E 0710          RAFT

The worf " raft " is of Germanic origin.

H 0822          ה ד ס פ ר

Concept of root : raft

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ד ס פ ר

raphsodà

raft

Related English words

raft

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

     ה ד ס פ ר  

raphsodà

raft

r . ph

English

raft

raft

r . f t <

*r . f

Old Norse

raptr

raft

r . p t

 

 

Hebrew *RAPH-SODÀ --- *RĂF Proto-Germanic

 

 

These two words, English and Hebrew, are far from identical, but they have the same meaning and the same beginning. "Raft" is certainly akin to the root of entry number E 0711 (Hebrew 0821), that deals with English "rafter".

 

Hebrew "raphsoda", certainly unrelated to the word "rhapsody", is composed of two parts. The first one is "raph" that stands for "Bar, beam", balk". A raft is made of balks.

 

The origin of the second part is less easy to define, but it might be related to a word for "oars", as used to steer a raft. This word is " ש י ט , shait", with the root "SH T". But this remains anyhow quite hypothetical.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. The Hebrew word "raphsoda" , in Medieval language also "raphsodet", is of uncertain etymology and we have no information for a hypothesis for Proto-Semitic.

 

Note:
  • Latin has a word "ratis" for "raft". This can be at the utmost only very remotely akin to the root of this entry. We find it in entry E 0734 (Hebrew 0831).

 

Note:
  • Old Norse very commonly adds an R to nouns . This R is not part of the root . Scholars see English " raft " as coming, via Middle English " rafte ", from this Old Norse word "raftr". This is quite possible.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. We best refer to the Notes on English and Proto-Germanic in entry E 0710 (Hebrew 0821). Proto-Germanic probably had "*R Ă F-", but for the use as "raft" the final T may already have been added: "R Ă FT-". This is uncertain.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 26/11/2012 at 17.27.28