GR 1224          OUROS

H 0174            ב ר ע

Concept of root : to defend

;

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ב ר ע

ב ר ע ו

‛arav

‛orev

to defend, guarantee;

defending, guaranteeing

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ב ר ; ע

-

ב ר ע ו

-

‛arav;

-

‛orev

-

to defend, guarantee;

defending; guaranteeing

‛(a) r b ;

-

‛ (o) r b

-

Greek

ουρος

uros

guardian, protector, defender

o r

 

 

Proto-Semitic *‛ARAV --- UR-OS < HORA-O Greek

 

 

This entry is related to number GR 1169 (Hebrew 0172), but the possibility of a common origin also in this meaning of " to defend " and with a different Greek word is unrealistic. The root is anyhow seen in Aramaic, Phoenician and Arabic. The activities of being a guardian and defender, guaranteeing and protecting, are very often unified in one person, that does these things for another, mostly weaker or less protected person that needs him for this .

 

This Greek word seems to compensate the emphasized Hebrew initial vowel by a diphthong. But Greek scholars consider it as developed on the basis of the verb "όραω, horao = to see, look, observe", which may well be the case. So the Semitic "Ayin" as often corresponds with an " H " in an Indo-European language.

 

Then "uros" does not have a final consonant B nor any other. Hebrew often extends its roots with a third consonant in order to cope with linguistic necessities.

 

It must be noted that there are five or six identical Greek words ουρος, uros, with quite different meanings and considered independent from each other: a. favourable wind; b. guardian, protector; c. limit, frontier; d. mountain, frontier; e. channel; f. aurochs. The last one is seen as a loanword from Latin, that had itself loaned "urus" from Germanic, which leaves five identical "original" Greek words.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is found in various Semitic languages. Aramaic " *ע ר ב, Ayin R B ,‛arav" stands for "he vouched for, was surety for" and Syriac shows " *ע ר ב, Ayin R B , ‛erav" with the same messages . Phoenician uses the same root for "guarantor, surety" and so does Coptic in "arēb = pledge, security". Arabic "‛arraba = he gave money seriously" is related . Probably this root with relative meaning was present already in Proto-Semitic. " *ע ר ב, Ayin R B . "

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. We do not have evidence from outside Greek to make a hypothesis for a root.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 22/12/2012 at 16.44.50