Linguistics discussion (split from new factions thread)

[gamegeek2]

"Allah" was formed from the gemination of the "l"s in al-ilah, "the god." The semitic root would be ylh or lh.

In Semitic languages, there is a system of roots which can be used to form new words, this has been happening for a long time. Foreign words are easily incorporated with this system. Take the root k-t-b, which conveys the idea of writing. A very small sample of the many words in Arabic that are derived from this root.

kitab - book
kātib - writer (m)
kataba - to write
kutayyib - booklet
takātaba - to correspond
maktab - office
maktaba - library
miktāb - typewriter
maktūb - written

And a small sample of the Hebrew words derived from the same k-t-b root.

katab - reporter (m)
ktib - spelling
katub - written
ktab - handwriting

It is even seen in Maltese, the only Semtic language to use the Latin Alphabet as the primary alphabet

ktieb - book
kittieb - writer
miktub - written

A good EB example is the root q-d-$, meaning "holy/sacred." In Punic, "sh" becomes "s," so we have HaParasim HaQdosim (Sacred Band Cavalry). The same root is seen in Hebrew "Miqdash," as in HaBeit HaMiqdash, which literally translates as "The House [of] The Temple." Notice the pattern of adding "mi" or "ma" to the front of a root to get a building/object from an idea.

So we have the root s-g-d, "worship, bow." By adding "ma-" to the front we get Aramaic "Masgid," "place of worship," and Arabic "Masjid," meaning "mosque," most likely derived from an Aramaic dialect, likely Nabataean. And d-r-s, the root for "learn" is seen in Arabic "madrasa," "school."