E 0133          CABLE

The word " cable " is of Germanic origin .

H 0477            ל ב כ

Concept of root : cable

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ל ב כ

kevel

cable

Related English words

cable

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ל ב כ

kevel

cable

k . b . l

Dutch

kabel

kabel;

cable

k.  b

English

cable

cable

c . b l

 

 

Proto-Semitic *KABÈL --- *KABEL Proto-Germanic

 

 

We may sometimes seem a bit arbitrary in the way we transcribe the letter Bet. In the columns "Similarity in roots " we try to choose between writing the Hebrew Bet as a V or as a B, not only following the exact pronunciation of the case, but at times the better comparison with the related European words of an entry. Here we have English with "cable", a B prenounced. And Hebrew has a B, but pronounces it today as V or nearly W. To make the similarity more obvious to the reader we use the letter as spelled and originally pronounced in the root.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew "kevel" has a sisterword "ghevel" with practically the same meaning. This proves that there have been at the time of alphabetic codification of the existing language, and are still today, sometimes different versions of the same word and same root. In this case we may suppose that the consonant K by some people was pronounced KH also at the beginning of a word. The difference in sound with GH is and was small. Perhaps on account of the rarity of this pronunciation a Ghet was written. As a result two words remained on the basis of a variety in pronouncing.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is found as "כ ב ל א ", in Aramaic "kevelą" and Syriac "kavelą". Arabic has kibl = fetter, chain" and Akkadian "kabālu = fetter, chain". This root was probably used in Proto-Semitic: "*כ ב ל , K B L".

     

    The pronunciation of the middle consonant " B " in Proto-Semitic should be seen as unchanged. This original consonant can be seen in several important Semitic languages and in many verbal forms in Hebrew. The change into " V ", as seen in a number of cases, may have taken place later than in Proto-Semitic.

     

    We presume in the comparison vowels as seen in for example Syriac, that by chance are also near to English.

 

Note:
  • Latin has not , contrary to the opinion of some , given origin to English "cable". The Latin word "capulum", derived from "capio = to take" stood for a special rope used to catch cattle. It must have been used too rarily to have given a general word like "cable". Moreover it has been derived from "capulus" is "halter" for cattle, with a related use. "Capulus" is also used as "handle" and further as "coffin".

     

    French "cāble" is seen as coming from Latin and also as the source of the English word. But the accent circonflexe in French "câble" can not be explained if the word would have been loaned from Latin "capulum". And anyhow the "reason" that is always behind the loaning of a word, simply fails.

     

    And indeed, as is usual the English word comes from Norman French, that is considered as "*cable", perhaps as some believe, in a change from Old Northern French "chable". This word "chable" simply must have been an adaptation from the existing Germanic "kabel". The French changed often an initial " K " into "CH = SH". It is also possible that the Normans in France kept the original Germanic word, pronouncing it further the French way: "kable".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic Germanic tongues have "Kabel" in German and "kabel" in Norwegian, Swedish and Dutch, without the change in pronunciation that is characteristic for English. And as so often, when a Latin or Greek word is found that seems similar to a Germanic one, this last one is considered a loanword. In our Note on Latin we stated that this is not the case with "cable". Yet it is not easy to establish a possible Proto-Germanic form, as the indications for older languages are few. Old Norse had "kabill", but Old English lacks. In Old High German and later the word "kabel" was especially used for "anchor cable" and "rope on ships". It is improbable that this, as is usually supposed comes from French "câble". Besides this France was not a leading seafarer nation and one may suppose that the French loaned the word from older Dutch, where it existed.

     

    Old or Middle Dutch, as the probable source of the revival of the sisters of "cable", had "cabel, cabele" with a root identical to Semitic. Proto-Germanic probably had a form "K Ā B e L".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European . It is still possible that the Latin word "capulum", that anyhow spoke about a cord, was related to Germanic "kabel". But the information is too limited to venture a separate hypothesis for Indo-European.

     

     

 

 
"...the town, to which was given the name Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the language of all the world on the face of which He dispersed them. GENESIS 11,9"
 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 24/01/2013 at 17.39.40