Tamil loanwords in Biblical Hebrew
The importance of Tamil loanwords in Biblical Hebrew is that linguistically these words are the earliest attestation of the Tamil language. These words were incorporated into the writing of the Hebrew Bible starting before 500 BCE. Although a number of authors have identified many biblical and post-biblical words of Tamil, Old Tamil, or Dravidian origin, a number of them have competing etymologies and some Tamil derivations are considered controversial.
Origins
The incorporation of Tamil loanwords into the
Due to its native speakers' location—in the critical path of trade between Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India—ancient
Linguistic influences
Most of the borrowed words had to do with items of trade that were unique to South India but which lacked native names in Hebrew.
Linguistically, the importance of Tamil loanwords in Hebrew is that it is the earliest attestation of Tamil language
Hebrew word | Meaning in Hebrew | Source language | Tamil word | Meaning in Tamil |
---|---|---|---|---|
túki/תוכים | peacocks in the past[nb 1] |
Tamil[nb 2] | tōkai/தோகை | feather[20][7][6][21][22][19][14] |
ahalim/אֲהָלִים | eagle-wood or agarwood | Tamil[nb 3] | akil/அகில் | agarwood[5][23][7][24][22][12][14] |
kurkúm/כורכום | turmeric | probably Tamil but also possibly Sanskrit | kūkai/கூகை (கூவை) | turmeric[7][25][12] |
armón/ארמון | palace | probably Tamil but has competing etymologies | araṇmaṉai/அரண்மனை | palace[7] |
kaḏ/כד | jug | probably Tamil, cognates in South Dravidian languages[nb 4] |
kiṇṭi/கிண்டி | small vessel[26] |
rg/ריג | weave | probably Tamil, cognates in South Dravidian languages | orukku/ஒருக்கு | to draw out[26] |
minnith/מִנִּית | rice[nb 5] | Tamil via Akkadian | uṇṭi/உண்டி | boiled rice[28] |
pannag/פנג | millet[nb 6] | Tamil via South Arabian | uṇaṅkal/உணங்கல் | millet[28] |
bûts/בּוּץ | fine textile | Possibly related to Tamil, via South Arabian also possibly via Sanskrit. Already attested in Syrian and Akkadian inscriptions dating back to the 9th century BCE. | panjcu/பஞ்சு | cotton[28] |
mesukkan/מסכן | wood | Tamil via Akkadian | mucukkaṭṭai/முசுக்கட்டை | mulberry tree[28]
|
piṭdâh/פִטְדָה | topaz | Tamil or Dravidian | pitta/பித்த | bile or yellow[28][30] |
qôph/קוף | monkey | probably Tamil but also possibly Sanskrit | ka(p)vi/கவி | monkey[31][32][33][22] |
Post-Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew word | Meaning in Hebrew | Source language | Tamil word | Meaning in Tamil |
---|---|---|---|---|
etrog/אתרוג | yellow citron | Tamil via Persian[nb 7] | mātuḷam/மாதுளம் or alternatively nārttaṅkāy/நார்த்தங்காய் | pomegranate or citron[36][35][34] |
orez/אורז | rice | Tamil via South Arabian[nb 8] | arici/அரிசி | rice[38][13][6][2][24] |
nul/נול | loom | probably Tamil, cognates in South Dravidian languages[nb 9] | nūl/நூல் | thread[26] |
mango/מנגו | mango | From English, via Portuguese originally from Tamil[relevant?] | māṅkāy/மாங்காய் | unripe mā (a species) fruit[39] |
See also
Notes
- Peacocks, taken from tōkai signifying a male Peacocks feathers in Tamil[7]
- ^ According Ernest Klein Greek taôs, Aramaic טוסא, Arabic لطاووس, also Hebrew תכי probably comes ultimately from Tamil tōkai/தோகை for peacock.[19]
- ^ David Shulman believes ahalim is directly derived from Tamil akil/அகில் rather than Sanskrit aguru/अगुरु which in itself is a loan from Tamil.[7]
- ^ minnith in general means a place of the Ammonites except Chaim Rabin postulated, it meant Rice.[27][28]
- ^ pannag has no acceptable meaning, but millet is one of the proposed meanings.[29]
- ^ According Rabin, Hebrew etrog or ethrunga is borrowed from turung in Persian or etrunga in Mandaic, that is ultimately related to mātuḷam/மாதுளம் or mātuḷamkāy/மாதுளம்காய் in Tamil for Pomegranate or lemon, where as Philologos derives it from Tamil nārttaṅkāy/நார்த்தங்காய்[34][35]
- Chaim Rabin Greek óruza (ὄρυζα), Hebrew אורז are derived from South Arabian areez that was ultimately derived from Tamil arici/அரிசி for rice[37]
- ^ The modern Hebrew word for weavers loom nul is generally accepted to be derived from the Aramaic nawlā per Ernest Klein, which is related to Arabic نَوْل, but Podolsky believes its highly improbable that the original word is preserved only in one language without cognates in other Semitic languages apart from those that were borrowed from it. He believes its related to the acquisition of a new weaving technology from South India. [26]
References
- ^ a b Southworth, F.Linguistic Archeology of South Asia, p. 251
- ^ a b Zvelebil, Kamil. "Dravidian languages". Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ Curry, Andrew. "Philistines Had a Taste for Far-flung Foods, Fossilized Tooth Plaque Reveals". Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ Wu, Catherine. "Painted Bronze Age Monkeys Hint at the Interconnectedness of the Ancient World". Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ a b Khan, G.Encyclopedia of Hebrew Languages and Linguistics Volume 1 A-F , p. 640-642
- ^ a b c Caldwell, R. A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages p. 474
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Shulman, D. Tamil: A biography, p. 20
- ^ a b c Rabin, C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p. 438
- ^ Rabin, C. The Song of Songs and Tamil Poetry p.208-209
- ^ a b Price, E. A history of Kannada literature, p. 1
- ^ a b Rabin, C. The Song of Songs and Tamil Poetry p. 205-219
- ^ a b c d Sugirtharajah R. Bible and Asia p.32-33
- ^ a b c Wald, Shalom; Kandel, Arielle. "India, Israel and the Jewish people". Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ a b c Parthsarathy, R.The cilappatikāram of Iḷaṅko Aṭikaḷ : an epic of South India, p. 282-283
- ^ James, G. Tamil lexicography, p.10
- ^ Government of Tamilnadu, Department of Archeology. "Keeladi, Excavation Report, Urban Settlement, Sangam Age, River Vaigai". Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ Vishnupriya, Kolipakam. "A Bayesian phylogenetic study of the Dravidian language family". Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ Noonan, Benjamin. "Benjamin Noonan on Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible". Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ a b Curvin, David. "Balashon: Hebrew Language Detective". Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ Rabin, C. Lexical borrowings from Indian languages as Carriers of ideas and Technical concept (in Between Jerusalem and Benares: Comparative Studies in Judaism and Hinduism), p. 29
- ^ Biblehub. "Peacock". Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Chandra M. Trade And Trade Routes In Ancient India, p.45
- ^ Rabin C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p.434
- ^ a b Swaminatha Ayar, R. Dravidian Theories, p. 55
- ^ Melbourne, University of. "Sorting Curcuma names". Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Podolsky, B.Past links:Studies in the Languages and Cultures of the Ancient Near East, p. 199-201
- ^ "Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Rabin, C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p. 435-436
- ^ "Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ Waldman, N. The Recent Study of Hebrew: A Survey of the Literature with Selected Bibliography p. 61
- ^ Curvin, David. "Balashon: Hebrew Language Detective". Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Bible Study Tools. "Ape". Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Dikshitar R. Origin And Spread Of The Tamils , p.89-90
- ^ a b Philologos. "The Etrog". Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ a b Curvin, David. "Balashon: Hebrew Language Detective". Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ Rabin, C. Lexical borrowings from Indian languages as Carriers of ideas and Technical concept (in Between Jerusalem and Benares: Comparative Studies in Judaism and Hinduism, p. 30
- ^ Rabin, C. Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies, p. 436
- ^ Shulman, D. Tamil: A biography, p. 21
- ^ Definify. "Mango". Retrieved 7 September 2021.
Cited literature
- Caldwell, Robert (1856). A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian, Or South-Indian Family of Languages. Harrison. ISBN 978-81-20-60117-8.
- Chandra, Moti (1977). Trade And Trade Routes In Ancient India. Abhinav. ISBN 978-0-712-80117-1.
- Dishitar, Ramachandra (1971), Origin And Spread Of The Tamils, Oakley, ISBN 978-3-111-59200-8
- James, Gregory (2008), Tamil lexicography, Walter de Gruyter, ISBN 978-1-443-72658-0
- Khan, Geoffrey, ed. (2013). Encyclopedia of Hebrew Languages and Linguistics Volume 1 A-F. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-17642-3.
- The cilappatikāram of Iḷaṅko Aṭikaḷ : an epic of South India. Translated by Parthasarathy, R. Columbia University Press. 1993. ISBN 978-02-31-07849-8.
- Pdodolsky, Baruch (1998). Izre'el, Shlomo; Singer, Itmamar; Zadok, Ran (eds.). Past links:Studies in the Languages and Cultures of the Ancient Near East. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 1-57506-035-3.
- Price, Edward (1982), A history of Kannada literature, Asian Educational Service, ISBN 8120600630
- Shulman, David (2016), Tamil: A biography, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-05992-4
- Sugirtharajah, R.S. (2013), The Bible and Asia, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-04907-9
- Swamaninatha Aiyar, R (1987), Dravidian Theories, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8-120-80331-2
- Rabin, Chaim (1994). Goodman, Hananya (ed.). Between Jerusalem and Benares. State University of New York. ISBN 0-7914-1715-8.
- Rabin, Chaim (Dec 1, 1973). "The Song of Songs and Tamil Poetry". Studies in Religion. 3 (3): 205–219. S2CID 149367075.
- Rabin, Chaim (Oct 1971). Proceedings of the Second International Conference Seminar of Tamil Studies. International Association of Tamil Research. pp. 432–440.
- Southworth, Franklin (2005), Linguistic Archeology of South Asia, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-33323-8
- Waldman, Nahum (1989), The Recent Study of Hebrew: A Survey of the Literature with Selected Bibliography, Eisenbrauns, ISBN 978-0-878-20908-8