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E 0787 SEGNIAN
The Old English word “ segnian “ is of Germanic origin .
H 0850 ן כ ס
Concept of root : benefit
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ן כ ס
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sakhan
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to
(give) benefit
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Related English words
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Old English segnian
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Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
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Languages
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Words
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Pronunciation
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English meanings
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Similarity in roots
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Hebrew
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ן כ ס
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sakhan
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to (give) benefit
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s . kh . n
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Longobard
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segun
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segŭn
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benefit
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s . gh . n
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Old English
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segnian
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to bless
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s . g n
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German
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Segen
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zégen
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benefit, blessing
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s . g . n
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Dutch
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zegen
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zéghen
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benefit, blessing
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z . gh . n
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Proto-Semitic *SAKHAN --- *SĒGĔN Proto-Germanic
German “Segen” is considered to have been derived from the verb “segnen”, that today has as it main message that of religious blessing. Many scholars, but not all, are convinced that the word is based on Latin “signum = sign”. This would then have been used pregnantly to mean “the Sign of the Cross”. This is one of those inventions that fascinate people, but in fact are unfounded.
The sign of the cross was late to appear and even later to conquer the Catholic Church. The Cross as a symbol was legalized in 691 e.v. Blessing people with the sign of the cross came later. If we consider that in the Latin language “signum” and its successors have not led to a message like that of “to bless”, we see how improbable it is that Germanic speakers introduced it into their languages from a use by priests in churches. Especially if the word “signum” seems not to have had a specific use to indicate the Christian Cross.
The use of the word for “divine blessing” seems to have been documented only from the late Middle Ages. And Longobard “segŭn” was known in (runic) writing before 600 e.v.. Middle Dutch had the same double meaning as modern Dutch, that is “benefit” in general as well as “blessing”.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. There is not much information from other Semitic languages. In Phoenician a prefect is indicated with the root "S K N" , and he may or should aim at making people benefit and be happy. In the Tel el Amarna letters "sakāna ana = to care for". Proto-Semitic probably used this root , with a message of "to care for, to make benefit" : "*ש
כ
ן , sakhan".
Note:
- Proto-Germanic. The presence of a root "S G N" , in Dutch "Z G N" and in German pronounced "Z G N" in Old High German "seganon", with further Old English "segnian" and Lombardic as shown, indicates a Proto-Germanic "*S Ē G Ĕ N-". This is reinforced by the use of nouns like Old High German "segan". In order to justify a loan from Latin "signum", which as seen is a wong supposition, it is tried to define Old High German "segan" as a back-formation of the verb "seganon", which is quite unconvincing.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 01/01/2013 at 15.48.41 |
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