GR 1200          KHRIMPTO

H 0769             ב ר ק

Concept of root : approach and nearness

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ב ר ק

qarav

qarov

to approach;

near

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

     ב ר ק

qarav;

-

qarov

to approach;

near

q . r . v ;

-

q . r (o) v

Greek

χριμπτω

khrimpto

to come near

kh r . mp

 

 

Proto-Semitic *QARAB --- *KHRIMP-TO Greek

 

 

Coming near, approaching is the basic message of this root and both Greek and Hebrew express this clearly in a similar way. The same root in Hebrew with related meanings is also found in entry GD 1061 (Hebrew 0770).

 

Note:
  • Greek "khrimpto" shows some differences with Hebrew "karav" . First the initial K-sounds as seen in Hebrew, in the etter " Qoph", in Greek is an aspired " KH ". Second, as common in European languages, with three consonants one vowel is pronounced, and not two or nearly two as in Hebrew. Third, the chosen vowel is an "I" in Greek, and varies from A via O to I in Hebrew (qarav, qarov, qirrčv, hikhriv). Fourth, the labial in Hebrew is a V, but originally a B, as seen from the spelling, whereas Greek, perhaps under influence of a suffixed T, had "MP", that in modern Greek is pronounced B. Fifth there is this intensifying suffix T in Greek.

     

    None of this is in contrast with a common origin of the two roots. Greek scholars consider the word "khrimpto" related to another verb "χριω , khrio", a very important one. We point out that if these two verbs are related, the constructing of words in both languages has been very similar. But we confess that we are less certain of this idea, because we do not see how the message of "khrimpto", that is "to get near", can have been built up from a word that indicates actions that take place when the getting near has taken place already. The other way about would be more obvious.

     

    As to the importance of "khrio": this verb means "to touch lightly", "to oint", "to spread (especially oil or aromatics)" Its original root was "KH R S", and it has given the word "Χριστος , Khristos" that in Latin became "Christus" and in English "Christ". Obviously this was a precise translation of the Hebrew word " מ ש י ח , Mashiagh = The Ointed One", that in English has become "Messiah".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is seen in Aramaic and Syriac "ק ר ב , qerav = he came near, approached". Ugaritic uses the same root for the same meaning and so does Arabic "qariba, qaryba". Also Ethiopian "qaraba" and OS Arabic "ק ר ב , Q R B" carry the same message. Akkadian qarābu = to come near, approach". This root was probably in use in Proto-Semitic: "*ק ר ב , Q R B".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Information about possible cognates in other groups of Indo-European languages seems not available and the comparison remains limited to Semitic and Greek.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 22/11/2012 at 17.39.12