GD 1082          RITSEN

H 0805             ץ צ ר ; ץ ע ר

Concept of root : to break, tear up

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

  ; ץ ע ר

 ץ צ ר

ra‛ats; ri‛èts;

; ratsats, ritsèts

to break up, smash

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      ץ ע ר;

ץ צ ר

ra‛ats; ri‛èts

ratsats, ritsèts

to break up , smash

r . (‛) . ts;

r . ts . ts <

* r . ts

Middle Dutch

ritsen,

riten

ritsen,

riten

to rip,  split, go to pieces

r (i) ts,

r (i) t

 

 

Hebrew RI‛ÈTS < Proto-Semitic *RA‛ATS --- *RĬTS- Proto-Germanic

 

 

These ways of making go into pieces are a bit less identical, but still sufficiently so to assume a common origin. And once more it is in Dutch roots that we find this closeness to Hebrew.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew used this root also in a figurative sense in describing the forms of oppression the Philistines practised. Also the related Hebrew root " ר צ ץ ", with the verbs "ratsats" and "ritsèts" covers the same meanings.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. There is not much evidence from other Semitic languages, but Aramaic has "ר ע ץ , re‛ats = to shatter" . A hypothesis is anyhow possible for a Proto-Semitic root ר ע ץ , R Ayin TS".

 

Note:
  • Hebrew and Dutch. If we just suppose the use of this same verb, "ra‛ats", in its intensive form "ri‛èts", we are really very near to the sound of Dutch "ritsen" !

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Middle Dutch has led to a modern Dutch verb "ritsen". Then there is also a German verb "ritzen", that is considered a so called intensive form of the verb "reissen" that has the same meaning and may very well be related, but this supposition does not convince. In Old Norse and Old Swedish and modern Swedish we find a verb "rista" with the same meanings as Dutch "ritsen", but carrying also related messages as " to carve". Proto-Germanic probably had "*R I TS-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Regretfully, we have no information about possible cognates in other Indo-European groups of languages.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 25/11/2012 at 17.51.49