E 1032          ZYG-,  ZYGO-

The first wordparts “ zyg- “ and “ zygo-“ are of Greek origin .

H 1084            ג ו ז                     

Concept of root :  couple

 Hebrew word

pronunciation

English meanings

 ג ו ז

 ג ו ו ז

zug ; ziwwèg; ziwwug

 couple ; to couple; coupling

Related English words

 zyg- , zygo- , from Greek

Comparison between European words and Hebrew

Languages

Words

Pronunciation

English meanings

Similarity in roots

Hebrew

ג ו ז;

ג ו ז;

ג ו ו ז;

zug; ziwwèg;

ziwwug

 couple;

to couple;

coupling;

 z . w . g

Greek

ζυγη

zügè

couple

z (ü) g

English

zyg-, zygo-

zyg-, zygo-

z (y) g

 

 

Proto-Semitic *ZUG --- *ZŪG- Indo-European

 

 

These words are especially used to indicate the, lawful, couple of man and woman. The Greek Ü corresponds with the Hebrew U. The final ‘E in Greek “zügè” is a suffix.

 

Note:
  • Hebrew shows that within the usages of one root, the letter "ו (waw)" can be pronounced as a vowel, in this case U, or as a consonant, here a W. Of course, if the choice is the consonant, vowels are needed for proper pronouncing , this time an I and an E that carry the concept of intensityin: “ziwwèg”, that is r3gistered in Post Biblical Hebrew like is the third word from the table : "ziwwug".

     

    Some scholars suppose that the Hebrew word “zug” has been borrowed from Greek, be it not from “zűgè = couple”, but from another noun, “zűgon = yoke, pair”. In contrast with this idea we see many typically Hebrew verbal forms, as “ziwwèg”, “hizwig” and also the noun “zugà= wife”. And Aramaic has both “zug” and “zug’à”, this last word even spelled with an Aleph.
    This all indicates a Semitic origin of the root “Z.W.G” and a common origin with Greek . This is further confirmed upon seeing Arabic " zauj = one of a pair, husband" and "zaujà = wife", with the usual change from G into J.

 

Note:
  • Proto-Semitic is seen as having already had in use the same root seen in Hebrew: "* ז ו ג , Z W G", to which we agree. Aramaic has " ז ו ג , zug" and, together with Syriac " ז ו ג א, zugà". Arabic is somewhat different, with "zauj; zaujah = one of a pair, husband; wife". The "J" in Arabic is a common development out of "G".

 

Note:
  • Latin has for “couple” the word “iugum”. The verbs for “ to couple” or "to put together" are “iugare” and the nasalized "iungere" with mote elaborated and figurative meanings. The first letter is in fact a consonant J or Yod. This Latin root seems certainly related to Hebrew and Greek. In Greek a “ζυγον , zügon” is a “yoke”, but it is not clear why the Z would have become a Y instead of for example an S. For that reason it has not been inserted in the table above.

     

    “Iugum” has acquired wide-spread use in the meaning of “yoke”, that is of the same origin. Under a yoke there usually is a couple, like two oxen. But some kind of “iugum” was also used for slaves. A Roman army in the old Roman history , in the year 321 a.e.v. was forced by the enemy to submit by passing, naked from the waist and without arms, under a “ yoke” made of three spears : “sub iugum mittere”. This in fact was their own system, as the victorious Samnites knew. Later of course the Romans won again.

 

Note:
  • Indo-European. English “yoke” is certainly related to Latin “iugum”, as are other older Indo European words, as Old Indian "“zuga = yoke”."

     

    Most of these words have been left out of the table because of the different first consonant, Y instead of Greek and Hebrew Z, but also because their use seems not to comprise that of “couple” in general or couple of man and woman. Instead it is concentrated on that of “yoke” or the couple of animals under a yoke.

     

    One has to conclude the probability of two forms, both in use : "*Y Ū G-" and "*Z Ū G-".

 

 

 

 
"...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: 20/12/2012 at 16.04.15