E 0513          KUDOS

The word " kudos " is a loanword from Greek

H 0476            ד ו ב כ

Concept of root : glory, honour

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ד ו ב כ

kavod

glory, honour

Related English words

kudos, from Greek

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ד ו ב כ

kavod

glory, honour

k . v . d

Greek

κυδος

kΰdos

honour, glory

k (u) d

English

kudos

kudos

k (u) d

 

 

Proto-Semitic *KABOD; KUBOD --- *KŪD- Indo-European

 

 

This Greek word recently has become fashionable in English, practically in a nearly original form. The similarity with Hebrew exists, but the odd thing remains that the Hebrew root in reality is "K B D". This B is here pronounced approximately in a way that makes it look akin to the sharpened Ü in the middle of the Greek word. The real relative should have been a "Waw". But it would be wrong to claim that originally a Waw has been present in this root, because in the intensive form of this verb we find a double B : kibbèd. The question mark about this spelling difference remains.

 

A common origin is anyhow more than probable .

 

 

Note:
  • Hebrew With "כ ב ד , K B D", besides " to be honoured", also the concept of " to be heavy " is expressed. Usually the two basic messages are considered as having one and the same origin, but in our view that is not at all certain. It must be noted that "kaved", besides being a adjective " heavy, burdensome, difficult", as a noun stands for "liver". Scholars say that people had given the liver this name because it is a heavy organ. We find this a doubtful thing.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The root "K B D" is present in various languages, among which anyhow Ugaritic and Akkadian in the sense of this entry. With the meaning of "liver" it is seen in Aramaic, Ugaritic, Arabic, Ethiopian and Akkadian. It was as such in all probability used in Proto-Semitic.

     

    In the sense of "heavy", "K B D" can be seen in Ethiopian "kabda = was heavy". Arabic has a perhaps related meaning in "kaba; kābada = difficulty; he struggled with difficulties". Then there is Akkadian, that gives some light with "kabta = heavy, weighty", in clear distinction from "kubbutu = to honor". Ugaritic uses this root "KBD" to express the concept of "to honour".

     

    So it is possible that Proto-Semitic in the sense of this entry, "honour", had a cognate of Greek : "*כ ב ד , K B D".

     

    The pronunciation of the middle consonant " B " in Proto-Semitic should be seen as unchanged.

     

    The Akkadian word "kubbutu = to honor" induces us to considered the vowel " U " as possibly in use in Proto-Semitic. There is much uncertainty about Proto-Semitic vowels.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. There is little information from outside Greek. A Russian word, "чудо, tshudo, is see as related to Greek "küdos", but its meaning is that of "miracle, wonder, surprise, marvel", which is quite different. Yet a related "чудсныь, tshudsnŭj" also carries meanings like "admirable, extraordinary, beautiful", and seems to draw the sides nearer. A common origin in fact may be there. Naturally the initial "TSH" coreresponds regularly with the Greek and Hebrew " K ".

     

    The existing hypothesis for Indo-European "*kewed" we should like to amend : "*K U D-".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 24/01/2013 at 17.32.42