GD 1112          TORSEN

H 0998            ח ר ט                     

Concept of root : heavy charge

Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ח ר ט

thoragh

charge

Related English words

none

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ח ר ט

thoragh

charge

th . r . gh

Dutch

torsen

torsen

to charge, carry a heavy charge

t . r s

 

 

Proto-Semitic *THORAGH --- TORS-EN Dutch < *T Ŏ RS- Proto-Germanic

 

 

We also find, in entry E 0946 (Hebrew 0997), an identical root to that of this entry Hebrew 0998, possibly related but with an different message and similarity to Indo European. Besides, the meaning of "to charge" was present in the Bible only. Today this has become "effort ".

 

The roots are not identical, with a Hebrew GH and a Dutch S. The only supposition to make in favour of a common origin is a later development , but we have no specific indication of support.

 

Note:
  • Dutch. A kinship with French "trousser" as some propose, is improbable, because the essential point of "torsen" in Dutch is heavy charging and carrying, whereas this is fully absent from the French word. "Trousser" comes from Old French "torser, trosser", with an internal metathesis between " O " and " R ". These verbs say "to turn, twist". Old French seems not to not help any. "Trosser" basically has continued in English " to truss" that has very little semantic relation to the carrying of heavy charges. Yet there are scholars who sustain that Old French "trosser" also had a message of "to charge".

     

    The etymology of Dutch "torsen" has remained a not easy question, but the similarity with Hebrew now can help us more.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. The noun "thoragh" stands for a "charge", a "burden". The basic form of the related verb must be that of "carrying a heavy burden", just like Dutch "torsen". Reason for this is that the causative form " ה ט ר י ח , hithriagh" says "to charge (with a burden)", as in Job 37: 11.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic. This root is also used in Aramaic " ט ר ח , theragh = to make efforts, try". The supposition we find is that the same root found in Hebrew and Aramaic was present already in Proto-Semitic and that the pronunciation had a vowel "U" between the T and the R, comparable with the Hebrew and Dutch vowel "O". Aramaic had an "U". The word may be related with the entry E 0946 (Hebrew 0997) . The verb "tharagh", as already mentiones, in the causative form "hithriagh" says " " to charge , lay a burden on someone" . Proto-Semitic probably used a root "* ט ר ח, TH R GH".

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic. Middle Dutch had "torsen, tursen, trossen" with an internal Dutch metathesis between " R " and "O/U". There is an Old Frisian sister word "trosie" and some call for doubtfull help from Old French "trosser" with the specific meaning of "to charge", which this word probably does not have. It also does not come from Latin "torqueo" that says "to turn" with derived meanings. This Old French "trosser, torser" presumably is of Germanic origin, and a hypothesis for Proto-Germanic may be "T Ŏ RS-". We have no information that allows to see a link with other Indo-European branches.

 

 

 

 

 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 13/12/2012 at 16.58.07