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GD 1107 TAMELIJK
H 0969 ם ת
Concept of root : correct behaviour
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ם ת
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tam, tom
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correct,
honest, pious
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Related English words
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none
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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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ם ת
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tam,
tom
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correct, honest, pious
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t . m
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Middle Dutch
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tamel(ijc) ,
tamich;
tamen
-
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tamel(eik)
,
tamigh;
tamen
-
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becoming, proper, just;
to be proper, just
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t . m
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Gothic
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gatiman
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gatiman
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to be proper, becoming
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t . m
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Old High German
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zeman
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tseman
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to be proper, becoming
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ts . m
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German
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ziemen
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tśmen
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to be proper, correct
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ts. m
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Proto-Semitic *TAM --- TĀM-EN Middle Dutch < *TĀM- , *TĒM- Proto-Germanic
The meanings of the root in the two languages have only slightly drifted apart, probably in line with the customs in the communities. In the classic Jewish society the right behaviour was best characterized by the three adjectives we read here. In the Dutch protestant society of 1600 e.v. it is better specified by the three other adjectives. But the basic sense is identical.
Note:
- Gothic and German. Gothic in this verb has used the prefix "ga-" that it loves to use. It is comparable to "ge- " in German and Dutch. This prefix just reinforces , emphasizes or simply confirms the message of the verb without it.
We see how German has changed the T into TS, that is then spelled Z. In modern German the word "ziemlich" has also acquired the meaning of "considerable".
It must we pointed out that this root has nothing to do with the construction of houses ( Greek "demein ") , as some surmise. This idea was born because a "fitting" behaviour makes think of the fitting together of building elements. There is no cultural link at all though.
Note:
- Proto-Germanic. An existing hypothesis is "*TEMAN". The short vowel " Ĕ " is unconvincing. First it must be remarked that Middle Dutch had both "TĀMEN" and "TĒMEN". ONFranconian "has "tēman". Middle Low German shows "betāmen". The vowels " A " and " E " seem to live together and this may have been the case already in Proto-Germanic.
Note:
- Greek has the word "τιμη , timè" that stands for "honour". One may ask if this is related to the words of this entry. We can take into consideration that English " honest" is linked to "honour", and that in German "ehrlich" means "honest" and "Ehre" says "honour". The same goes for Dutch "eerlijk" and "eer". Culturally this indicates that also Greek "timè = honour" may be related to Hebrew " tam = honest " or "
ת
מ
ה , tumà = honesty". Perhaps we should have inserted this Greek word in our table, but we have not done so because we are not quite certain of this.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic. Of the various concepts expressed by a combination "T M", for the one of this entry , correctness and integrity, we have insufficient information from other Semitic languages. We have "(moral) perfection" in Aramaic, and Syriac "ת מ י מ א, tamimà" . Arabic "tamām" also means "perfection". With this meaning also Proto-Semitc may have used the root "*ת ם , T M" and perhaps already the lengthened three consonant "*ת מ ם , T M M".
Note:
- Indo-European. Information about possible cognates in other groups of Indo-European languages are lacking and the comparison stays between Semitic and Germanic.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 10/12/2012 at 17.32.42 |
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