|
E 0988 WEASEL
The
word "
weasel " is of Germanic origin .
H 0289 ש א ו ב H 0289 ש א ב
Concept of root : polecat, stinking animal
|
Hebrew word
|
pronunciation
|
English meanings
|
|
ש א ו ב;
ש א ב
|
bo’esh ;
ba’ash
|
polecat ;
to stink
|
|
|
|
Related English words
|
weasel
|
|
|
Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
|
Languages
|
Words
|
Pronunciation
|
English meanings
|
Similarity in roots
|
|
Hebrew
|
ש א ו ב;
ש א ב
|
bo’esh ; ba’ash
|
polecat ;
to stink
|
b . sh
|
|
English
|
weasel
|
|
weasel
|
w . s
|
|
Middle Dutch
|
bonsing, visse
|
bonsing,
visse
|
polecat
|
b . ns
v . s
|
|
Latin
|
visio ;
-
vissio
|
visio;
-
vissio
|
to fart, stink; weasel
|
v . s
|
|
Old French
|
voisson
|
voison
|
polecat
|
v . s
|
|
Old High German
|
vissa;
wisula
|
vissa
wisula
|
polecat;
weasel
|
v . s
w . s
|
Proto-Semitic *BA 'ASH --- *VUSS- Proto-Germanic < *PUS- Indo-European
The Middle Dutch word "bonsing" has nasalized the S and has a suffix "-ing". The second word, "visse" , looks more like the Latin one than the French one. It is very improbable that it finds it origin in Latin , though the words are undoubtedly related .
Note:
- Hebrew. The word "bo'esh" is Modern Hebrew, shaped as a present participle of the old verb " ba'ash = to stink", found in entry number E 0349 (Hebrew 0229). The letter "waw" is not part of the root, but a reading help to indicate that an "O" has to be pronounced here. The "O" plus the "E" together, inserted into the root of three consonants, form this participle in Hebrew.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. The root " B Aleph SH" for " to stink" or "to be odious" is used in many Semitic languages. Aramaic and Syriac have "ב א ש", pronounced "bi'esh" and "be'esh". Akkadian has ba'āshu". Arabic "ba'isa = to be unhappy" is a bit off in meaning, but may still be related. In all probability this root existed as such in Proto-Semitic: "*ב א ש, B Aleph SH".
Note:
- Bunzing is the modern version of this word in Dutch. Apparently the animal has earned this name on account of the strong smell it is known to emanate.
Note:
- English "weasel" comes from Old English "wesle" and is related to Dutch "wezel" and German "Wiesel". These words are diminutives (characteristic is in both Germanic and Latin the L for this ) and stand for "little polecat". Certainly also the weasel spreads a strong odour, though the animal is more known for the fear it shows notwithstanding its cruel and murderous hunting tactics. Polecat is a word without any known etymology, though the second part sounds feline. In fact some say "Polecat" stands for "Chicken-cat", as it so often robs chickens. "Pole" is then based on Middle French "pol" or "poul" for "chicken".
Note:
- German seems to have abandoned the old name "vissa" for the polecat, and now calls it "Iltis (iltis)". Also this word has a predecessor in Old High German, but its etymology is utterly unknown.
Note:
- Proto-Germanic may be sought on the basis of the two Old High German words "vissa" for "polecat" and "wisula" for "weasel, *little polecat". The opening consonant most probably was "V". The following vowel " Ĭ " may have been present in Proto-Germanic, though it probably has developed out of an " Ŭ ", as this is found in the Dutch word "bunzing" and its sister Middle Low German "bunsik". The initial "B" is the same as seen in Hebrew and often an initial "B" changes into "V". The word has been nasalized ( "N" inserted" and a suffix of characterization "-ik", typical for Low German and Dutch, has been added. This suffix in Dutch has also been nasalized. The origin probably was a Proto-Germanic "*V Ĭ SS-" after an older "V Ŭ SS.
Note:
- In general scholars link these names for animals that emanate such strong odors with an Indo-European root "*ueis" that should stand a.o. for "stink of rotten vegetation". We rather see, as shown in Entry number E 0349 (Hebrew 0229) an Indo-European "* P U S-". The initial "P" was maintained in many languages, but in Germanic it became " B " and also " W " or " V "
|
|
|
| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 23/12/2012 at 18.20.19 |
|