Words Derived From Non-Indo-European Languages
Hawkins moreover asserts that more than one third of the native Germanic lexicon is of non-Indo-European origin, and again points to the hypothetical substrate language as the cause. Certain lexical fields are dominated by non-Indo-European words according to Hawkins. Seafaring terms, agricultural terms, engineering terms (construction/architecture), words about war and weapons, animal and fish names, and the names of communal and social institutions are centers of non-Indo-European words according to Hawkins. Some English language examples given by Hawkins include:
| Seafaring | ||||||
| English | German | Dutch | Icelandic | Latin | Greek | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sea | See | zee | sjór | mare | θάλασσα (thalassa) |
море (more) |
| ship | Schiff | schip | skip | navis | πλοίο (ploio) |
плот (судно, корабль) (plot (sudno, korabl)) |
| strand (beach) | Strand | strand | strönd | litus, acta | παραλία (paralia) |
берег (bereg) |
| ebb | Ebbe | eb | efja | decessus, recessus | άμπωτις (ampotis) |
отлив (otliv) |
| steer | steuern | sturen | stýra | guberno | κυβερνώ (kuberno) |
управлять (upravlyat) |
| sail | segeln | zeilen | segl | navigo | πλέω (pleo) |
плавать (plavat) |
| keel | Kiel | kiel | kjölur | carina | καρίνα (karina) |
киль (kil) |
| north | Norden | noorden | norður | septentriones | βορράς (borras) |
север (sever) |
| south | Süden | zuiden | suður | australis, meridies | νότος (notos) |
юг (yug) |
| east | Osten | oosten | austur | oriens | ανατολή (anatoli) | восток (vostok) |
| west | Westen | westen | vestur | occidens | δύση (dysi) |
запад (zapad) |
| Warfare/weapons | ||||||
| English | German | Dutch | Icelandic | Latin | Greek | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sword | Schwert | zwaard | sverð | gladius (ensis, ferrum) | σπαθί (spathi) |
меч (mech) |
| shield | Schild | schild | skjöldur | scutum | ασπίδα (aspida) |
щит (shchit) |
| helmet | Helm | helm | hjálmur | galea | κράνος (kranos) |
шлем (shlem) |
| bow | Bogen | boog | bogi | arcus | τόξο (toxo) |
лук (luk) |
| Animal/Fish | ||||||
| English | German | Dutch | Icelandic | Latin | Greek | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| carp | Karpfen | karper | karfi | cyprinus | κυπρίνος (kyprinos) |
карп (karp) |
| eel | Aal | aal | áll | anguilla | χέλι (cheli) |
угорь (ugor) |
| calf | Kalb | kalf | kálfur | vitulus | μοσχάρι (moschari) |
телёнок (telyonok) |
| lamb | Lamm | lam | lamb | agnus | αμνός (amnos) |
ягнёнок (yagnonok) |
| bear | Bär | beer | björn | ursus | άρκτος (arktos) |
медведь (medved) |
| stork | Storch | ooievaar* | storkur | ciconia | πελαργός, λελέκι (pelargos, leleki) |
аист (aist) |
| Communal | ||||||
| English | German | Dutch | Icelandic | Latin | Greek | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| king | König | koning | konungur/kóngur | rex | βασιλεύϛ (basileus) |
король (korol) |
| knight* | Knecht | knecht | knakkur | servitus | υπηρέτης (ypiretis) |
слуга (sluga) |
| thing | Ding | ding | þing | res | πράγμα (pragma) |
вещь (veshch) |
| Miscellaneous | ||||||
| English | German | Dutch | Icelandic | Latin | Greek | Russian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| drink | trinken | drinken | drekka | bibo | πίνω (pino) |
пить (pit) |
| leap (run) | laufen | lopen | hlaupa | curro | τρέχω (trecho) |
бегать (begat) |
| bone | Bein (meaning leg) | been | bein | os | οστούν (ostoun) |
кость (kost) |
| wife (woman) | Weib | wijf | víf | uxor | γυνή (gyni) |
жена (zhena) |
| bride | Braut | bruid | brúður | nupta | νύφη (nyfi) |
невеста (nevesta) |
| (bride)groom | (Bräuti)gam | (bruide)gom | (brúð)gumi | maritus | γαμπρός (gampros) |
жених (zhenix) |
Notes:
- English word "strand" does not match up well with the other Germanic languages. "Strand" in the other Germanic languages means exclusively "beach", while the English is only used archaically as "beach".
- Dutch word for "stork", "ooievaar" is a known variation.
- knight/Knecht/knect/knight are all related, but in German and Dutch they mean "servant", which is presumed to be the originating meaning, while in English and Swedish they refer to a specific type of nobleman.
- German word "Bein" means leg, but also bone.
- Dutch word for "wijf" more means just a woman than a wife, the German word "Weib" is considered inappropriate to use for a wife now.
Read more about this topic: Germanic Substrate Hypothesis
Famous quotes containing the words words, derived and/or languages:
“A politician’s words reveal less about what he thinks about his subject than what he thinks about his audience.”
—George F. Will (b. 1941)
“These are our grievances which we have thus laid before his majesty with that freedom of language and sentiment which becomes a free people, claiming their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)