E 0676          PELAGIC

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

H 0689            ג ל פ

Concept of root : waterbody

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ג ל פ

peleg

waterstream

Related English words

pelagic

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ג ל פ

peleg

water-stream, brook, canal

p . l . g

Greek

πελαγος

pelagos

open water, sea

p . l . g

English

pelagic

pelagic

p . l . g

 

 

Proto-Semitic *PELAG --- *PELAG-OS Greek < PĒLĂG- Indo-European

 

 

The meanings of these two words, Greek "pelagos" and Hebrew "peleg", that also has a sisterword " פ ל ג ה , pelaga ", are not quite identical. Both talk about water, but the Greek one is free and open, whereas the Hebrew one may also indicate a channel , bigger or smaller. There is a factor of importance in the geographical difference between Israel and Greece. Some scholars link "peleg" to a verb "palag" = "to split", but that is too far off for a water stream.

 

If you are in Greece and you talk about waterbody’s, open water and the sea are what you see. In Israel there was a relatively short coastal line, with the southern part occupied by the Philistines. Important for the economy were the internal waters, also where nature had to be helped by the human hand in creating artificial watercourses. Thus the similarity of meaning remains quite convincing. And the roots are simply identical.

 

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root in this or comparable sense is seen in Akkadian "palgu = canal" and Ethiopian " falag = stream". It may well have been present in Proto-Semitic : "* פ ל ג , P L G". A pronunciation with one or two vowels "A" is possible : "*palag" or "*pelag". In our comparison we present "*pelag".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Proto-Germanic has a number of words that indicate various kinds of streams of water, with roots like "*FV L O" or "FV L O + T/D" and they may well be related to the words of this entry. Traces in English are "flow" , flood" and "float". And the same roots, but mostly with a final "T", indicate objects that "float" of otherwise move on water. English has here "fleet" that in German is "Flotte". It must be noted that the final or third consonant dentals in German and its predecessors easily have become "SS" or ZZ", as in "fliessen" = "to flow". Proto-Germanic may have had a form "*FL Ō D".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European.

     

    Latin has a rich group of words on the basis of "FLU-, FLUK-" that seem to be related to those of this entry. "We name the verbal forms "fluo, fluere; fluxi = to stream, streamed", "fluctus = stream , streaming " and "flumen = river, streaming water". Such an important root has naturally led to many figurative, extensive and accentuated meanings. The indication is "F L U - (G/K) -. This might come from an earlier root with initial consonant " P ".

     

    Greek has a similar word, "pluo", but its many meanings have hardly anything to do with water and streaming. Regarding "pelagos" we must remark that some Greek scholars see this word related to "palamè = the palm of the hand", be it on the basis of a common element "*pela", meaning "wide, flat". So there would be in fact no etymological explanation for "pelagos", except the similarity with Hebrew "peleg". This is not very convincing as there are in fact other related words in other groups within Indo-European. In those words we find the two consonant combination "P L" ( also becoming "F L") and meanings regarding water.

     

     

    Old Indian "palvala-, pallalam = pond, morass"

     

    Greek "πηλος, pèlos = mud, mire, morass" might be related. In Doric it has a vowel "A", "palos".

     

    Latin "palus, gen.paludis = pool, lake, morass"

     

     

    Indo-European may have used a form "*P Ē L Ă G" for free and flowing waters, with a briefer "*P Ā L-" for marshy waters and with "*P Ō L-" or "*P Ū L-" for still but open waters.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 16/11/2012 at 15.05.55