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E 0371 GIGGLE
The verb " to giggle " is of
Germanic origin .
H 0470 ך י ח
Concept of root : giggling
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ך י ח
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ghičkh
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to
smile
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Related English words
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to
giggle
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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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ך י ח
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ghičkh
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to smile
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gh y kh
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English
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to giggle
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to giggle
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g (i) g
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Dutch
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giechelen
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ghikhelen
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to giggle
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gh (i) kh
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Proto-Semitic *GHĪK(H) < *GHOK(H) --- *GHĪGH- Proto-Germanic
The similarity in sound between Hebrew and Dutch is striking. As to the meaning, from smiling to giggling is not a world-wide distance. It is hard to giggle without looking like smiling and if one smiles, one looks like one might be giggling next. Or is this exaggerated ?
Note:
- English "to giggle" and Dutch "giechelen" are both intensive or iterative forms of a shorter verb, that may have been exactly like Hebrew "ghičkh", which in itself is an intensive form.
Note:
- Hebrew . The verb of this entry is used in modern Hebrew, but its predecessors were present anyhow in Post Biblical Hebrew, as "ח ו ך , ghokh = to laugh, to jest", and "ח ו כ א , ghokh'ŕ = fun".
Note:
- Proto-Semitic This root is also there in Aramaic "ח י ך , ghayčkh", derived from a root "ח ו ך , GH W K".
It may have been in use already in Proto-Semitic "*ח י ך , GH Y K" , but that language anyhow had the older ""*ח ו ך , GH W K". The pronunciation of the closing consonant remains uncertain between " K " and " KH ".
Note:
- Proto-Germanic Proto-Germanic . There is little information , but Middle Dutch had, besides the intensive "ghiechelen" also the original form "ghichen". And Old High German had "giccazan", with another verb "gackizzen" saying : to laugh". The comparison between these two old Germanic words brings to mind the fact that the Hebrew verb of this entry, "ghičkh", inevitably has been derived from a basic form that may have been "*gha'akh" or perhaps "*ghakh", as well as the already mentioned "ghokh". Proto-Germanic in all probability had a root "*GH . GH", from which developed "*GH A GH" and "*GH I GH". The second version led to the intensive or iterative forms we see in this entry. It is uncertain if this took place already in Proto-Germanic.
See our chapter "Getting intensive" (Getting intensive)
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 24/01/2013 at 17.13.46 |
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