E 0187          CONTAMINATION

The word " contamination " is of Latin origin .

H 0990           א מ ט                      

Concept of root : contamination

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

א מ ט

tham’à ;

thimm’é

to become impure;

to contaminate

Related English words

contamination  , from Latin

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

א מ ט

tham’à ;

thimm’è

to become impure;

to contaminate

th . m (‘)

Latin

contaminare <

taminare

-

-

contam-inare ;

taminare

-

-

to contam-inate ;

to desecrate

* to be impure

t . m .

English

contamina-tion

contamina-tion

t . m

 

 

Proto-Semitic *THAM'À --- TAM-INARE Latin

 

 

We see a clear similarity in the basis concept of "impurity", that can be transferred to others . This concept is directly expressed in Hebrew "tham’à" and can be compared with the meaning of the basic verb "taminare" in Latin .

 

Note:
  • Latin "contaminare" is an obviously composite verb, with the prefix "com" (with) and a verb "taminare", that is little used, seemingly only to say : "to desecrate the holy". Probably we should say that it does no more exist. Instead generally the origin is looked for in the verb "tangare" that says "to touch". In German and Dutch we see clearly such a link between a basic verb "tasten = to touch" and a composite one "antasten, aantasten " for "to contaminate". We should take into account though that "aantasten" also carries other meanings that are directly linked to physical touching : "to attack, touch , affect, corrode, encroach" etcetera, as well figuratively.

     

    A comparable range of effects we see in the Latin noun "contagio" that is certainly and directly related to the verb "tangere = to touch".

     

    The basic verb "taminare" has given also other composite verbs. "Intaminare" stands for " to pollute " and related messages. "Attaminare" says "to contaminate", but is also used for the classic "polluting" by sexual assault. And "intaminatus" is "unstained, pure".

     

    One can only conclude that the root " T . M ." in "contaminare" is independent from the root of "tangere = to touch". The similarity with Hebrew reinforces this thesis.

     

    Finally it should be added that "tangere" is related to Greek "θιγγανω , thingano" .

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . This root is there in Aramaic and Syriac " ט מ א, themà, became, was unclean" or "thammì (Aramaic) = he polluted, contaminated" and moreover " ט מ י , thammì (Syriac) = he contaminated, polluted". Arabic with a related meaning has "thami'à = silted up". This root was probably used in Proto-Semitic: "* ט מ א, TH M Aleph".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. We have no indications available for cognates in other branches of Indo-European. The comparison remains between Semitic and Latin.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 13/12/2012 at 11.16.06