E 0687           PILE

The word " pile " is of Germanic  origin .

H 0699            ש ל פ

Concept of root : penetrating

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ש ל פ

pillèsh

to penetrate

Related English words

pile, Old English pil

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ש ל פ

pillèsh

to penetrate

p . l . sh

Latin

pilum

pilum

short lance

p . l

Old English

pil

pointed instrument

p . l

English

pile

pile

p . l

German

Pfeil

pfeil

arrow

pf . l

Dutch

pijl

peil

arrow

p . l

Middle Dutch

pile

pile

arrow

p . l

 

 

Hebrew PILLÈSH < Proto-Semitic *PALASH --- *PĪL Proto-Germanic < *PĪL- Indo-European

 

 

The weapons we indicate here are typically of the penetrating kind. Remarkably, the vowel "I" of the intensive verb in Hebrew, pillèsh, is found also in the European nouns. The basic verbal form "palash" in Hebrew says "to invade, penetrate", the intensive form "pillèsh" is "to penetrate ". A classic example of regular intensification of the message of a root through the choice of specific different vowels for the pronunciation.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. We recall that there are several roots that have " P L" as their first two consonants. As a third consonant appear various letters, that diversify the original basic meaning, as seen in some other entries, like E 0066 (Hebrew 0697) and E 0338 (Hebrew 0698).

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. We find this root in related meanings in Aramaic and Syriac "פ ל ש , pelash = broke through". Akkadian "palashu = he dug through" is possibly related. This root may have been used in Proto-Semitic. : "*פ ל ש , P L SH".

 

Note:
  • English in modern language has developed also a different specialized meaning for "pile", that becomes a pointed beam of any material, that is driven into the earth to serve in the foundation of a structure. We note that the use of this modern "pile" is fully in line with the messages of the Hebrew root.

     

    This English "pile" in Dutch is called a "pijler", or something that "piles". This seems to refer to a Middle Dutch verb "pilen", related to Hebrew "pillèsh".

 

Note:
  • German PF is just an alteration in High German of the original P, found in very many words with an intial P.

 

Note:
  • Latin "pilum" amazingly is without etymology. There are three words "pila", saying "pillar", "pier ( of bridge )" and "mortar". A newer military term "pilus" has been based on "pilum". An older "pilus" means a "(single>) hair".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Some are of the opinion that the Germanic languages, like the mentioned German and Dutch, have loaned these words for arrow from Latin, but the shift in meaning from a javelin of two meters length to an arrow would have been both unreasonable and unnecessary. Romans and Germans all had their lances, javelins and arrows and why should the Germans loan the word for "lance" to substitute their own word for "arrow"? The fact must be that there is just a common origin for Latin "pilum" and Germanic "pile". An origin shared with Hebrew "pillèsh". So Proto-Germanic probably had "*P Ī L-". Old English has "pīl", Old Norse ""pīla".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. If our supposition that Germanic and Latin have a common origin, is right, that common origin, in Indo-European may have had simple a form "*P Ī L-".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 16/11/2012 at 18.09.01