E 0233          DAMP

The word " damp " is of Germanic origin .

H 0319            ע מ ד

Concept of root :tear, juice, outflow; to shed tears, mix liquids

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ע מ ד

dem‛à;

dam‛à

tear, juice, outflow;

to shed tears, mix liquids

Related English words

damp

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ע מ ד

dem‛à;

-

dam‛à

tear, juice, outflow;

to shed tears, mix liquids

d m

English

damp

humid, wet

d m

Dutch

damp

damp

vapour, humidity

d m

 

 

Proto-Semitic *DAM ‛A --- *DAM-P- Proto-Germanic < *DŪM- Indo-European

 

 

In both cases we talk about small wetness, not that of abundant liquid. That is why we dare to consider a similarity of sound and meanings and possibly a common origin .

 

In English, as in many languages, one speaks of "Her eyes became humid" to say "She (began to) cry".

 

The same Hebrew root is also used to indicate juices , such as of grapes or olives.

 

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. Undoubtedly already in Biblical times this root was strongly concentrated on tears and their shedding. But the meaning of juice and mixing was still there. A general concept of " dampness " seems not to be found. Our comparison with "damp" is perhaps just too audacious . And yet. Before "dem'à", the noun for "tear" was "dim'à", but with an H added at the end to emphasize the final A. So we come to Proto-Semitic.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. We find for tear Aramaic "dim'ata, Arabic "dam'à ", Akkadian " dimtu" , whereas in other languages we see the Ayin between D and M , but also disappeared. The accepted conclusion is that Proto-Semitic had the same root still found in Hebrew : "*ד מ ע, D M Ayin".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. The existing hypothesis is "*THAMP", for which we substitute "*D A M P-". The initial "D" is practically always used and there is a habit, but no sound reason to suppose Proto-Germanic used different consonants from " D ". English "damp" has its sisters in other Germanic languages. German has "Dampf" with Middle High German "dampf, tampf" and Old High German "damph", related to the disappeared verb "dimpfen" = to steam, make vapour", that was still present in Middle High German . There is and has always been in the popular speech some confusion between steam or vapour and smoke, but the original meaning of this verb and root should have been in the field of "humidity, vapour", including "mist, fog".

     

    Middle Dutch has besides "damp = vapour, steam" also "domp" with the same meaning, but also the kind of mixture of "smoke" and "vapour" that can be seen in kitchens or through the burning of humid materials.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. There is an existing hypothesis of "*dhumos" = "smoke, fog". A Middle Irish "deime, dem = dark" may be related to English "dim", but has nothing to do with "damp". The aforementioned confusion is a classic in this field of smoke and vapour, that has its brilliant solution in the use of the English word "fume". This goes back to Latin "fumus" with the double message of "smoke, vapour".

     

     

    Russian has a word "дым , dŭm" for "smoke" but in composed words also for "fumes".

     

    Sanscrit with "dhûma = smoke, vapour" confirms the combination of both phenomena.

     

    Indo-European probably had a form "*D Ū M-" for the concepts of "vapour" and "smoke".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 15/10/2012 at 14.42.38