GR 1192          KAIROS

H 0768             ה ר ק , א ר ק

Concept of root : to happen

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ר ק , א ר ק

qar’à, qarà

to happen, occur

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      א ר ק ,

ה ר ק

qar’à

qarà

to happen, occur, meet by chance

q . r (‘)

q . r (y)

Greek

καιρος

-

-

κυρω

kairos;

-

-

küro

occasion, opportunity

right time;

to meet by chance

k . r

Middle Dutch

keer

kér

occurrence, happening, time (one..)

k . r

 

 

Proto-Semitic *QAR'À --- *KĂR Indo-European

 

 

The similarity in sound is met convincingly by a small range of meanings, from just "to happen" to the rather specific "to meet by chance". Interesting is that besides Greek, we find in the realm of Germanic only this isolated Dutch word. But this is not the only time this occurs.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The root of this entry is found in Ugaritic with the same meaning of "to encounter, meet" and perhaps it has a cognate in Arabic "qarà = he went about" and "qara(y) = he received guests ". It was probably present in Proto-Semitic "*ק ר א , Q R Aleph".

 

Note:
  • English " to occur " seems to show some similarity with the other words of this entry. But it comes from the composed Latin verb "occurrere < ob-currere " that has two messages. The first is " to come meeting, to meet , appear " . The second one is " to happen " in a number of senses, as well as actual meanings of English " to occur". For example " to be found to exist or appear".

     

    The second part of this Latin verb is the simplex verb " currere " ( perhaps related to English " to hurry " ) that says " to run, go fast" and several comparable things. But it does not carry the meaning of " to happen, occur " as it seems. Therefore no kinship with the other words of this entry can be safely sustained .

 

Note:
  • Greek in modern language uses "kairos" differently, saying "time (in more senses)", "season" and "weather". The summer in New Greek is "καλοκαιρι , kalokéri", when the weather is beautiful.

     

    There is a hypothesis of an older form "*kwar-jos", that other scholars consider wrong.

 

Note:
  • Dutch still has the Middle Dutch word, but does not use it for "occurrence" or "happening". Today it only says "time" as in "one time, each time, many times". An identical word that is of different origin exists for "turn, change".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. We know no sister words of Middle Dutch "keer" in the sense of "occurrence, happening". Therefore it is not possible to offer a hypothesis for Proto-Germanic.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. On the basis of a Greek and a Dutch word with uncertain etymology it is difficult to make a solid hypothesis for Indo-European, though probably a two consonat unit "*K . R" was used. In our comparion we venture to mention this, indicating a vowel " A " as possible. Uncertainty is there.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 22/11/2012 at 17.10.55