E 0848          SOMEN

The Old English words "somen "and " somian " are of Germanic origin .

H 1014              ד מ צ                   

Concept of root : together

 Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

ד מ צ

tsamad;

tsemed

to unite, put together;

couple

Related English words

Old English somen; somnian

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ד מ צ

tsamad

-

tsemed

to unite, put together ;

couple

ts . m . d

Old English

somen ;

somnian

-

together;

to bring together

s . m . n ;

s . m . n

Middle Dutch

sam, samen ;

samenen

-

sam, samen;

      samenen

together ;

to unite, put together

s . m ;

s . m . n

Dutch

saam, samen ;

zamelen

-

saam, samen;

zamelen

-

together ;

-

to unite, put together

s . m ;

-

s . m . n

-

Old High German

saman ;

samanon

-

saman ;

samanon

-

together ;

to unite, put together

s . m . n

 

 

Proto-Semitic *TSAMAD < *TSĀM --- *SĀM Indo-European

 

 

Only the first two consonants correspond, be it with TS in Hebrew and S in Germanic. But the third consonants differ, between N and D. Yet in one case, the Dutch words "sam, saam = together ", we do not find a third consonant. This might indicate a very old common origin again between Hebrew and Dutch. There is no indication that the shorter word "sam" might be an abbreviated version of "samen". >

 

It must be remarked that this Semitic word for "to join" often is used for the putting together of a couple of animals, like oxen, for a specific use.

 

 

Note:
  • Hebrew. There is some indication that the first two consonants, TS + M , already carry a message of "together , linked ". The noun " צ מ ת , tsomet" stands for a "junction, knot ". But there exists also the word " צ ו ם , tsom", that some see as meaning " to unite, meeting", but most read as "to fast". It is used to speak about a "public fasting " or "fasting meeting", which explains the differences in opinion.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic . We find this root in Aramaic and Syriac " צ מ ד , tsemad = he bound together". Ugaritic uses the same root for the same meaning. Akkadian "tsamādu= to bind, harness". In Arabic "dhamada" and Ethiopian "dhamada" the root becomes "DH M D ", with related messages.

     

    Referring to the previous Note on Hebrew and the above text, in the comparison the hypothesis of an older two consonant root in Proto-Semitic is followed : "*צ ם, TS . M, tsam", or possible with the vowel " O ": "*צ ו ם , TS W M, tsom".

 

Note:
  • Germanic. The concept of "together" is quite different from that of "identical". One may bring together at least as often if not more often things or persons that are different than identical ones. "Bringing together" just does not mean "to make identical". Therefore we do not see , as some do, a semantically convincing link between English "same", that in Old English was "sum" and the words of this entry. Also "same" is related to Hebrew, as presented in entry number E 0757 (Hebrew 0915).

 

Note:
  • English no more uses the Old English words of our table.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Germanic . With the meaning "together" we find in older language, often with a preposition "te", "to", "zu": Old Saxon "tosamna", Old English "tosamne, tosomne" , Old Frisian "to samene", Old Norse "til samans" , Old High German "zisamene" and Middle Dutch "tesamen, tsamen(e)". These words are based on an adverb , that is in older languages : Gothic "samana", Old Saxon, Old High German and Old Norse "saman", Old English "samen, somen", Old Frisian "samin, semin" and Middle Dutch "samen(e)". Proto-Germanic probably already had "*S Ā M e N", but this besides an older "*SĀ M-".

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. There is a hypothesis "*S Ŏ M-", to which must be added the form ""*S Ā M-", that may have lived together.

     

    Tokharian "ysamo, ysomo = all together", a meaning related to "together".

     

    Old Indian "sám- = together"

     

    Greek "ομου‛, homou = together". This word comes from an older root "*som-" and it has many cognates with related meanings.

     

    Celtic offers an Old Irish "sam = together".

 

 

 

 
"...the town, to which was given the name Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the language of all the world on the face of which He dispersed them. GENESIS 11,9"
 
Created: Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 22.30.54 Updated: 14/12/2012 at 12.39.04