E 0955          USE, UTILITY

The old word "utile" comes, like "utility" and "use",  via Old French, from Latin .

H 0195         ד ת ע

Concept of root : destine and use

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ד ת ע

‛atad, ‛itted

to ready, destinate for

Related English words

use, utility

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ד ת ע

‛atad,

 ‛itted

to ready, destinate for

‛i t d

Greek

οιτος

oitos

destiny

o . t

Latin

utor, uti

utor, uti

to make use of, employ, dispose of

 u t

English

utile, use, utility

utile, use, utility

u t

 

 

Proto-Semitic *‛ATAD --- *UT-I Latin

 

 

The Latin and Hebrew words of this entry indicate two immediately consequent phases of one action, that of preparing and using something. There is a question mark regarding the Greek word "οιτος, oitos" for "destiny" , as it more specifically deals with the human "destiny" or " fate".

 

Note:
  • Latin and Hebrew, vowels. We see in the examples above a difference between the vowels, " A " in Proto-Semitic ( and Hebrew) and " U " in Latin. But the Sem,itic root ios also used with other vowels, and an important example is the passive form "ע ת ג" , ‛uttad = was made ready, prepared ( for use )". As the following note says, the Latin verb of this entry is also a medio-passive form in origin.

 

Note:
  • Latin "uti" has a number of further forms that in part do not maintain the "T" but have an "S" instead, as is also seen in de derived English word "use". This phenomenon is also known in Greek, where one may find many words that alternate, often between dialects, S and T.

     

    It is important to consider that "utor, uti" are medio-passive forms. This means in this case that there was an original meaning with a formula "to ... for one self". The verb can be "to select, destine, dispose" and the message is then "to destine to oneself ( i.e. for use)".

 

Note:
  • Greek and Latin. The roots may give the impression of having been based both on an older combination of " W + T " . In that way they may also be related with another Hebrew root, "ע ו ת" , ‛ut " , that in some instances is used for the "sustaining of the destiny" of who is tired of life.

 

Note:
  • Greek. There is little reason to presume that this Greek word for human destiny is based on the verb "ειμι > εσμι , ( eimi < esmi ) = to be ", that has the root "es " related to English "is" .

 

Note:
  • Hebrew has added the third consonant D to this root, probably in the combined process of building a three-consonant root and specializing the message. Some indication for this can be found in the just mentioned root " ע ו ת" , but also in " א ו ת , ot " , that stands for an important, destining signal .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is used also in Aramaic "ע ת י ד, ‛atid = ready", Syriac "ע ת ד , ‛atted = he made ready, prepared" and Arabic "‛atuda = was ready, was prepared". It may well have been present in Proto-Semitic "*ע ת ד" .

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. For the Latin root of this entry, that has so succesfully penetrated in many languages, no etymology has been found notwithstanding all kinds of research. The relation with Greek "oitos" remains uncertain. We have to limit ourselves for now to a comparison between Semitic and Latin.

 

Note:
  • English has several words linked to the old fashioned word "utile", such as : "utility, utilize, utilitarian" . They are related to the word "use", that is also based on Latin.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 04/10/2012 at 17.07.01