LA 1256          PIGER

H 0682            ר ג פ

Concept of root : physically ineffective

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ר ג פ

piggèr;

-

peger

to be weak, tired, fully exhausted;

corpse

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ר ג פ

piggèr;

-

-

peger

to be weak, tired, fully exhausted;

corpse

p . g . r

Latin

piger

piger

lazy, inert, slow

p . g . r

 

 

Hebrew PIGGÈR < Proto-Semitic *PAGAR --- *PIGER Latin

 

 

When others expect from somebody a performance but he does not give that, he may be lazy, slow, weak, tired, exhausted or even near his end. These are various qualifications we find expressed by words on the basis of a root "P G R". Perhaps the disappointing result was the basic message of this root, so that it has acquired subsequently the mentioned range of meanings. As an example, the men David had to leave behind during his pursuit of the Amalekites that had burned the town of Tsiklag taking with them the women and children in slavery, those men " פ ג ר ו , pigrù = were too exhausted" to cross the difficult and wild river Besor.

 

Latin "piger", about identical in sound and near in effect with Hebrew "piggèr" , is certainly related to that word.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. This root P.G.R." is certainly related to the root " פ ו ג , pog" that combines the two concepts of "to be(come) weak and " to be(come) cold". We find that root in entry E 0317 (Hebrew 0742) . Modern Hebrew has shifted the meaning of "piggèr" into that of "to lag behind, be late", but has maintained that of "peger" as "corpse".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The root P G R in various related meanings can be found in Aramaic and Syriac " נ ג ר , pegar= to be inactive (A); to be weak, flaccid (S)" and " נ ג ר א, pigr'à = corpse, carcass". Arabic "fajara = was loose" is doubtful as a cognate. Akkadian has pagru = body, corpse, carcass". This root was probably present in Proto-Semitic: "* נ ג ר , P G R".

 

Note:
  • Latin. We do not share the supposition that "piger" is related to "piget" that deals with "being sorry" in various senses. Nor that it has to do with "pinguis = fat". Fat people may often be slow, but frequently have endless energy and give good performances. And being sorry does not lead to being exhausted. In fact the opposite word "impiger" is translated as "indefatigable, unremitting".

 

Note:
  • Dutch uses the root of this entry in the verb "afpeigeren = to exhaust". The participle "afgepeigerd" says "exhausted", in the sense of Hebrew ""piggèr". The probability is that we have here a loanword from Hebrew via Yiddish.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The wide search by scholars for cognates of this so important Latin word regretfully has been in vain. Words with very limited similarity and different meanings like "hate, fear, deceit, betrayal, slander" can not be seen as related to "piger". The comparison has to remain with Latin.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 16/11/2012 at 10.07.43