E 0643          ORGANIZATION

The word "organization" is , via French and Latin, based on Greek "organon"

H 0064          א ר ג ן

Concept of root: organization

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א ר ג ן ;

א ר ג

irgun ;

arag

organization ;

to weave

Related English words

organization  via Greek and Latin

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א ר ג ן ;

-

א ר ג

irgun ;

-

arag

organiza

tion;

to weave

. r g

-

. r g

Greek

οργάνωσις

orgánosis

organiza

tion

o r g

 

 

Proto-Semitic *EREG --- *ERG- Greek

 

 

Organization is a very international word. It has a lot of sisterwords in European languages. As basis is seen the Greek word "οργανον (organon)", standing for "instrument" , "tool" and also "organ". This should be connected to the word "εργον (ergon)", that says "work". These two are narrowly akin, which one can see even more clearly in the Dutch version of work: "werk". Let us look at some details

 

The well-known Hebrew word of this entry, "Irgun" , is New Hebrew. This noun has been shaped together with the New Hebrew verb " א ר ג ן , argan " = " to organize". As such a newly shaped word should not have a place in this List of Similarities . Yet we have inserted "Irgun", as a common origin can be found in the old root " א ר ג , arag" that stands for " to weave " . We find this root in E 0712 (Hebrew 0061). The people, language builders, who invented these new words, were certainly inspired by the European words " to organize " and " organization" , based on Greek . But they also were certainly well aware of using an old Biblical root . Otherwise they would just have loaned from English or Greek , which has been done so frequently by Modern Hebrew .
And we would not find a " schwa " or dull "E" after the consonant R . Such a "schwa", here written under the " R ", is a clear indication that a Hebrew root was used : אִ רְ גּ וּ ן .

 

This notwithstanding some further doubt may arise about a common origin between the Hebrew root "A.R.G." and the Greek word "organon" , because the meaning of this last word , that is not found in Homerus , is that of "instrument, tool", not specifically linked to the concept of "to weave". But again, the same Hebrew root has given the noun " א ר ג , ereg ", that means "spool", but also more in general " tool", just like the Greek word "οργανον , organon". There is agreement among Greek scholars that "organon" , with the suffix "on" for the shaping of a noun, has the root " erg ". This corresponds with Hebrew . The picture is complicated but not unclear.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. In the word "irgun" the "i" can be simply a newer form of "o". The last part, "-un" is a common suffix for shaping a noun on the basis of a root, in this case : "Aleph R G". As we know, the Aleph may represent any vowel. And the choice of vowels is an instrument for diversifying meanings of words. This phenomenon is also found in Germanic languages. So "irgun" could also be seen as nothing else than something that has been woven in a special way : an organization.

     

    The word is well-known since the forties, from the famous organization of freedom fighters in British-occupied Israel , "Irgun Zwai Leumi" the "People’s Armed Organization".

 

Note:
  • Greek. The word "organon" is linked in meaning or concept to the root "werg" we mentioned before. But there are several other words that begin with "org-" and have nothing to do with the concept of work, such as "orgazo" (weaken), "orgaino" (irritate) , "orgao" (mature) and "orgč" (sentiment). And there are others that come nearer to the concept of organization, such as "orgeon" (organized member).

 

Note:
  • Organization comes from the medieval Latin verb "organizare", which linguistically had to be based on a noun "organo". This existed like in modern Italian. Italian no more uses cases, and its nouns are usually the ablative form of Latin. So Latin words on "-us" or "-um" in Italian end on "-o."

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 21/12/2012 at 14.48.55