Newsgroups: sci.lang
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From: bruck@actcom.co.il (Uri Bruck)
Subject: Re: Hebrew AMEN and Egytian AMUN - common root?
Organization: ACTCOM - Internet Services in Israel
Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 18:53:09 GMT
Message-ID: <D84CGL.n53@actcom.co.il>
References: <3o7cf4$4mq@sunserver.lrz-muenchen.de>
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Helmut Richter (Helmut.Richter@lrz-muenchen.de) wrote:
: Recently there was discussion on the origins of "amen" in another
: newsgroup.  The question itself could easily be answered but a
: side-track remained unresolved: whether the Hebrew root AMN (truth,
: faith) is in any way related to the Egyptian (god named Amun, lots of
: kings called Amen...).

: Is there a common root or is it just coincidence?

: Helmut Richter
The hebrew word AMN (amen) is comes from the same root as the hebrew 
'EMUNA' faith. 
There are also other similar words in Hebrew like UMAN,-craftsman, which
is known to be derived from Accadian ummanu, but is probably not
related to amen.
The idea that it is somehow related to Egyptian seems far-fetched
to me. It sounds like a word composed of very basic syllable, a combination
which can very reasonably occur and reoccur in different places.
like the mantra OM. or just like plain humming.
Uri 

