Topics Edenics

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, there 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.

These above principles of etymology are called "Grimm's Law." By applying Grimm's Law to some words, we can see many English words that are related to Hebrew words.

The Hebrew word חז (hhaz) means to "gaze." If we replace the Hebrew letter ח (hh), a guttural, with the English letter "G," also a guttural, and replace the Hebrew letter ז (z), a whistling fricative, with the English letter "Z," also a whistling fricative, we have the word "gaze," which is the meaning of the word חז.

The Hebrew word דרך (derek) means "road." If we replace the Hebrew letter ד (d), a dental, with the English letter "T," also a dental, we have the words track, truck and trace, all English words related to a road.

Below are a few other examples of Hebrew words and their English translations, which sounds almost identical to the Hebrew word.

Ancient Hebrew Dictionary (Book) This Biblical Hebrew dictionary contains the one thousand most frequent verbs and nouns found within the Hebrew Bible.

Edenics: Origins of language (Article) Edenics is the study of the connection between Biblical Hebrew and other modern languages.

Animal Names from Eden (Article) Many of the names of animals in the English langauge can be found in the Hebrew langauge.