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E 0017 AGU
The Old English birdname "agu" is of Germanic origin
H 0165 ק ע ק ע
Concept of root : magpie
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ק ע ק ע
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‛aq‛aq
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magpie
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Related English words
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Old English agu
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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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ק ע ק ע
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‛aq‛aq
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magpie
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‛a q
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Late Latin
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agasia
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agasia
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magpie
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a g
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Old English
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agu
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magpie
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a g
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MiddleDutch
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aekster, haexter
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ākster, hākster
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magpie
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a k
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Proto-Semitic *‛AQ --- *AK Proto-Germanic
The similarity is clear. The brief root "A + Q , G or K" has been doubled in Hebrew and received suffixes in other languages. Is it possible, as some suppose, that the root "ak" is in fact the same one that indicates "pointed, sharp"? This on account of the sharp point of the bird’s beak or the pointed shape of its tail. Well, the magpie does not have a typically sharper beak or wings than many other birds, so that idea remains questionable.
It is interesting to see that Middle Dutch also has a version " haexter",in which as is seen
more often, a Germanic initial H corresponds with a Semitic initial Ayin !
This Hebrew name for the magpie is modern Hebrew and the question rises from where it
was taken. If it is indeed , as some scholars say, a loanword from Arabic, the basis for a
common origin between Semitic and Indo European in this word stands. The supposition
that the word is sound-imitating, is less convincing for those who know its voice .
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. The Hebrew word is Modern Hebrew and has been based on or loaned from the identical Arabic word, that is seen as sound-imitating. The basis for a supposed Proto-Semitic root is narrow, but Proto-Semitic may have used already the same root, perhaps without doubling it yet ; "* ‛ ע ק , ‛aq ".
Note:
- Proto-Germanic. Names of birds, as those of other animals, may vary greatly among different sister languages. So is the case with the magpie, but there are some old names that show an interesting similarity with Hebrew, that has a doubled "‛aq". The "magpie" in Old Frisian was a "akke", nearly identical, and in Old English "agu. Old High German had a lengthened "agaza, of which the older and first part "ag-" is also found in a second form "agastra", that has led to West German dialect "ekster", identical to Dutch. A third form, ag-elster has abandoned the original and first parg and became modern German "Elster. Late Latin "agasia", French "agace" and Italian "gazza" < "agazza" are seen as of the same Germanic origin. Proto-Germanic probably had "*A K-".
Note:
- Indo-European. There are very different names for the magpie in various languages, but outside Germanic we have no information about a name possibly similar to "AK-". Latin, besides "pica" that led to "-pie" in "magpie", must have used "agasia, aigatia", but these would be loanwords from Old High German "agaza" or "aga(l)stra". They are hard to find in dictionaries.
Note:
- English. The word "magpie" is related to French "pie". It is seen as an abbreviation of "maggot-pie". Others say that "mag-" is an abbreviation of "Margaret"; "-pie" comes from Latin "pica = magpie", a name top be distinguished from "picus = woodpecker" These two Latin words are of Indo-European origin.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 02/10/2012 at 17.26.14 |
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