E 0690A          (TO)  PLIGHT, PLEDGE

The verbs " to plight " and " to pledge " are of Germanic origin .

H 0694         ן ח ל פ

Concept of root : religious cult

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ן ח ל פ

puleghan

cult

Related English words

to plight, pledge

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ן ח ל פ

puleghan

cult

p . l . gh

Aramaic

ח ל פ

pelagh

to serve a cult

p . l . gh

Old Saxon

plegan

to plight , pledge

p l . g

Old English

pleon

to plight , pledge

p l .

English

to plight ;

to pledge

to plight ;

to pledge

p l . gh (t);

p l . (d)g

Middle Dutch

plegen;

-

plechtigh

pléghen;

-

plèghtigh

to honour God;

solemn

p . l . gh

 

 

West Semitic *PULEGH-AN < Proto-Semitic PALAGH --- *PLĒG- Proto-Germanic

 

 

The English verb " to plight " carries the specific message of pledging solemnly, of taking an oath . This brings it , more than " to pledge " somewhat nearer to the solemnity indicated by the Hebrew words and some of the meanings of Middle Dutch " plegen ". There is no doubt about their being related to them .

 

Scholars agree that this specific Germanic root "P L GH" is of unknown further origin. It is found principally in German and Dutch with a vast range of meanings. The specific message still present in Middle Dutch of "solemnly honouring God" is out of use also in modern Dutch.

 

The Hebrew word "puleghan" has a suffix "-an". The U is a vowel indicating a participle . Consequently the root is "P L GH" just like in Aramaic. We see here that the verb with this precise message of religious cult was already out of use in the Bible. For that reason we have inserted the Aramaic one.

 

Note:
  • Middle Dutch. The verb "plegen" has quite a range of meanings, and it is not easy to establish a single common origin for these. The message that interests us in this comparison with Hebrew is that of honouring God, especially in an official solemn cult. This meaning has taken a bigger participation in the use of the adjective "plechtigh" , that says "solemn" and "ceremonious". The last part, "-tigh" is all a suffix, not part of the root.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Germanic languages have left this Middle Dutch contribution to the similarity with Hebrew relatively isolated. We find in German "pflegen" for "to look after, cure" and "to do usually" that are also among the meanings of Dutch "plegen".

     

    There are also the words "Pflicht" and "plicht" in respectively German and Dutch, that stand for "duty". A possible common origin would not be just of yesterday. Proto-Germanic probably had a form "*PL Ē G-", and seen the similarity in meaning between Hebrew and Dutch this Proto-Germanic form may have served also the religious meaning of "divine service".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic This root in this range of meanings is found in Aramaic and Syriac "פ ל ח ן , puleghan = worship, divine service". Akkadian used the same root that probably existed already in Proto-Semitic : "*פ ל ח ן, P L GH + N". In our comparison we mention just the basic root, with vowels " A ". Other vowels may have been in use.

 

 

 

 
"...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 10.05.58