E 0444          HENCE

The word " hence " is of Germanic origin .

H 0402         ה נ ה , ן ה

Concept of root : here

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ן ה;

ה נ ה

hen;

henna

see here;

here, hereto

Related English words

hence

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ן ה;

ה נ ה

hen;

henna

see here;

here, hereto

h . n

English

hence

hence

h . n

Middle English

henne(s)

hence

h . n

Old English

heonane

hence

h . n .

Middle Dutch

henen

hénen

hence;

here, hereto

h . n

German

hin

(her)

hin

(her)

from here;

(hereto)

h . n

 

 

Proto-Semitic *HENÀ --- *HĒN- Proto-Germanic

 

 

The picture is rather clear . The root "H N" indicates "here" in several points of view.

 

Note:
  • English. The C in "hence " comes from the S in newer Middle English " hennes " that was not part of the original root .

 

Note:
  • German has added more meanings to the word "hin", such as "towards" and "away".

 

Note:
  • Dutch no more uses "heen" in the same way as did Middle Dutch. "Hereto" has become "hierheen" and "heen" as such is "away".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. In older Germanic languages we find Old Saxon "hinan, hinana", Old English "heonan", Old High German "hina" and Middle Dutch that had many variations : "henen, heinen, hene, henne, heen, hen, hin . Proto-Germanic probably had the form "* H Ē N-" , though an alternative "*H Ī N-" is a possible hypothesis.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. In the sense of "here, hither" we find the same root in Arabic "hunā" and "hannā". It is also used in Ugaritic ( here also "H M" besides "H N"), with Akkadian having "aghann(n)ā" with an extra initial Aleph and a reinforced "H" in "GH N" .

     

    In the sphere of " behold, here" Hebrew has another word, "ה נ ה , hinné" . Akkadian "'ennā" and Arabic "inna" have "Aleph N" with Aleph instead of "H". Ethiopian has just "na" and Ugaritic still "H N" and "H M ". It seems very difficult to make a solid hypothesis for Proto-Semitic. We tend to opt for "Proto-Semitic "*ה נ ה , H N H (accentuated vowel)" as in Hebrew, also because this combination is found in Indo European as shown.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Cognates in other Indo-European languages seem not be present and the comparison stays between Semitic and Germanic.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 22/10/2012 at 17.29.04