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E 0090 B E T
The word " bet " is of
unknown origin .
H 0284 ח ט ב
Concept of root : certainty
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ח ט ב
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béthagh
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certainty
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Related English words
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bet
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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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ח ט ב
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béthagh
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certainty
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b . th . gh
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English
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bet
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bet
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b . t
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Proto-Semitic *BETHAGH --- *BET English
There is no known etymology of "(to) bet", that has been testified as noun and verb from the 1600's. It has been tried to see it as a cut-off or aphetic version of "abet", but semantically that is unconvincing. For the usual meaning of "betting" other Germanic tongues have different words, such as "wetten" in German and "wedden" in Dutch. But they are seen as based on roots that refer to "pledge" , together with Old English " wed ". Therefore they seem not related to English "bet".
It is a long shot , but in our view the origin of the word "bet" may be that of certainty. One bets on something one is certain of, at least in the manner English semantics use this word.
This similarity may be just a fortuity, be it an unexplained one.
Note:
- Hebrew. The verb "bathagh" with this same root says " to trust, rely upon", which brings us somewhat nearer to English "bet", than to concepts like "gamble, stake, hazard, risk".
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. The root of this entry is found in Old Canaanite "bathi-" and in Aramaic "ב ט ח, B TH GH, bethagh", but with an interesting meaning of " to be tight, firm" also in Arabic "bathagha". It may have been present in Proto-Semitic "*ב ט ח, B TH GH ". The vowels remain uncertain.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 10/10/2012 at 14.43.34 |
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