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E 0451 HNĘGAN
The Old English word " hnęgan " is of Germanic origin .
H 0648 ת
ח
נ
Concept of root : to go, bow down
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ת ח נ
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naghat
nighat
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to go down
to lower oneself
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Related English words
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Old English hnęgan
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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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ת ח נ
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naghat
nighat
-
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to go down;
to lower oneself
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n . gh . t
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Old English
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hnęgan
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to bend down
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hn . g
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German
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neigen
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neigen
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to bend down
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n . g
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Old High German
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hnigan
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to bend down,
sink down
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hn . g
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Middle Dutch
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nigen
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nighen
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to bend -, go down
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n . gh
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Proto-Semitic *NAGHAT < *NAGHÀ --- *NĀG-, *NĪG- Proto-Germanic
The Germanic terms do not have a final T, but in Hebrew the root-section "N . GH" already bears the message of "down, below".
Note:
- Hebrew has added a T as third consonant , but without a fundamental change in message and consequently without therefore being of a different origin . The practical result is a good diversification.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. This root is present in Aramaic " נ ח ת , neghat"
and Syriac " נ ח ת , neghčt with the same message of "to descend, go down".
Also Ugaritic uses the same root for the same meaning. It may have been used in Proto-Semitic. "* נ ח ת , N GH T"., as well as an original two consonant "* נ ח ה , N GH + accentuated vowel".
Note:
- Dutch "nigen" also talks about bending down very much, using this verb figuratively to say "to adore". And it serves the figurative meanings that have also continued in modern language.
Note:
- Old High German does not require any bending movement, but talks about going down, as does Hebrew.
Note:
- Proto-Germanic In modern tongues the message has specialized towards "lowering oneself through bending", but as we can see from the older versions, this is not the original message of the root. And in some expressions like that of the sun that , in modern Dutch "neigt naar de horizon", there is no "bending", but just a "going down".
From older languages one may add to the word of the table: Old Saxon "gihnegian", Old North Franconian "neigen" and also Old Norse "hneigja" = to bend, to bend down kneeling, yield, knuckle down under". Old English has two words: "hnægan = to bend down, bow down, humble, curb, vanquish" and "hnīgan = to bow oneself, bend, bow down, fall, decline, sink". Thus in older words the meaning of "to go down, descend" as in Hebrew is clearly seen.
Proto-Germanic probably had "*N Ī G-" and used for verbal and nominal forms also "*N Ā G".
Note:
- Indo-European. We have no indications about possible cognates in other groups of Indo-European languages. The comparison remains between Semitic and Germanic.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 13/11/2012 at 15.22.46 |
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