E 0659          PAGAN

The word " pagan " is, via Latin, of Greek origin . of

H 0686            ה ח פ

Concept of root : local rule

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ח פ

peghà

local governor

Related English words

pagan

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ה ח פ

peghà

local governor

p . gh .

Greek

παγος

pagos

rural district

p . g

Latin

pagus

pagus

rural district, village

p . g

English

pagan

pagan

p . g

 

 

Proto-Semitic *PAGHÀ --- *PĀG- Indo-European

 

 

The Greek and Hebrew words do not say exactly the same thing, but they both deal with the same concept. Greek talks about a local administrative unit and Hebrew about the responsible figure of that same unit. This supposes that the similar roots are also of common origin.

 

Note:
  • English " pagan " means , just as did Late Latin " paganus " : " heathen " . This meaning has developed out of the more original one of " country-dweller", from " pagus " for " rural settlement, rural district ".

 

Note:
  • Greek "παγος, pagos, has various related meanings. It is for example found in the composed word " αρεοπαγος , areopagos, the well known name for naturally shaped stronger or higher centres of settlements. The Greek landscape often was different, but the basic meaning of "pagos" is that of rural settlement and from there district.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. A hypothesis has to be based on Greek and Latin only. It is quite possible that Indo-European had "*P Ā G-".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. Some scholars consider this old Hebrew word "pegha = governor", with the plural "paghot" a loanword from Akkadian "paghātu = governor". The reason for the abbreviation of the word would be clear only if the root was anyhow known to the Hebrew speakers that would have wanted to loan the word. Then the mentioned word would be a shortened version of "bēl paghāti = lord of a district". But the related word in Hebrew for a district or a province is " פ ח ו ה, paghawa". It is better to see the two Hebrew words as the result of a Hebrew root and without any loaning. Proto-Semitic may have had this same root : "* פ ח ה , P GH H (accentuated vowel)", probably using a vowel " A ".

 

 

 

 
"...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: 29/12/2012 at 9.53.40