E 0794          (TO)  SET

The verb " to set " is of  Germanic origin .

H 0941                ת ת ש , ת ש                 

Concept of root : to set

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ת ת ש ; ת ש

shat, shatat

to set, put

Related English words

to set

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ת ת ש ; ת ש

shat, shatat

to set, put

sh . t . t <

sh . t

English

to set

to set

s . t

German

setzen

zetsen

to set

z . ts

Dutch

zetten

zetten

to set

z . t

Amsterdam dialect

sette

shette

to set

sh . t

 

 

Proto-Semitic *SHATAT < *SHAT --- *SĒD Indo-European

 

 

This entry is strictly related to entry E 0795 (Hebrew 0954 , "shģt, shot" ) , in which we further elaborate on the related similarities. Here we point out the following.

 

In entry E 0780 (Hebrew 0939) we see the noun "shet", meaning "seat" in the anatomical way, and also "buttock", besides "base, foundation". In modern language this second meaning is expressed with a different vowel, the A : "shat".

 

The English verb "to set", German "setzen" and Dutch "zetten", are causative forms of respectively "to sit", "sitzen" and "zitten". In the Nordic tongues things are the same. Knowing the various meanings in which the two English verbs are used, we see some comparable development with Hebrew. The part a person sits on enjoys the same linguistic root of other foundations.

 

Some languages practise various solutions for the situations in which a person sits down of his own accord. The English say "to sit down". Germans and Scandinavians "to set oneself", the Dutch "to go sit".

 

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. The only real difference between the two verbs "shat" and "shatat" is that through the tendency in Hebrew to have roots with three consonants, a version with doubled T has been created. This tendency was reasonable because it facilitated the perfect shaping of verbal forms during the development and complication of the build-up of the language itself

     

    The basic verb "shat" of this entry is out of use today, but we have two composed verbs on its descendant, with the root "SH T T". One is the passive form " נ ש ת ת , nishtat" that is "to be founded " and the other the causative form " ה ש ת י ת, hishtit" that says "to found, base". These meanings in English can be expressed with help of the verbs "to set" : "to be set up" .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . This root is found in Phoenician "א ש ת ת = foundation" . Aramaic and Syriac have "א ש ת א, ushtą (A), eshtą (S)" and Syriac also has "ש ת , shet = seat". Arabic "ist = bottom, seat " and Akkadian "ishdu", with "D" instead of "T" says "foundation". The basic root was probably used in Proto-Semitic "*ש ת , SH T".

 

Note:
  • Amsterdam dialect is specified once more in this entry because it is very near Hebrew.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . The English verbs "to set" and " to sit" differ just by the central vowels, of which the "I" indicates an intransitive form and the "E" a transitive or causative form. This phenomenon is wider spread in Germanic languages and touches also other roots. In this case the Nordic languages also have their part, as in Old Norse "sitja" and "setja", and Norwegian "sitte" and "sette", but Swedish and Danish spell the E-sound as in "sätta" and "sętte". In Danish "side" we see a consonant "D" that is a newer development as it was not found in Old Danish.

     

    For the transitive/causative verb as English "to set", the initial consonant is in older and newer tongues "S", that then in German is pronounced and in Dutch is also spelled "Z": "zetten". The second consonant is "T", with the specific but casual exception of German "setzen ( as "sitzen = to sit") after Old High German "sezzen with "sizzen"). Proto-Germanic probably had "*S E T-", with the transitive "*S I T-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European For the concepts that in English are expressed by "to sit, to set, seat", some main elements of the picture are the following.

     

    Old Indian offers "sádati = to sit", with a causative "sādayati", "sádas = seat" and "sáttar- = sitting down". The resulting "S A D-" may have an origin in "*S E D-".

     

    Avestan has in some forms changed from " S " to " H ", a phenomenon very common in Greek. So "had- = to sit down" and "hiðaiti = he sits". But "to set" = niyashadayam"

     

    Greek "εζομαι‛, hezomai = to sit, to sit down" εδος‛, hedos = seat". Both come from an original basis "*S E D-".

     

    Latin "sedeo, sedēre = to sit", "sido, sedi, sessum = to sit down, settle". The message is "*S E D-".

     

    Germanic Proto-Germanic had "*S E T-, S I T-".

     

    Slavic has a.o. hypothesis of "sēdēti, sedjo, sesti" , with Old Church Slavonic "sędo, sěsti" = to sit (down)" . Russian "сидеть, sidjetj = to sit".

     

    Baltic with a hypothesis of "*sed-", but also "*sad-" gives Lituanian "sëdu = to sit down" and "sedétu = to sit". Then "sodinł = to set".

     

    Celtic supposedly has the two consonant combination " S . D", using as vowels "A; E; O". Old Irish has "suide" for "to sit, seat", with a diphthong " UI " developed out of " Ō ". Cymric "sedd = seat".

     

     

    Indo European probably had "*S Ē D-".

     

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 04/12/2012 at 18.23.46