E 1030          ZONE

The word " zone " is, via Latin , of Greek origin .

H 0925                 ס נ ש

H 0925                 ץ נ ש

Concept of root : girding

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ס נ ש;

ץ נ ש

shinnès;

shanats

to gird;

to lace, tie

Related English words

zone, from Greek

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ס נ ש

ץ נ ש

shinnès;

shanats

to gird ;

to lace, tie

sh . n . s ;

sh . n . ts

Greek

ζωνη;

ζωστηρ ;

ζωννυω,

ζωννυμι

zonè ;

zostèr ;

zonnüo ;

zonnümi

gird ;

gird;

to gird

-

z . n . ;

z . s t ;

z . n .

-

English

zone

zone ;

belt, gird

z . n

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHANATS --- *ZŌNNÜŌ Greek

 

 

We find two Greek words to match the concept of "girdle ", of which in all probability "zonè" is the original one. It does not have the third and final consonant S we see in Hebrew, but the (supposedly ) secondary form "zostèr" seems to have eliminated the N and conserved instead the S.

 

Note:
  • Greek " zoné " has later acquired also other meanings, such as "zone" that have conquered via Latin also modern languages. English has the word "zone" not only from this Latin intermediate station. In older days " zone " also still stood for " gird " or " belt " in English .

     

    One remarks that there are two verbs in Greek. "Zonnüo" has the more common suffix " O " for the first person singular in the present tense. The prefix is related to "ego = I". "Zonnümi" has a suffix based on the accusative "me".

     

    The meanings of both verbs are identical and not very far from Hebrew "shanas" "and shanats": "to gird up one's loins (for battle etc.)", "to lace, tie up, bind up", besides the simple "to gird".

     

    There seem to be no clear links for Greek "zonè" to words in other Indo-European languages.

     

    The famous soldiers with the white skirts that guard the Greek Parliament, are called "Euzones" because they are "well girded" for battle, though that is not the first impression they make on the tourists in Athens. They are indeed very well-trained fellows!

 

Note:
  • Hebrew, There is the other root, mentioned in the table : ש נ ץ , shanats= to fasten with cords, lace, tie", obviously related to the root " SH N S = to gird" of this entry.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . We have no information from other Semitic languages regarding the first root of this entry, but the strictly related root "SH N TS" is also found in Aramaic "ש נ ץ, shenats (he bound); shanets (he laced)" . And perhaps Arabic "shanatsa= he adhered" is related. This root may have been used in Proto-Semitic: "*ש נ ץ, SH N TS", rather than "SN N S", that may be a specific diversifying Hebrew development.

     

    The existence of the two versions anyhow makes clear that probably in old language, that is in Proto-Semitic, there existed a two consonant version "*ש נ ה, SH N H (accentuated vowel), shanà" or in this case perhaps rather "*ש ו ן, SH W N, shon. This would mean a use between the two basic consonants of the same vowel that is present in the Greek words.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. Lithuanian "júostas" and Sanscrit "yāstas", both meaning "girt", have been proposed as cognates of "zone", but there is some uncertainty about this and we keep the comparison for now between Semitic and Greek.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 04/12/2012 at 14.43.32