarity. It is related with number E 0012 (Hebrew 0073) , as well as with number E 0010 (Hebrew 0012), to which we refer. One can see more interesting similarities there.

 

The Hebrew word "iddèr" is an intensive form of a verb "*adar", which is out of use.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew and Greek.
    The Hebrew root "ad.r " probably has an "R" added to an original C.-C-root ( two-consonant-root ) " א ד" " or "ad" without that "R". This is confirmed by the existence of another word, " א ד ו ן" or "adon" which means "sir" in English. So the fact that the Greek word does not have a final "R " is in line with the basic similarity between the two languages.

 

Note:
  • Greek.
    As the Hebrew word means in fact "to glorify with hymns", it is interesting to recall that Greek has the internationally known word "ύμνος" , pronounced "hümnos", of course with the meaning of "hymn", which is just a loanword from Greek. One can find this in many modern languages. The two Greek words "hüdo" and "hümnos" are considered related. Yet this might constitute a problem, because we do not find the consonant D in "hymn". The best explanation would be that the D has been absorbed by the addition of a suffix beginning with an M-sound : "*hüdmnos" > "hümnos" .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic
    is considered to have had the same root that is still found in Hebrew and is also seen in Phoenician and Ugaritic : א ד ר, *Aleph D R".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic probably had the form "*Ā D e L", though also "*Ē D e L" is possible. But a second form, strictly related should have been present as well, as seen in entry number E 0012 (Hebrew 0073): "*Ā TH e L". This is seen in the Old English word of this entry. It must be remarked that in older languages this root was used not only to indicate people of noble descent, but also the concepts of "qualities, nature, descendance, lineage", generally in a positive judgment. Interesting in this respect is Faroese "aðal" that stands for "pure, good grain".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European . There is an interesting theory according to which the Old English word of this entry has at its origin a meaning of "born from one's father", as there exists in Hittite a word "atta- = father". It is not fully clear why Hittite is called in, as in fact "atta" means "father" also in Latin and Greek and even in Gothic. The Goths on the basis of this word would have given "Attila" his name. In Old Indian "attā" reveals a meaning of "mother, older sister". And Irish aite says "foster-father". A comparable root is found in non Indo-European words like Hungarian "atya = father", Turkish "ata = father" and Basque aita = father". These words should not be considered as baby talk! If this theory would be right, this would not change the basic similarity with Semitic.

     

    The limited amount of specific information makes a hypothesis different from Proto-Germanic hard to formulate.

 

 

 

 
"...the town, to which was given the name Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the language of all the world on the face of which He dispersed them. GENESIS 11,9"
 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 23/09/2012 at 10.47.30