E 0368         GEMÆCCA, GEMACA

The Old English words " gemæcca " and "gemaca " are of Germanic origin .

H 0580            ר כ מ

Concept of root : companion

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ר כ מ

makkar

acquaintance, friend

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ר כ מ

makkar

acquain-tance, friend

m . k . r

Old Saxon

gimako

companion

m . k

Old English

gemæcca , gemaca

companion , spouse

m . c

Dutch

makker

makker

companion

m . k . r

 

 

Proto-Semitic *MAK(K)AR --- *MĂKKER Proto-Germanic

 

 

The two meanings of "acquaintance, friend" and "companion" are not identical, but sufficiently near to each other to make one think of a common origin. Yet, as we will see, the initial "M" in the Hebrew word is sometimes considered to be a prefix, to which we do not agree, as explained below in the note on Hebrew. The Germanic initial "M" is with certainty part of the root.

 

 

Note:
  • Old English and Old Saxon have added a prefix in the above mentioned words. This typical Germanic prefix can be used with various objectives as to the meaning that is to be expressed . In all probability it is used here to emphasize the continuous or definite character of the relationship between two individuals. And as shown, it even indicates " spouse ", besides " companion ".

     

    A difference with Hebrew is that the final R lacks in Old Saxon and Old English. But it is found in Dutch, which might mean that the final "R" is a later development.

 

Note:
  • Dutch. The Dutch word was also present in Middle Dutch, spelled "macker", but seems as such not to be found in other Germanic tongues. This is one of those many cases in which the kinship, if it exists, between European languages and Hebrew would be most clearly found in Dutch. And there is no reason at all to suppose the word has been loaned from Hebrew into Dutch.

     

    Another Hebrew word with a comparable meaning , " ח ב ר, ghawèr = friend " , has been loaned into Dutch as " gabber , ghabber ".

 

Note:
  • English "match " , together with its predecessor in Middle English, "macche = match, mate " is generally considered as having the same origin as the words of this entry. We consider this too uncertain to insert "match" in this entry .

 

Note:
  • Hebrew . Sometimes this word for "companion, friend" is linked to a root "N K R", that has two different basic groups of meanings, often considered for that reason as independent be it identical roots. One is that of "to regard, recognize" . The other "to treat, consider as a stranger". Indeed the various uses of the second one, especially in other Semitic languages are clearly of "hostility" and worse, with nowhere any room for the friendship of the word "makkar" of this entry.

     


    The first "N K R" at its best stays at the level of recognition (besides in modern Hebrew), which does not necessarily mean "to recognize as a friend", on the contrary, seeing the identicity of the "two" roots, the message may be "to regard and recognize as a stranger" and consequently "to treat as a stranger" ( and not as a friend or companion). Then Hebrew itself defines "nekhar" a "stranger, foreigner". A disadventure is called a "nokher" or "nekher". The word "nakhrì" says "foreign, from abroad, uncommon". On top of this the same root "N K R", as old roots do, carries more opposite messages in the field of "to recognize" in composite verbs: "to feign, make unrecognizable, make oneself unrecognizable" and "to observe with precision, recognize, be recognized, make oneself recognized".

     

    All this tells us to be careful and to consider well the high probability that "makkar", whatever its origin is, is not based of the root "N K R".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . We have no information available from other Semitic languages that would further support a hypothesis for Proto-Semitic. It is quite possible that the Hebrew word has its origin in a Proto-Semitic "*מ כ ר, M K R " = friend ", pronounced with single or double original " K ".

     

    Some scholars believe that the word "makkar" comes from a root " "*נ כ ר, N K R ". This root is interesting in that it serves to rather opposite concepts : " to regard, treat as a stranger" and "to regard, recognize". Then this second meaning is translated as "to know", seemingly to fit into the concept of "friendship". But this same root gives the nouns "stranger, foreigner". The link remains very doubtful and is better disregarded.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . The word "makker" exists exactly like that also in Norwegian and Danish. Norwegian and Swedish, also have a word "make", that says "equal, peer; spouse". Swedish uses a "maka" for "spouse (f), wife". In Old Norse "maka" is used for women only and "maki" for men. It is not at all certain that these words are related to "makker". The same goes for the words with prefix "ge-" or "gi-" from older languages, shown the table. So we remain with a not generalized information Anyhow on the basis of the mentioned words a hypothesis "*M Ă KK E R- for Proto-Germanic is possible.

 

Note:
  • Semitic and Germanic . In the end we remain with two words that are very similar in sound and meaning, one Hebrew "makkar", the other Dutch and Danish (plus Norwegian Riksmål) "makker" , both with some uncertainties about their etymologies.

 

 

 

 

 
"...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: 28/01/2013 at 15.08.39