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Etymology, the study of word origins, is a very interesting area of language study. Throughout our life we use thousands of words never stopping to ponder their origins or relationships to other words. Words can often be traced back through time and other languages to discover their origins and original meanings. Our purpose here is show a common relationship between Hebrew and English words and their meanings. This area of study is what has become called "Edenics."
All languages are based on a root system where a common set of letters can be found in different words of similar meaning. For example the English words FoLiage, FLora and FLower all have a similar meaning and are derived from an ancient FL root which probably meant "plant."
The Hebrew word for "fruit" is פרי (periy) which is derived from the parent root פר (PR). Many of the English words for different types of fruit come from this PR Hebrew root including PeaR, aPRicot, PRune and PeRsimmon. Over time words evolve as they are transferred from one language or culture to another. One type of evolutionary change is the reversal of letters such as in the word gRaPe which is another fruit word from the PR root. Another type of evolutionary change is the exchange of one letter sound for a different similar sounding word. One common exchange of sounds is the R sound for the L sound such as we see in the fruit words apPLe and PLum which have evolved from the PR root. Another is the P to B or F giving us BeRry and the word FRuit, both evolved forms of the PR root.
The Hebrew word for "grain" is בר (BR - bar). In English we have the words BaRley (a type of grain), BaRn (a place for storing grain) and BeeR (made from grains).
Of all the sounds that the human voice can create, their are seven unique groups of sounds and any one sound in one group can easily be changed to another sound within the same group over time.
| Type | | English | | Hebrew |
| Vowels (breath sounds) | | a,e,i,o,u | | א, ה, ו, י, |
| Labials (lip sounds) | | b,f,p,v,w | | ב, ו, פ |
| Gutterals (throat sounds) | | hard c,g,h,j,k,x,y | | ג, ה, ח, כ, ע, ק |
| Liquids (tounge sounds) | | l,r | | ל, ר |
| Nasals (nose sounds) | | m,n | | מ, נ |
| Dentals (tooth sounds) | | d,t | | ד, ט, צ, ת |
| Whistling fractives (whistle sounds) | | soft c,s,z,sh,th | | ז, ס, ש
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These above principles of etymology are called "Grimm's Law" and can easily be seen in the following examples of Hebrew roots and the English words derived from them.
English Words from Hebrew words Derived from Parent Roots
Parent
Root | Hebrew
Word | Hebrew
Meaning | English
Word |
| AD | ood | firepoker | wood |
| AH | ah | sigh | ah |
| AH | oiy | woe, disaster, pain | woe, ow |
| AL | el, al | power | elk, all |
| AM | amah | cubit, an arm length | arm |
| AN | aniy | I | I, me |
| AR | 'or | light (brings order) | order |
| ASh | esh, ash | fire | ash |
| ASh | iysh | man, each man | each |
| AT | et, at | at, with | at |
| BH | bah, beh | fill a void | be, via |
| BZ | buz | plunder | buzzard (a bird that plunders) |
| BL | bal | flow, roll | ball, bowl, bullet, flow, affluence |
| BN | ben | son, building stone | beam |
| BN | beyn | between | between |
| BQ | baq | pour out, empty | vacate, vaccume |
| BR | bar | grain, fat, soap | pure, barley, beer, boar, bear, barn |
| BSh | bash | shame | bashful, abash |
| BT | beyt/beth | house, (second letter) | both, bed |
| GB | gabh | dug out | cave |
| GD | gud | tendon (used for cord) | cord, gut, guitar (strings originally made of gut cords) |
| GL | gal | round, skull | skull |
| GM | gam | foot | game (from latin meaning leg) |
| GR | garon | throat | grown, growl |
| DD | dad | breast, beloved | teat, udder, dad |
| DL | dal | door | door |
| DM | damah | silent, dumb | dumb |
| DN | diyn | judge | damn |
| DR | hadar | honor, ornament | adore |
| DSh | doosh | tread | dash |
| HB | habh | gift (what is given) | have |
| HD | had | shout | hoot |
| HH | hu | he | he, she, them, they |
| HR | har | hill | hill |
| ZB | zubh | puss | seep |
| ZH | zeh | this, that, which | this, that, the, so |
| ZQ | zaq | bind | shackle |
| ZHh | hhaz | gaze | gaze |
| HhN | hhen | camp | home |
| HhS | hhasah | refuge | house |
| HhsH | hhush | quiet | hush |
| HhT | hhat | break | hate |
| ThP | tapap | trip | trip |
| ThR | tur | wall, mountain range | tower |
| ThSh | tush | pounce | toss |
| ThTh | tet | basket | tote |
| YD | yad | hand, arm | yard (length of arm) |
| YSh | yesh | there is | yes, is |
| KS | cus | cup, pocket, cover | case |
| KP | caph | palm, cover | cap, cuff |
| KR | cor | hole, dug out | core, bore |
| KT | catat | crush | cut |
| LB | lebh | heart | love, liver |
| LB | labhabh | glisten, flame | lava |
| LD | yalad | child | lad |
| LHh | lahh | moist | liquid |
| LK | halak | walk | walk |
| LL | yalal | howl | yell |
| LQ | laq | lick | lick |
| MG | mag | magic | magic |
| MD | madah | extend, wide | meta (greek for large) |
| MK | muk | thin, poor | meek |
| ML | malal | reduce | mill |
| MN | min | kind, species, from | man, name, animal |
| MQ | moq | mock | mock |
| MR | mar | bitter | marine, marsh |
| MR | mahar | exchange | mirror |
| MT | mut | death | mute, moot point |
| NG | nahag | drive | nag |
| ND | nad | mounds, wave, wander | nod, wander |
| ND | nod | nod | nod |
| NN | nun | continue | new |
| SD | sad | foundation, level | sod |
| SK | sak | booth | shack |
| SK | sukah | view | seek |
| SN | sane | hate | sin |
| SP | saph | lip | sup, supper, sip |
| SP | saphah | lip, speak | speak, speach |
| SQ | saq | sack | sack, sock |
| SR | sar | lord, prince | sir |
| GhL | ghal | yoke | collar |
| GhN | ayin | eye | eye |
| GhP | ghoph | bird | avion |
| GhR | yaghar | forest | jungle |
| PG | pag | unripe | fig |
| PD | pad | disappear | fade |
| PL | naphal | fall | fall |
| PR | par | bull | bull |
| PR | parar | break | break |
| PR | periy | fruit | fruit, pear, apricot, apple, berry, fertile, ripe |
| TsD | tsad | side | side |
| TsH | tsion | mark, sign | sign, son |
| TsP | tsaph | whisper, watch | spy |
| TsR | tsa'ar | pain | sore |
| TsR | atsar | store up | store |
| QD | qad | bow the head | head, hat |
| QB | qev | hole | cave, cove |
| QL | qal | voice | call |
| QL | qlon | disgrace | clown |
| QN | qanah | acquire, purchase | coin |
| QR | qara | call, meet | occur, cry, call |
| RG | rag | bad | wrong |
| RG | arag | weave | rug |
| RG | harag | kill | harange |
| RHh | riych | scent | reak |
| RTs | erets | earth, land | earth |
| RSh | rosh | head | raise (as in the head) |
| ShN | shin | teeth | shine |
| ShP | shaph | serpent | sharp, serpent |
| ShP | yashaph | jasper | jasper |
| ShSh | shesh | six | six |
| ShT | sheyt | sit | set, sit, seat |
| TL | tal | mound | tall |
| TP | taph | drum, beat | tap |
| TR | tur | travel | tour, tire |
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English Words from Hebrew words Derived from Adopted Roots
Adopted
Root | Hebrew
Word | Hebrew
Meaning | English
Word |
| ALP | eleph | cattle | elephant |
| BQR | baqar | cow | buckaroo (derived from the spanish word vaquero meaning cow) |
| GML | gamel | camel | camel |
| DRK | derek | way, road | direct, track, truck |
| KPR | caphar | cover | cover |
| KRT | carat | cut out | create |
| MShL | mashal | rule | marshal |
| SPR | saphiyr | saphire | saphire |
| GhBR | obher | other side, over | over |
| GhRP | gharaph | neck | girafe |
| ShLT | shalat | govern | salute |
| ShVN | shibanah | seven | seven |
| ShMSh | shemesh | sun | sun |
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