E 0705          PUSTULE

The word " pustule " is, via Old French, of Latin origin .

H 0740        ע צ פ

Concept of root : sores and  wounds

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ע צ פ

pets‛à

wound, sore

Related English words

pustule

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ע צ פ

pets‛à

wound, sore

p . ts (‛)

Latin

pustula <

pussula

pustula<

pussula

sore

p . s t. <

p . ss

English

pustule

pustule

p . s t

Middle Dutch

puust, pust

püst, pǔst

pustule

p . s t

 

 

Proto-Semitic *PETS‛À --- *PŪST- Indo-European

 

 

The two concepts of a wound that becomes a sore or of a sore as such, in development of languages may well receive the same root as the word for "pustule". In Dutch a larger "puist", the modern version of Middle Dutch "puust", is already called a "zweer", with a word that is of common origin with English "sore".

 

The difference we see between European and Hebrew here, is that the one has "ST", the other "TS", and that is just one of those things that occur easily. In fact we see that Latin earlier had "SS". Pronouncing "S" as "TS" is done by many millions of modern Italians , and no wonder if also a Hebrew word has developed from having "SS" into saying "TS".

 

The Hebrew root "P.TS.Ayin" besides the concept of "to wound, bruise" also has that of "to crack open" as said of nuts but certainly as well of pustules . "Was cracked " is expressed by the reflexive form "hitpats‛à" , like a "to crack oneself open" that points rather at pustules, not at nuts.

 

We follow the general opinion that "pustule" is not related to "pus", but to a concept of "blowing".

 

 

Note:
  • Latin "pustula" has a suffix "-ula", that may be diminutive. The common view is that it is related to a root for "to blow", but that raises a question. Bubbles in the skin may be referred to with words that are linked to verbs that mean to blow, as we see in German with "Blaeschen" and "blasen". But such bubbles lack the characteristic of producing pus that is unpleasantly essential for a pustula and for wounds gone sore. Yet this link is seen in more languages. "Pustula" also has the versions "pusula" and "pussula", and "puscula" is indeed a "vesicle". The indication for Latin is "P Ū ST.

 

Note:
  • Greek. has the root "F Ü S-", but has not used this to express the concepts of "pustule" or "sore" , with the non-significant exception of "φυσιγξ, phüsinx = blister".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The information from other Semitic languages is limited. Arabic "fattsa‛a = he squashed ( fruit) " is considered related, like according to some scholars also a metathesized "tsafa‛a = he buffeted". The verb in Hebrew has a series of composed versions that indicate a certain age and one may presume that the root was used in Proto-Semitic : "*פ צ ע , P TS Ayin, pets‛à".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. The Germanic words of this entry are considered related with German "pusten = to blow", that has been loaned from Middle Low German "pusten " that has sisters in Middle Dutch "poesten" and "puysten". In fact "pustules" often have a blown up aspect . Proto-Germanic probably had "*P U ST-" in words for both meanings: "to blow" and "pustule".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. There is little evidence of words with the specific meaning of "pustule" or "sore" and a hypothesis has to be based on Latin and Germanic only. There may have been in Indo-European a specific "*P Ū ST-".

 

 

 

 
"...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: 21/11/2012 at 14.15.19