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E 0933 TOMB
The word " tomb " is, via Old
French and Latin, of Greek origin .
H 0991 ן מ ט
Concept of root : to bury
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Hebrew word
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pronunciation
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English meanings
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ן מ ט
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thaman
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to bury
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Related English words
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tomb,
from Greek
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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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ן מ ט
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thaman
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to bury
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th . m . n
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Greek
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θημα ;
τυμβος
,
τυμος
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thèma
;
tümbos,
tümos
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tomb ;
tomb, elevation of terrain
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th . m ;
t . m b
t . m
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English
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tomb
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tomb
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t . m b
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Proto-Semitic *THAMAN < *THOM --- TÜMB-OS Greek < *TŪM- Indo-European
Burying can be done to many things, but very often it is the burying of a deceased that first comes to mind. Thus it is understandable that some words on the basis of a root that says "to bury" acquire the specific meaning of a "grave". In fact also this English word "tomb", like "grave" and its sisters in German and others tongues, are born out of a more general concept of "to dig" that in Old English was "grafan".
Note:
- Hebrew. In harmony with the basic concept of " to bury ", this same verb "thaman" is also used to express the idea of " to hide ". This is quite understandable if we recall that in old times the dead had to be hidden and protected from scavengers, amongst other by burying them, especially where not sufficient stones were available to cover the bodies with.
Note:
- Proto-Semitic . Hebrew has a second root with the meaning, "to hide, conceal", TH M R", that is also found in Aramaic " ט מ ר , themar" . Akkadian "thamāru = to cover with earth". So Proto-Semitic may have had "* ט מ ר , TH M R", and perhaps also the second Hebrew version, "* ט מ ן , TH M N" for " to bury, hide, conceal".
Then both these three consonant roots may have had a common predecessor with two consonants :"* ט מ , TH M", also for " to bury, hide, conceal" . In our comparison we hypothesize the use of a central " W " or in the pronunciation the vowel " O ", that also might be a " U " instead. And as we know, there are many intermediate versions in pronunciation between " O " and " U ".
Note:
- Greek " thèma " is usually seen as linked to "τιθημι , tithèmi" a very important verb that carries many messages. It means basically "to place, deposit " in numerous versions. It is composed of the following elements : "ti-" is a doubling prefix, final "-mi" is a suffix that indicates the first person singular, and the central part " – thè " has the root. We see that the M of "tithèmi" is not part of its root. Instead "-mi" is a suffix, indicating the first person singular, related to English "me". Therefore we see no certain relation at all with the word "thèma" for grave.
Greek has also the word "ταφος , taphos" for "burial, grave". The related verb again has an initial TH instead of T : "θαπτω , thapto". We see the ease with which Greek shifts between the two dentals, explosive and aspired. The relationship with "thèma" is not quite clear.
Note:
- Greek and Hebrew. Another word for "grave" is found in Greek : "τυμβος , tümbos" that via Latin "tumba" has given English "tomb" . Interesting is the cultural comparison with Hebrew, because "tümbos" also means " tumulus" or "gravestone", thus referring to the old way of burying a deceased by heaping stones and/or earth upon the body. It served to hide and protect it from animals, not too different from hiding by burying.
In Latin "tumulus" we still find also the general meaning of "hill, elevation of the ground", besides that of "tomb". Interestingly, a "tomm" in Middle Irish has the same meaning .
Note:
- Indo-European. A hypothesis of an original "*T Ū M-" on the basis of Latin and Greek, with a little support from Celtic through Middle Irish, seems justified.
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| Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 13/12/2012 at 11.36.06 |
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