LA 1259A          RUERE

H 0838             ח ו ר

Concept of root : opening space

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ח ו ר

rawagh;

riwwagh

to be wide, spacious;

to open space, enlarge

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

     ח ו ר

rawagh;

-

riwwagh

-

-

to be wide, spacious;

to open space, enlarge

r . w . gh

Greek

ευρυς

-

ευρυνω

-

eürüs;

-

eürüno

-

wide, spacy;

to enlarge, make wide

. (u) r (u) < *w . r (w)

Latin

ruere

ruere

to uproot , tear down

r . (u) .

Dutch

rooien

royen

to uproot , tear down

r (o) y

Swedish

röja

röya

to make space, uproot

r (o) y

Old Norse

rydja

ridya

to uproot, tear down

r (y) dy

 

 

Proto-Semitic *RAWAGH, *RUWWAGH --- *RŪW- Indo-European

 

 

The same composition of consonants can receive various vowels. The Hebrew word "ruagh" for example says "wind, breath". The development of the past tense in Hebrew, with two vowels A, may make words seem further off from their European cousins. But if we recall the characteristics of the central consonant W in the root "R W GH" of this entry, especially that it may become a vowel as in "ruagh", the distance dissolves. "Dìstance" is also a meaning served by this root, and then the word is "réagh". The word "ruagh = wind" has a root that today seems identical with only a different meaning, but that in the far past must have had a different pronunciation of the final consonant " ח ".

 

In this entry we find the concept of creating space, basically using force. Space was created for human use, such as the construction of dwellings or the getting together for social events. Thus we find roots that have some similarity with the above ones meaning "to prepare (grounds, terrain ) for construction". One of the most common necessities was that of eliminating trees, as is the message of the Dutch word "rooien". Latin "ruere" unites both actions that are comprised in the Dutch word.

 

The roots mentioned in the table are not identical but similar.

 

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. A similar root expresses the quite different concepts of "to breathe, blow" and "wind". In the sense of "space, wideness" this root is present in Aramaic and Syriac "ר ו ח , rewagh = was wide, enlarged". Arabic "rawigha = was wide, ample". OS Arabic used the same root for the same meaning of "to enlarge". Ethiopian "reghawa = he opened" might be related, just like the very common Hebrew ( and Proto-Semitic) root "ר ח ב , R GH B", with which the concepts "wide, broad, enlarge" as well as the result that can be a "road, street" are expressed. The root of this entry as seen in Hebrew was probably already in use in Proto-Semitic: "*ר ו ח , R W GH".

     

    For a good comparison we give a version with the standard double " A + A", but adding the indeed existing form "RUWWAGH = was enlarged, given space".

 

Note:
  • Greek "eurus" has certainly developed out of an earlier root. Probably the process has been as follows: " R W " > ( (doubling the W ) "W R W" > ( (vowels U out of consonants W) "URU" > ( confirming prefix E plus suffix S for nominative case ) "EURUS". Understandably also a version "euros" was developed later.

     

    In Greek the action of "opening space" was expressed by a specific suffix N , thus giving the verb "ευρυνω , eürüno".

 

Note:
  • Dutch "rooien" in Middle Dutch has a number of versions with a D, such as "royden, roden", but these are newer . The D has been introduced later or there would not have been the variation "royden". Thus "rooien" is older and this is confirmed by the Avestan (Old Persian) verb "raoiđya" with the same basic meaning. It is uncertain if Old English "aryddan = to plunder" is related to the words of this entry .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. The Swedish verb "röja" is very important as it combines the meaning found in Hebrew with that found in other Germanic languages. Like in Middle Dutch, in Swedish has been introduced a version with a "D" inserted: "rödja", but the version "röja" has remained the principal one. In Norwegian "rydje" a vowel "Y" is used, that can be a development out of an earlier "O". The meanings are the same as those of Swedish "röja" .

     

    The dental "D" that is already present in Middle Low German and Middle Dutch, and the dental "T" that is found in Old and Middle High German are generally seen as a later development of a root that had "R" and "U" or "O", and used possibly the vowels "E" or "A" for pronunciation, giving "*reu-" or "*rau-". We agree to a great extent, but would consider the "E" in German dialect "reuten" as having been introduced later. Proto-Germanic in all probability had "*R O Y-", after an earlier "*R O W" that may already have been present in Proto-Germanic.

     

    It can be useful to add that there are some interesting composed verbs that have acquired wider or diversified applications. Dutch "uitroeien = to uproot, eradicate" and then also "exterminate, wipe out" confirms the absence of a dental in the original root. German "ausrotten" with the same meanings and unfamously remembered from the era of World War 2, instead expresses with the inserting of a double explosive T ferocity of action.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. The concepts of "to be wide, broad", "to make wide, broad" and "to tear down (plants, structures, making space)" are served by one basic root.

     

    Latin. Latin indeed has two different verbs "ruo, ruere". One is considered to have developed out of "*gruo, gruere", with the "G" still seen in the composed verbs "congruo (see English "congruent")" and "ingruo" . Its meaning is "to rush on, to swoop down upon, to hurl oneself upon". Quite different the messages of the other verb "ruere" as seen in this entry, that did not have an earlier "G" in it : "to uproot, to tear down", that has also led to the English words "ruin, to ruin".

     

    Interesting is the well known expression with which are indicated the "ruta et caesa", that are the plants and construction that have been torn down by the owner of a terrain, who keeps these when selling the property itself.

     

    Old Indian offers a very clear example of how in the mixed group of sounds "V W U O" consonants can become vowels and vice versa. The concept of "wide, broad" is expressed by "uru-", clearly related to Greek "eürüs". But the comparative is then "varīyas-" and "width, breadth" are "váras-". The same root is used to indicate the wide part of the human body, that is the "breast = úras-" and here the vowel is seen. Probably the vowel "U" was the earlier version. When it was substituted by a consonant "V", a vowel "A" was needed for pronunciation.

     

    A further contribution to clarity comes from the verbal root for the concept of "to tear down" in two versions, "ru-, rav-", seen in the verbal forms "rávat, rudhí", of which the second one has an extra dental as often seen in Germanic tongues. The indication is that of an oldest "(U) R U(W)-" or "R U(W)-".

     

    Avestan gives a comparable picture with "vouru = broad, wide" and "varah- = breast".

     

    Baltic. Lithuanian has "ráju, ráuti = to tear down, uproot".

     

    Slavic offers Old Church Slavonian revo = to tear down".

     

    Indo-European probably had "(U) R U(W)-" or "R U(W)-".

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 27/11/2012 at 12.27.04