E 0074          BATHY-

"Bathy-" , the first part of several words, is of Greek origin .

H 0283         ר ת ב , ה ת ב

Concept of root : abyss, deepness

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

; ה ת ב

;ר ת ב

ר ו ן ת ב

battą;

beter;

bitron

abyss;

cleft, rift;

abyss

Related English words

bathy-, from Greek  

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה ת ב ;

ר ת ב

ר ו ן ת ב

battą;

beter; bitron

abyss;

cleft, rift; abyss

b . t . ;

b . t . r

Greek

βαθυς;

βενθος,

βοθρος

bathϋs; benthos, bothros

deep;

abyss

b . th . ;

b . n th,

b . th . r

English

bathy-

bathy-

b . th .

 

 

Proto-Semitic *BATTÀ --- *BATH- Greek

 

 

The Greek words for "abyss" are substantives that have been shaped after the root of "deep", each in its own way. "Benthos" by a nasalization ( introduction of N before the TH) and "bothros " by the change of vowel plus the adding of an R. There in Greek some not unsimilar words with similar meanings.

 

Hebrew , besides having the double TT instead of TH, which is just another way of changing the single T, has left two more words. Their translation is not fully without doubt, but rather certain.

 

One is shown above as "beter ", and the other is " ב ת ר ו ן , bitron ". This has a suffix "-on" for the forming of a substantive. But it is its meaning that is very interesting. It stands for the depression of the Dead Sea, in English known as the northern part of the Rift that goes from there south through nearly all of Africa. The root of these two words is very similar to that of Greek "bothros".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The Hebrew verb "batar = to divide, cut into two", should be related to the words of this entry, and has its cognates in Arabic "batara, matara = to cut (off)" in which we see an alternative labial "M". Ethiopian has "matala = he cut (off)", in which besides the different labial, "M" instead of "B", we also see "L" instead of "R". These are possible changes, but it is difficult to formulate a hypothesis for Proto-Semitic. Yet a root "*ב ת ה , B T + accentuated vowel" and even a further developed "*ב ת ר, B T R" may well have been in use. The vowels remain undefined.

 

Note:
  • English uses "bathy-" in composed words that indicate the concept of deepness or a relation with depth . Examples are "bathyscaph" and "bathysphere" .

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 10/10/2012 at 14.02.49