E 0730          RIVER

The word "river" comes from French

H 0837       ה ו ר

Concept of root : flowing abundantly, quenching thirst

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ה ו ר

riwwą

to water abundantly, drench, soak

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

      ה ו ר

riwwą

to water abundantly, drench, soak

r . w . <
r . (o) .

Greek

ρεω

reo

to flow, pour

r .  <

* r . w

Latin

rivus

rivus

brook, stream

r .  v

English

river

river

r .  v

Middle Dutch

roye

stream, brook

r .  (o)y

 

 

Proto-Semitic *RAWÀ, ROWÉ --- *ROW Indo-European

 

 

The interface is narrow, based on the general concept of flowing water plus a couple of secondary meanings in Hebrew and Greek being the same . We suppose constant flowing of water is the essential origin of both roots, in Hebrew and Greek. This entry anyhow has to be seen in relation with number E 0729 (Hebrew 0056).

 

The concept of flowing, especially abundantly, and in particular including irrigation, is specific in this Hebrew root. But in the standard version "rawą" it covers also the concept of drinking much and quenching thirst. In modern language it has strongly shifted the meaning of the basic form "rawą" to the quenching of thirst, with the intensive form "riwwą" standing for "to irrigate" and "to water (cattle etc.)". Irrigating can be an intensive way of overflowing with water. Obviously the concept of more or less abundant flowing of water, expressed in a very old root, has led to the creation of very different practical meanings, from the quenching of thirst to the flowing of rivers.

 

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is there in Aramaic "ר ו י , rewģ" and Syriac "ר ו א , rewą", both also indicating "drinking too much". Arabic "rawiya" and Ethiopian "rawaya" both say "he drank his fill", a very important fact in the various climates. In OS Arabic the root is specifically used for the concept of "irrigation" that is near the basic one of "to water abundantly" as rivers do . The same is the case in the adjective "rawé = watered, irrigated" in Biblical Hebrew. The root was probably present in Proto-Semitic "*ר ו ה, R W + H (accentuated vowel)". Naturally this is a transcription of the, always hypothetical, Proto-Semitic root.

 

Note:
  • Greek and Hebrew show a difference between a pronunciation "reo" and "rawą". We must consider that the Hebrew root is "R W", that with the W pronounced as a vowel would sound "RO". The system of inserting two vowels A is just the indication of the third person singular and male in the past tense. This is always chosen because the other forms can most easily be derived from this one. But notwithstanding this practical quality, it is often very different from the other forms. Therefore to "rawą" we have added the form "rowč"

     

    As shown above, Greek "reo" comes from an older root that also has the "W" we see in Hebrew. That root is "*R W", or exactly the same. There is no doubt about this. A further supposition, that the old root "R W" might have come from " S R W", is erroneous, especially seen the similarity of this entry.

 

Note:
  • Latin and English . Latin had "rivus = brook, stream" and the related "ripa = bank". Late Latin "riparia" became "grounds along a river". Then French "rivičre acquired both meanings of "river" and "grounds along a river".

     

    The English word "river" comes from French, but concentrated on its actual meaning.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . The Middle Dutch "roye" is of Germanic origin. The information is limited, but Proto-Germanic may have had a form "*R O Y-", which seems rather clearly related to Hebrew. It is so easy to err in these things. Modern Dutch has developed from "roye" into "rooi" and important scholars, not recording the old word "roye" , took the new "rooi" as a loanword from Spanish "arroyo"!

     

    . In late vulgar Latin there was a word "arogium" found in texts in Spain, that has led to the mentioned Spanish "arroyo = stream, brook". We guess that this has a Semitic origin, though also here a Germanic predecessor can not be excluded. This was presumably present in Italian, where we find "roggia, roza = stream, ditch (especially for irrigation)" , that probably came from Germanic.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European . Latin "rivus" has given Spanish and Italian "rio". It is related to Greek - " ρεω , reo", developed out of an earlier "ρεϝω , rewo". "Reo" is a very well known word meaning " to flow", used by Heraclitos in his "panta rei" or "all is fluent". The indications from Latin and Greek are "R IV-" and "R W-. We see no reason to suppose, as has been done, that the "R" in some older root was preceded by an "S".

     

    Old Indian has an old related root in "rĭyatē = starts flowing" and "raya, rayagh = current, flow", but also uses extended roots, like "R . T " in "rētas-, rītí = stream, flow" and "R . N" in "rināti, rínvati = to make flow.

     

    Slavic in modern languages has a root "R K", as in Russian " река , rjeka". This is seen already in Old Church Slavonic "reka = river". Fortunately this language also shows various words that show how originally there was a root very similar to especially Germanic. Such words are "izroj = flow of seed", literally "outflow" and "sĕroj = flowing together (n)". The indication is "R Ŏ Y-" , which we would consider as possibly developed out of an older "*R O/W-".

     

    On the basis of the available information an Indo-European "*R OW--" is quite possible.

 

 

 

 
"...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: 27/11/2012 at 11.49.09