E 0622          NOSE

The word " nose " is of Germanic origin .

H 0659            ם ש נ

Concept of root : breathing

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ם ש נ

;

ם ו ש נ

nasham; noshem

to breathe; breathing

Related English words

nose

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ם ש נ

ם ו ש נ

nasham; noshem

to breathe; breathing

n . sh . m <

* n . sh

Modern Greek

ανασα

anàsa

breath

n . s .

Latin

nasum, nasus <

*nas

nasum, nasus <

*nas

nose

n . s .

English

nose

nose

n . s .

 

 

Proto-Semitic *NASHAM < *NASHÀ --- *NĀS- Indo-European

 

 

The A at the beginning of Greek "anasa" may be seen as the usual confirming one, if there indeed is a similarity with a common origin. This is not in line with the current view on this Greek word:

 

 

Note:
  • Modern Greek "anasa" is said to have come from the verb "ανασαινω , anasaino = to breathe". The problem is that both are not found in Classic Greek . The current view is that "anasaino", though it means "to breathe", comes in some way from Classic "ανεσις , anesis", that stands for "relaxation, distention, indulgence". All this has nothing to do with breathing as such though, and it seems to us a turnabout of the usual ways of words and their usual development , that is from literal to figurative, and not the other way about. Besides, "anesis" comes from the verb "ανίημι , anìèmi", composed of "ανα+ ίημι" and with many translations but the basic message of "to put upwards", litterally or figuratively. Thus the S in "aneSis" is part of a noun-forming suffix. The whole reasoning is unconvincing and we remain without a real answer from that side .

 

Note:
  • Greek and Hebrew. Our similarity , as to sound and meaning, stands, but the common origin is not clearly visible.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew has another similar verb " נ ש ף , nashaph N SH P" with comparable meaning. Thus we can suppose there has been an original briefer root "* נ ש ה , N SH H (accentuated vowel)" indicating an action of breathing or respiring.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Proto-Semitic is seen as having the root "* נ ש ם , N SH M" that is used in Hebrew as well. This root is also found in Aramaic and Syriac " נ ש ם , nesham = he breathed". It has a cognate in Arabic "nasama = it blew gently", referring to the wind. For the reason exposed in the Note on Hebrew one may hypothesize an older two consonant root "* נ ש ה , N SH + accentuated vowel".

 

Note:
  • Latin "nasum" is neuter, but it has also the masculine alternative "nasus". It is not clear why there are two versions. The general opinion is that via an intermediate form "nassus" we must go back to a hypothetical suffix-less "*nas", meaning "nose". This seems quite right.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew and European. Our supposition is that the old Hebrew root "*N SH" for the action of " breathing " is in origin related to the Indo-European root "N S" that is found in "nose" , the organ with which that breathing is done .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. In their words for "nose", older and newer Germanic languages use the two consonants "N" and "S". The vowel between the two consonants can be "O", "A", or "E", with sometimes "Æ" and "Ä" that sound rather like "E", but may develop out of "A". In Scandinavian we see a diversification in meaning between the words "nos" and "nese". Nos is "snout" in Norwegian and already in Old Norse, dividing the ground with "nese = nose". But in Swedish "nos" is both "nose" and "snout", besides "näsa" meaning just "nose". The "O" seems the older vowel, that is also found in Old English ( nose, nosu) and Old Frisian (nosi, nose) as well as in Middle Dutch (nose, nuese, neuse, nese, nase). In Dutch "neus", already seen in Middle Dutch, this special vowel is probably a particular development out of the earlier "O". The position of the vowel "A" is also strong , as it is found in German and its predecessors, both Old and Middle High German and Middle Low German as well as in Middle Dutch together with all the other forms. It is interesting to note that Russian has "nos" and Latin "nasus" and "nares". Quite improbable would be that this "A" developed out of the "O", and even less possible is the contrary. Another supposition is that the O" was used for "nose" and "snout" and the "A" specifically for the nostrils. This remains uncertain of course. Anyhow Proto-Germanic will have had both "*N Ō S-" and "*N Ā S-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European.

     

    Latin in a proper development has "naris = nostril". The indication is "N A S".

     

    Old Indian uses "nāsā" for "nose" as well as "nostril". The indication is "N A S".

     

    Slavic has a hypothesis of "*nosŭ", identical to Old Church Slavonic . Russian has a brief and simple "нос, nos = nose" that has its sisterwords in other Slavic languages. The indication here is "N O S".

     

    Baltic with a supposed "*nās-" has Lithuanian "nosis", that then seems a later development, and yet a change in the used vowel.

     

     

    Indo-European probably had "*N Ā S-".

 

 

 

 
"...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: 14/11/2012 at 11.44.52