E 0940          TREASURE

The word "treasure" is of Greek origin, and was loaned by the Romans

H 0072   א צ ר

Concept of root: to hoard

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א צ ר ;

א ו צ ר

atsar ;

otsar

to hoard, accumulate;

treasure

Related English words

treasure

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א צ ר ;

-

א ו צ ר

atsar ;

-

otsar

to hoard, accumulate;

treasure

a ts . r

Greek

θησαυρος

thèsauros

hoard, treasure

th . s . r

English

treasure

treasure

tr . s . r

 

 

Proto-Semitic *TSAR, *TSOR --- THÈSAUR-(OS) Greek

 

 

The Hebrew word has added, as often, a confirmative vowel "A" in front of an original root and concentrated the consonants "T - S" into "TS". The similarity with the original meaning of the Greek word is strong. An important word is the noun "otsar" that means both "provision" and "treasure" and interesting is another noun, "teshurà" that means "gift", present", with a structure like Greek "thèsauros".

 

Note:
  • Greek "thèsauros" has found its way into English, via Latin. The etymology of the Greek word is decidedly unknown, but neither are their indications that it could have been a loanword from foreign tongues. The original meaning anyhow was not linked to particular values like money or other valuables. It meant "deposit" and gradually became "deposit of precious things".

     

    One might conjecture that the first part of the root had to do with "thè" of a word "to place" and the second part with "σωρος (soros)" meaning "heap, mass". The long vowel "au" would be explained by the long "o" of the "ω" or "omega". In this context the word "σορος (soros)" that says "urn" does not come in. It has a short "O", called "omikron" and is not a deposit but just a small object. Besides, its root is related to words concerning dead body's and funerals. Anyhow this conjecture is little convincing and we must accept that there is no defined etymology.

 

Note:
  • English "treasure", on the example of French "trésor", has an extra R after the initial T . This is supposed to have happened in vulgar Latin . As we know, vulgar Latin consisted of numerous dialects and a specific development may have taken place in some of them without touching the others.

     

    In fact one can see that Italian has not inserted this extra R we find in English. The word has remained "tesoro" following the Latin track . Spanish has used "tresoro" but now says (only) "tesoro" and Portuguese even kept the TH in "thesouro" .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic The Hebrew root has cognates in other Semitic languages. Aramaic is identical to Hebrew and Arabic "atsara, he shut up, confined" is related. . So this root may have been already present in Proto-Semitic : "*א צ ר, Aleph TSadi Resh. "

     

    The supposition that the Aleph in "atsar" is just an athroistic or confirming prefix is also justified by the existence of two more roots. One is "צ ר ר, TSadi, Resh, Resh",= to bind, wrap". Clearer is the semantic link with "צ ו ר, TSadi Waw Resh" , that has a number of interrelated messages, among which "to enclose, shut in", that is done with a treasure. This root has cognates in Aramaic, Syriac and as it seems also Arabic with "tsarra = he tied a pouch". It was probably present in Proto-Semitic : "*צ (ו) ר, TSadi, Waw, Resh".

 

 

 

 
"...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: 21/12/2012 at 15.33.06