Words Defining the Notion of ‘WATER’ in Various Language Families of the World
By. Emanuel Florin Ganciu
Motto: “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the fieldan every fowl of the air and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof”. (Genesis, 2,19)[1]
Abreviations list
adj.- adjective IEW -Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch
anat. -anatomic obs. – obsolete
arh. – archaism nr. – number
- – confer PIE – Proto-Indo-European
comp.- compare reg. – regionalism
conf. – conform semant. – semantism
isl. – island
This article (the first from a number of articles which will be, hopefully, published in the following issues of this journal) is the result of a vast work of gathering information from various reliable sources. However, the data presented here may arise astonishment and doubt to many. The article is written by a non-specialist who after a long time of arduous research found out that there are strange similarities between words belonging to families of languages considered to be totally unrelated. Such an endeaviour can not be found to professional linguists.
The research for this article of genetic and comparative linguistics was done after gathering of huge amont of data (from a few tens of words in Eschimo language to a few thousands in Chinese, Quechua, Maori and so on, (an average of 200 words) in each of 1200 languages studied.
The article compares a number of terms for ‘water’ or something similar from various languages. Besides books, I used as sources of information scientific and academic online sites.
I have to mention that there are amazing similarities that are not studied by contemporary comaparative linguistics. Therefore, I considered that there is no place in science, including linguistics for any preconceived ideas or dogmas.
Unfortunately, many (if not the majority) of today’s scientific theories and research methods hamper or turn in a wrong direction or put serious limits to the scientific research blocking the road to the truth.
Thus, by following those who classify the almost 7000 languages of the world in about 13-15 (according to others even 17) language families, I would have missed a large number of words that are similar to others in languages belonging to linguistic families which are considered to be unrelated to each other. By saying this, I do not deny the great progresses done in linguistics and therefore, I use the established linguistic teminology, ideas and methodology.
I removed all the loanwords, even when certain terms were not indicated as such, but my gut feelings told me they are. For example in the Malayasian language Tetun Terik, the word tempu of the expression ‘tempu udan’ means ‘rainy season’, I had the suspicion that tempu seems to be loanword from Spanish tiempo and I did not use it.
I started comparing Romanian words, with Indo-European cognates or similar lexical itmes found in languages belonging to other language families. Some of these words from Polinesian, Amerindian, African or other languages are very similar or almost identical to the Romanian ones.
Before, I will discuss the list of words, it would be necessary to present the way the linguistic data were organized. First of all, some quesrtions should be answered:
- The discovery of a large number of identical or very similar terms with very close or identical meaning, it may be proof of the existance of an unique original language spoken by all people long time ago?
- Did this language took shape first from onomatopeas and aleatory sounds (as some theories maintain) or the words have had a specific meaning from the very beginning being created according to the specific features of the object defined?
- May the discovery of a large number of similar lexical items (with similar or identical meaning) in over one thousand languages all over the world that are found in Romanian language as well, be an argument that Romanian one of the oldest language of the world, since all these forms (8) are found in Romanian as well?
Results
In various world’s languages there are at least a few hundreds words that seem to come from a single source. For this article I have selected those words which are defining the notion of ‘water’ or something similar (river, lake, rain and so on) and I grouped them around 8 (eight) roots. In what follows, I will present a number of lexical items selected from languages all over the world. The most frequent seems to be AP-A, IP-A. The variants AK-A, WAKA are a little less frequent. We are taught in school the Romanian apă ‘water, river’ is coming from Latin aqua, but as we will see forms with /p/ are found in many languages of the world, regardless which family they belong, while forms with q/k which are less frequent are found in other languages, not only in Indo-European family, but outside it as well.
It is worth mentioning that in the Indo-European languages are found words deriving from both radicals, namely PIE *ab– ‘water, river’ (IEW, 1), with variant ap-. Such river-names are found in Thraco-Illyrian, Celtic and Baltic areas. The other Proto-Indo-European root is *akʷa– ‘water, river’ (IEW, 23). In what follows I will present the list of these words which is far of being complete.
*AP-A, *IP-A
Indo-European Family
Romanian apă – water, river
Geto-Dacian Zaldapa – an ancient place-name in today’s Dobroudgea, in south-eastern Romania.
Hittite happa – water
Hittite hapaa – river, rivulet
Hittite hapa – river
Palaic ha-a-ap-na-as – river
Sanskrit āpas – water, river
Old Prussian ape – river, brook
lituaniană ipe – river, body of water
Tocharian B ap – water, river, brook
gaulish Abona – river name
Old Irish aba – river
Welsh afon – river
Cornish/Breton auon – river
Sardinian abba – water
Persian (Farsi) drayaap – river
Afrasian Family
Egyptean hpi – to seduce, to travel, to navigate, toflow, to fly
Sumerian
Sumerian aa – water
Ainu
Ainu apta – rain
Dravidian Family
Kannada appu – water
Austronesian Family
Lundayehian abpa – water
Modern Tahitian pape – apă
Modern Tahitian anapa – sea înspumată
Dehu (Loyalty island) husapa – lake
Enga apu – rain
Bima, lamalera apu – fog
Mekeo apuapu – cloud
Kuri abu – fog
Tahitian (1773) avi – river
Maori awa – river
Algonkian Family (North America)
Ojibwe : Mississippi (<misi ziibi) (river name, North America) – The Great River
Other Algonkian nipiy, nipi, nebi, nepihi – water
Uto-Aztecan Family
Huichol (and other 10 Uto-Aztecan languages) paa – river
Hopi paayu – river
Shoshonian piapaa – lake, pond
Yakui baawe – sea, ocean
Qechua (Quechuan) Family (South America)
Quechua chirapa – rain and sun
Quechua api – soup, spălătură
Tupi Family
Guarani isapy – dew
Guarani hapy – to sprinkle
Body of water names[2] (rivers) grouped by countries or geografical regions
Japon – Abashiri
Nicaragua – Catapicha; Tepenaguasapa; Ojocuapa; Acoyapa; Tipitapa; Sinecapa; Sapoa; Tecomapa; Tecolapa;
Mexico – Amapa; Jamapa; Papaloapan; Teacapan; Acaponeta; Zahuapan; Tlapaneco; Uspanapa; Chilapa; Teapa; Apaseo; Suchiapa; Mátape; Malapa;
Brazil – Apa; Apuaē; Apuau; Apucarama; Apucaraninha; Apiai-Mirim; Apiau; Apoda; Apoqitaua; Aporé; Aporema; Apiacá;
Venezuela – Siapa; Sipapo; Giuayapo; Atabapo; Guarapiche; Guapo; Apón; Apure; Carapo; Aponguao;
Uruguay – Arapey Grande and Chico; Apa; Carapa;
French Guyana – Approuvaqué; Orapu; Wanapi;
Canada-Alberta – Sunwapta; Wapiti;
Florida (USA) – Alapaha; Alapahoochee; Apalachicola;
Hawaii – Kapehu; Kapia;
Russia – Agrapa;
Ecuatorial Guinea – Apú;
*AK-A,*WAK-A
Indo-European Family
Latin aqua – water
Venete (ancient Italic language) Aquileia – ancient name of a river of the north-eastern corner of the Italic peninsula
Old Irish oiche – water
Welsh aig – sea
Gothic ahwa – river
Old High Germen affa – river
Ainu
Ainu waka – water
Austronesian/Malayo-Polinesian
Tidore Bantik ake – water
Mouk (New Guinea) aki – water
Santali (Austro-Asian) dak – water
Rukay (Taiwan) acilay/acile – water
Maori (New Zeeland) hauqu – to wet
Uto-Aztecan (North America)
Tepehuan aki – water
O’odham akimel – river
Yaqui jakia – river
Tongua akwaakin – rain
Yaqui yuku – rain
Quechua (or Qechuan) Family (North America)
Quechua aqu – man’s sweat
Quechua aqa – maize fermented drink
Quechua yaku – water, river
Quechua Yaku-Mama – river’s goddess
River names[3] grouped by countries or by geographical regions
Etiopia – Walaqa;
Brazil- Apiacá;
Venezuela – Giuayapo;
Nigeria – Akwayafe;
South Africa – Sak;
Zimbabwe – Sebkwe; Mwewe;
*LAK–
Indo-Eropean Family
Romanian lac – lake
Latin lacus – lake
Ancinet Greek lakkos – hole, lake
Old Irish loch – lake
Breton lagen – lake, sea
Welsh lwch (pron. looh) – lake
Albanian lagë – water, sea
Austronesian/Malayo-Polinesian
South Efate luk – lake
Gesen louk – lake
Hawaiian loko – lake
Imugon/Murut luogon – lake
River-names[4] grouped by countries or by geographic regions
Camerun – Lokundje;
Democratic Republic of Congo – Lukaya; Lukunga; Lukenie; Lokoro; Loange; Lokolo; Lugulu; Lukuga; Lukushi;
Republic of Congo – Likouala; Lengoué; Sangha;
Gabon – Lekoni; Lekey; Lekabi; Lekedi;
Kenya – Lak Bor; Lagh Kutulo; Lagh Bogal;
Malawi – Lugenda;
Tanzania – Lukigura; Lukosi;
Zambia – Lukulu; Lukasashi;
*DAN–
Indo-European Family
Romanian Dunăre < PIE *danu – the Danube river
Russian (and Ucrainian) Don < PIE *danu– – Don river
Ossetian don – body of water, river
Sanskrit dhanvati – to run, to flow (about water)
Sanskrit dana – river
Old Persian dan- – to run, to flow (about water)
Avestan danu – river
Kartvelian (South Caucasian) Family
Georgian den-/din– – to flow
Mingrelian dǝn-/din– – to flow
Austronesian Family
Puyama/Pitam danaw – water
Katingan danau – water
Tomini dano – water
Vietnamese danau – water
River-names[5] grouped by countries or geographical regions
Japonia – Tone
Australia – Thone, Don
Tasmania – Don
Noua Zeelandă – Donne, Doon
Taiwan – Da’an
Bangladesh – Dhansiri, Dhanu
India – Thane, Dhansiri
Brazilia – Duna
Camerun – Donga
Democratic Republic of Congo – Dungu
Ghana – Tano
Guinea – Dion
Ivory Coast – Tano
Kenia – Tana
Lesotho – Dinakeng
Nigeria – Donga
Tanzania – Tani
Portugal – Dinha;
*NOR-, *NOL-, *NUR–
Indo-European Family
Romanian nor – cloud
Illyrian Nareta – river name in ancient Illyria
Old Irish nel – cloud, fog
Cornish niul – cloud, fog
Old Norse njol – night
Austronesian/Malayo-Polinesian Family
Mbilua (or Bilua) (Solomon Islands) ñoro – rain
Japanese
Japonese nureta – wet
Altaic Family
Mongol noor – lake
Mongol noron – wet
*JI-(L)
Indo-European Family
Romanian jilav – wet
Romanian jilț (reg., obs.) – brook
Romanian Jiu, Jieț – river-names (also Gilort (river-name), all in Oltenia), Gilpil (Dacian river-name, at Iordanes)
Sanskrit jrayas – river
Pashtun julobay – water fall
Altaic Family
Salar (China) jili – wet
Tatar jilman – wet
Dravidian family
Kannada jala – water
Quechua (or Quechuan) Family
Quechua ju-chumayu – brook
Tupi Family (South America)
Guarani jey – drink
Guarani jeyurâ – drink
Sino-Tibetan Family
Chinese jiulei – drink
Chinese pútáo-jiu – wine (chinese putao – grape)
Chinese jiao – to water
Austronesian/Malayo-Polinesian Family
Javanese (Wetan dialect Timor) jera – water
River names [6] grouped buy countries or geographical regions
Japonia – Uji
Australia – Jeir Creek, Jerra Jerra Creek, Jerrabattgulla Creek, Jerrara Creek, Jerrawa Creek
Honduras – Jalan
Uruguay – Jejuẏ
Southern Sudan – Jikawu, Jur
*SER-, *SAR–
Indo-European Family
Romanian zer – whey
Romanian zară – butterwhey
Romanian zeamă – juice, soup
Romanian Siret -river name in eastern Romania
Geto-Dacian Sargetia (today Strei) – river running by Sarmisegetusa, the capital city of Dacian kingdom
Thracian Strumon (today Struma) – river in the Balkan region
Sino-Tibetan Family
Chinese zhῑr – juice
Austronesian/Malayo-Polinesian
Vangunu, Mbareke (Austronesian) zera – sea, ocean
Ubir sareo – water
River names grouped by countries or geographical regions
Japan – Shira-Kawa;
Mongolia – Sharga
Australia – Sara
Turkmenistan – Sari-su
Pakistan – Suru, Sarasvati
India – Shiriva
Columbia – Sarare
Mexico – Sarabia, Sirupa
Russia – Sura
Germany – Saale, Saar, Sauer
France – Sȗre
Algeria – Isser
Tunisia – Oued Zouara
Eritrea – Zara
Burkina Faso – Sourou, Sirba
Mozambic – Shire
*UD-, *WAT-
Indo-European Family
Romanian ud, a uda – wet, to wet, to water
Geto-Dacian Salmor-ude – The Geto-dacian name of today’s Razelm lake, situated by the Black Sea
Hittite wa-a-tar – water
Cuneiform Hittite vadar – water
Luwian u-i-ti – water
Sanskrit udan – water
Sanskrit vatar – water
Hindi/Urdu utar – shalow water
Albanian ujë < *udja – water
Umbrian utur – water
Latin udus – wet
Gothic watō – water
Danish vad – wet
Old English watar – water
Ancient Greek ύδωρ – water
Old Slavic voda – water
Afrasian Family
Ugaritic Udum – the well-watered (city)
Berberă ued – river bed in the desert
Arabic wadi – valley
Uralic Family
Finnish vete-i – water
Mordvin ved – water
Mari wat – water
Hungarian vize-l – water
Altaic Family
Mongolian Uda – the name of the river which runs through the capital city of Buriat Autonoumos Republic, in Russia.
Dongxiang usu – water
Salar uji – wet
Dravidian Family
Tamil ōtam – 1. humidity, sea, wave; 2. wet ˟
Kannada odde – humidity
Kannada udu – to water,
Kannada uda – water
Kannada udaya – to spring
Kannada udadhi – sea
Kannada oddeyaada – wet
Austronesian/ Malayo-Polinesian Family
Roti uda – rain
Mokilese wud – rain
Pazeh udaru – rain
Tetun udan – rain
Markesian utau – ud
Vietnamese (familia austro-asiatică) uot – wet
Lakalai veto – fog
Araki wet – wet
Kwaio wasiu – wet
Australian Languages
Kalaw-kawaw-ya woethiwathi – fog
Simeulue language (neclasificată)
Simeulue bolud – wet
Basque (neclasificată)
Basque edari – drink
Tupi Family (South America)
Guarani ytu – water
Guarani ytororo – waterfall
River names[7] grouped by countries or geographical regions.
Japan – Uji Udyavara
Alaska – Usuktuk, Utukok
Russia – Uda Maya
Chad – Ouadi Kadjia
Algeria – Oued Saoura, Oued Mya
Libia – Wadi Ummal Ara’is
Ghana – Oti
Nigeria – Wase
Portugalia – Vade
Conclusions
From the information shown above, one may conclude that a large number of the world languages share at least 8 (eight) different terms defining the notion of ‘water’ or from the same semantic field. There are, in general, at least several hundred words common to various world languages, besides those discussed in this article. I should stress that of them are found in Romanian as well. This mean that Romanian language seems to be a very old Indo-European language, not just another Romance language. The myth of Tower of Babel is wide spread in many cultures all around the world. I would like to mention here only the one of the Kaska Indians of North America: “before the Flood, there was a single center. All people lived in one country and spoke only one language”. Therefore, the myth of the Flood, as well as the one of the Tower of Babel, refer back to some real events which took place many thousands years ago and some peoples remember them even today.
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[1] It is really interesting to find out that in some Austronesian languages the words for ‘person, man’ are similar to Hebrew ‘adam’ such as Leipon ‘damat’, Kemak ‘atamasa’, and Sikian ‘ngamo’.
[2] Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008
[3] Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008
[4]Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008
[5] Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008
[6]Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008
[7]Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008
[7] Atlasul Terrei, Enciclopedia RAO in collaboration with Istituto Geografico DeAgostini, The RAO Publishing Group, Bucharest, 2008