|
E 0798 SHAME
The word " shame " is of
Germanic origin .
H 0918 ה
צ
מ
ש ; ץ י
מ
ש ה ; ץ
מ
ש
Concept of root : shame
|
Hebrew word
|
pronunciation
|
English meanings
|
|
; ץ מ ש
ץ ; י מ ש ה
ה צ מ ש
|
shemets;
hishmits;
shimtsą
|
whisper ;
to defame;
shame, contempt
|
|
|
|
Related English words
|
shame
|
|
|
Comparison between European words and
Hebrew
|
Languages
|
Words
|
Pronunciation
|
English meanings
|
Similarity in roots
|
|
Hebrew
|
ץ מ ש
;
ץ י מ ש ה ;
ה צ מ ש
|
shemets
;
hishmits
;
shimtsą
|
whisper ;
to defame ;
shame, contempt
|
sh . m . ts
|
|
English
|
shame
|
|
shame
|
sh . m
|
|
Dutch
|
schimpen;
-
schamper;
schaam
|
sghĭmpen;
-
sghămper;
sghām;
|
to defame, insult;
sneering;
shame
|
sch . m p .
-
-
sch . m
|
Proto-Semitic *SHAMATS < *SHAMÀ --- *SKĂMP < *SKĀM-
The English word " shame " is dedicated principally, but not exclusively to the aspect of what the subject feels. The Hebrew root deals more with the shamefulness people hear about. This difference in approach does not influence on the fact of common origin.
Note:
- Hebrew. The root " shamats " can be compared with "
ש
מ
ע , sham‛ą ", an important one that mostly expresses the concept of "listening, hearing", but is also used to say " fame ". This is a link to the root "SH M TS" of this entry , that deals with hidden or barely audible or whispered talk. The causative form obviously make people whisper about somebody, negatively of course. It causes bad fame. In the noun "shimtsą" we see the double message of "shame" and "contempt".
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. We have no evidence from other Semitic languages for "SH M TS" as such. But the possibly related and very important root "SH M Ayin = to hear, listen", that has developed into other meanings like "report" and "fame", is found in many Semitic languages and was certainly used in Proto-Semitic. The root "SH M TS" may even be just a specific Hebrew development. This might explain why also in Germanic ( English) the final TS is absent.
In any of both cases atwo consonant root "*ש מ ה , SH M + accentuated vowel" is the probable predecessor".
Note:
- English "shame" has sisters in German "Scham", Swedish "skam" and Dutch "schaam". It
has had a predecessor in Old English "scamu" with the verb "sceomian". The root is
Germanic, with no links known in other groups.
Note:
- German and Dutch. There is a group of probably related words, found in German, Dutch and their predecessors. They are for example German "schimpfen = to scoff, taunt, deride", Dutch "schimpen ; schamper" = "to scoff, taunt, defame, insult; scornful, sneering" and Middle Dutch : "schamper; schimpich" = "insulting, scoffing, deriding; insulting, scornful, derisive ( at someone's expense).
The words "Schimpf" and Middle Dutch "schimp" also carried the messages of "mockery", "jest" , but it is not right to see those as the original ones. The joking of these words was basically at somebody's rather heavy expense and thus they ranged from that kind of joke to real insult and defamation.
Note:
- Hebrew and Dutch . It is important to note that both Hebrew and Dutch have coined words with "A" as a main vowel as well as with "I" as a main vowel. There remains of course the fact that the similarity of the roots is only partial . The difference between the last couple of consonants is between Hebrew "TS" and Germanic "P". If there has been a common origin, those final consonants are a later development. And this is quite possible as also other roots with only the last consonant different have been developed. An example is seen in Dutch "smaden = to insult, deride scorn", with the root "S M D" instead of "SH M P". And Old High German used a root "S M H" in "smahon" with comparable messages.
Note:
- Proto-Germanic probably had in the field of "insult, "*SK I MP-", but used anyhow at least one other vowel, the "A", in "*SK Ā MP-".
Regarding the concept of "shame" there was a preceding and ongoing form without final " P " or " D ", in "*SK Ā M-".
|
|
|
| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 02/01/2013 at 14.55.36 |
|