There is a compelling “lexical similarity” between Semitic and Indo-European languages. These two families, share many cognate words. Some of these words underwent phonetic changes, and became: “camouflaged cognates”, while others are still “explicit cognates”.
Because language change can have radical effects on both the sound and the meaning of a word, cognates may not be obvious, and it often takes rigorous study of historical sources and the application of the comparative method to establish whether words are cognates.
Some of these changes include the following:
Metathesis:
The transposition of sounds or syllables in a word, (two sounds or syllables switch places in a word), such as “Ask” and “Aks” in American English.
Example:
“pocket” in Arabic is : “جيب” (gayb) or (jayb).
“pocket” and “جيب” seem to be camouflaged cognates.
Pocket = “pock” + “-et”.
“-et” is a diminutive suffix.
Current etymology: “pocket from Anglo-French pokete, diminutive of Old North French poque, from a Germanic source akin to Frankish *pokka,” from Proto-Germanic *puk“. [01]
Root of “puk” = [p-k]
/g/ is the voiced variant of /k/
[p-k] can be pronounced: [p-g]
/p/ is the voiced variant of /b/
[p-g] can be pronounced: [b-g]
After metathesis: [b-g] > [g-b]
Root of “gayb” = [g-b]
Standard Arabic *j is proto-Semitic *g
[g-b] > [j-b]
Root of “jayb” = [j-b]
Nasal infix:
The nasal infix is a nasal consonant or syllable: [n] or [m], that was inserted (infixed) into the stem or root of a word in the Proto-Indo-European language.
Since the linguistic ancestor of PIE is not known, there can only be speculations about the origins of the nasal infix. It has been suggested that it arose from a suffix which underwent metathesis. (Wikipedia). Examples:
Icelandic: “sökkva” (sakwa) => English: “sink”.
Icelandic: “bakki” => English: “bank”.
Examples:
01- English: “hand”
Akkadian: “id” (= hand).
“hand” un-infixed form = had
(h-Deletion, h becomes zero):
/h/→/∅/
had → ∅ad → ad
“id” and “ad” seem to be related.
02- Arabic: “qutr /قُطر ” = region, country.
-Nasal [n] infixed => quntr
-Root of quntr = [q.n.t.r]
English: “country”.
Root of “country” = [k.n.t.r]
Arabic: “qutr” & English: “country” seem to be: “related”.
03- Arabic: “kăt /كتت ” = to determine the total number of (a collection of items).
-Nasal [n] infixed => kant
-Root of kănt = [k.n.t]
English: “count”
Root of “count” = [k.n.t]
Arabic: “kăt” & English: “count” seem to be: “related”.
04- Arabic: “sakh /ساخ” = to sink.
-Nasal [n] infixed => sankh
-Root of sankh = [s.n.kh]
English: “sink”.
Root of “sink” = [s.n.k]
Arabic: “sakh” & English: “sink” seem to be: “related”.
05- Arabic: “sawt /صوت” (= sound.)
-Nasal [n] infixed => sawnt
-Root of sawnt = [s.n.t]
English: “sound”.
Root of “sound” = [s.n.d]
Arabic: “sawt” & English: “sound” seem to be: “related”.
Semitic vowels:
ă = “u” as in “but”
ā = “a” as in “far”
ŭ = “u” as in “put”
ū = “oo” as in “stool”
ĭ = “i” as in “bit”
ī = “ee” as in “steel”.
[01] – www.etymonline.com/word/pocket
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